Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-05-03
PILLS LOOK SAD
AGAINST GIANT rs
Mule Watson's Poor Pitching
Big Factor in Coombsmen's
Downfall
MAKE FIVE MISPL IS
BY EDWIN j. POLLOCK
Special STAFF Corresp0ndent Travelling wit
the Phillies

Special staff Correspondent Travelling with
the Phillies
New York, May 3.-The opening Of
the National League season here land
the tRirtieth anniversary of the field as
a baseball diamond were celebrated by
about 1000 fans and the Giants, at the
Polo Grounds yesterday. The Phillies
didn't have anything to do with the cele-
brating. The glad noises in the stands
was funeral march for Coombs' clans
men. Aside from furnishing Mule Wat
son to serve 'em in the groove and field
ers to return the balls to the pitching
mound, the Phils might just as well have
been at Broad and Huntington streets ;
n fact, every member of the squad would
rather have been awaiting dinner in
waiterless Phillie hotel than acting as
caddies to the Giants. They would have
gotten better results in union dining
room.
In their 14-to-2 victory the Giants
did not give the Phils much of chance
TO handle the ball, but when opportuni-
ties did present themselves Bakers men
acted like wayward sons. The Coombs,
men totaled five errors.
Had on Day
One fan remarked as he left. .the field
that it was an off day for the Phils. He
was right. The Phils were off, away,
away off, far, far from the old ball
game, but, like true representatives of
the silent, forceful and determined
Ouakers, they fought as hard when they
were thirteen runs behind as they did
in the beginning.
Coombs's club looked bad because
Watson looked bad, and any club that
gets poor pitching will look bad. The
Mule took a terrific flogging, but was
plutton for punishment. He went the
entire distance of eight rounds, and I'M
pires KLEIN and Emslie not being Slim
Brennans. couldn't see stopping the
bout to avoid knockout, although
Watson was beaten beyond hope.
Sixteen hits for a total of twenty
four bases is a heap of whipping for
one pitcher to take in eight innings, but
the Mule took it smiling. The most un-
kind cut of all was roaring four ply
wallop, off McCarthy's bat when two
were on in the fourth.
Pity Regular Players 81
Jawn McGraw had pity on George
Burns and Ross Young and gave both
of them rest from their continual
base running by substituting Jim
Thorpe and King Coombs also pulled
Bancroft and Whitted from the fray
for fear they would get leg or an
arm knocked off BY some of the ter
rife cannonading that was whipping
through the Phils' inner works.
But the fans like hitting. and they
certainly got what they liked at the
opening engagement.
In all there were twenty four safeties
for, thirty four bases. In that one
ball game there were five doubles, one
triple and one home run besides seven
teen singles, That's enough hitting
for. the price Of one admission.
~f Notes
of Ridsrmsn. the BODY that made Sunday
baseball possible In New York, was sup
pUssd 20 Esg S Sot the rush ne possa
bali. ti '.s
High Is pSy ISSks sSDi0r susnr, Ma r.
New York yesterday. but didn't see the
game. 4; ae. .Sti . ts 9s.3 N 4, Il E. = ~ n
captsin whitted Il getting 10 be resu-
sf s'ss 5s e s,sS Rsxss sss9Se Se sss
VA ca,Ied home on account Of ~ dssth
|of ~ san oeoFss nov ~ plssed " eay-