The Washington herald., 1921-10-05
new RECORD FOR
SERIES SLUCCINC
EXPECTED BY FANS
Galaxy of Long-Distance
Hitters Keeps Interest
At High Pitch.
PIN HOPES ON BABE
Two New York Teams Have
Slammed Out 217 Homers
This Year.
PIN HOPES ON BABE
BY JACK NYE.

After wrestling with all angles Of
the dope, baseball experts have put
their heads together and announced
that the battle between the Yankees
and the Giants, which gets under
way today, is an ven-money prop
osition.
Our pitchers will win the Sc
ries," AYERS John ]. McGraw. while
Midget Miller Higgins issues a
procla nation in which he offers to
bet his shoes that the hitting of
the Yankees will turn the trick.
All of which is food for the cock
eyed fans who are already so
gorged on series dope that there Is
no room for more.
Judging from all appearances this
is going to be the Target series from
point of public interest ever Of
fered to the chroniclers of history.
sIugging Records May Go.
What interests the rabble is not
so much the pitching strength of
the rival teams. the excellence in
inside" baseball, the superior speed
on the bases on the defensive
strength. Such things as these have
been incident to all post-season Sc
ries.
1t doesn't take a deep psycholo-
gist to return 4 verdict that the
fires of enthusiasm have been kin
died largely by the fact that the
present series should bring to light
the widest orgy of long distant
hitting ever seen in a like event.
Should is the word we use, not
will" An epidemic OF no-hit games
is a possibility but about the
furthest thing from a probability
that can be imagined.
Let your mind drift back over
the past and try to visualize a
similar array of ,slugging talent.
oh yes. Frank Baker used to set
the bugs wild with his over-the-
fence bunts. but there Is Mr.. Baker
on the Yankee team today with
only, nine home runs to his credit
for the season. The Trappe mauler
becomes almost Insignificant in
comparison with the competition
he faces.
If Babe Ruth doesn't sock at
least one ball out of the lot dur
ing the series the majority OF
Yankee followers will be in worse
shape than in the panic of 1907.
The same may be said Of long
George Kelly. the long distance hit
ting star Of the Giants, and his
regiment of admirers.
MeuseI Has Edge On Kelly.
But as good as Kelly may be
with the wand, he stL1l plays sec
ond fiddle to Bobby Meusel. run
ner-up to Ruth on Huggins' team.
George amassed a total of % cir
cult wallops during the season and
Bob topped that figure by one.
In addition to this big trio. such
men as Frlsch. with IA for the sea
son: Smith, with 10: Baker with g.
and Pipp and Peckinpaugh with s.
should add their bit to the display
of pyrotechnics.
What does good pitching amount
to against such hitting?
Ruth's record was built up not
only at the expense of the weak ksr
fingers. but by pasting the stars
as well. Even the mighty Walter
johnson has been pie for Old BAN
Referring to the records il will be
noted that Barney has twice been
dubbed for the circuit. Other VIC
Tins of the King of Swat include
the best of them-Bush, of Boston;
Kerr and Faber. of Chicago; Covel-
eskie, of Cleveland; Davis, of ST
Louis. and even the famed Shocker
OF the Browns, who was the link
Of the Yanks for the entire season
There may be pitchers Oh the
Giant staff who can cast a spell
over Ruth, but they'll have to prove
it.
Two Teams Hit 217 Homers.
During the season just finishet
the two New York teams hit 21I
home runs, with the Hugmen con-
tributing 134 of that number. Rutr
himself averaged one homer in ap
proximately every third game.
These are the things that have
got the bugs worked up to. tn,
highest pitch in years, and II the
combined teams don't lose a small
fortune in balls you can rest as.
sured that the. series will be 6
fiivver.
The chances of It "fiivving,' how.
ever, are exceedingly remote.
NEWDV At HAT