New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-10-06
McCraw's Attack Fails Be-
fore Mays's Underhand
Pitching; Ruth Hits
His Team Into the Lead
Bare Seats Deprive
Show of Its Glory
No Homers Are Hit, but
Struggle Sees Run Made
on a Steal; Fine Fielding
By Grantland Rice

By Grantland Rice
In the midst of setting as vivid
and as radiant with color as the
background for Mr.. Gray's "Elegy
in Country Churchyard." or the
interment of Moses upon Nebos
lonely mountainside, the Yankees
took the first long leap toward
worlds series glory by beating the
Giants, to 0, in the debut game.
For this one day the prophets and
the oracles suffered a violent wrench
as they were tilted upside down
In place Of frenzied hordes Storm
ing the gates, eight thousand bare
seats IN the upper stands cast their
somber shadows across the field ike
so many haunting wraiths Of sor-
row in banquet hall OF vast arches
and Pickering candles.
And in place of the Yankees win
ming by the unleashed fury Of a
crashing attack, they won by the un-
broken power Of defense as flaw
less as a wall of steel.
Yanlss' Attack Wins
Back of the superb pitching Of
Carl Mays, whose underhand deliv-
cry turned back every Giant except
Frank Frisch, the Yankee defense
soon flattened out the Giant attack
beyond all recognition as the more
alert Yankee ofense slipped blithely
through Giant crevices for the
l. 'ded runs.
Shuffiing Phil Douglas, with his
twisting splitter and his battling
speed, spiked HUggins's Howitzers
up and down the iine. holding them
to three clean blows throughout the
afternoon. but at vital moments his
support began to take on sieve-like
aspects. and through these few open
ings the Yanks scurried merrly to
victory
The game itself, at certain stated
intervals. might have olectliaed
crowd cast in a different mental mold.
For outside of brilliant pitching, the
Rambino himself drove in the first
run, Mike McNally stole home. Frank
Frsch hammered out four hits and
Roger Peckinpaugh gave a display
at short that flashed like some ia iah's
main Jewel in the glare o. al Indian
sun
But through these various pyrotech-
mes that ordinarily should have had
the fanatic frothing at the mouth, there
was no answering uproar from the
stands. no fsnatical upheaval 20 make
one forget those 1900 empty seats tha-
represented something more than
cash deficit Of S25.o00 in day and
time when S25 900 is nothing TO push
into the gutter with the tip Of
fra2zled shoe. 1t was undoubtedly the
haunting, mocking presence Of these
5000 untaken seats that cast = dcpres-
sion upon both athletes and non-com-
batants alike
Contest OF Vim and Dash
The players fought with vim and
dash, but they must have senscd the
narrowing o:ner Of q depleted account.
And, after all, who could biane big
part of the crowd from cracking under
the heavy strain? For weary hours
they mad stood in line or practised
quick starts for .icket Offices iN the
nope Of bagging a $3.50 seat They
had known the mental anguish Of many
days OF worry and their broken sleep
had been full Of black dream Of disar-
pointed hopes.
And then, having survived the tidal
wave, they we're forced to sit and gaze
moodily upon 5000 choice. untaken
seats at only $3.50 throw. No wonder,
IS AL these bare, bald spaces loomed
got all about Carl Mays Frank Friscn
and Nike McNally in the deep depres-
sion OF the moment
Part Of this fan shortage was due
10 police regulations, which turned
back many without tickets Part OF it
was due TO the universal belief that
the crush would be 90 great around
the unrcserved gates that only trained
football tackle could hold his feet be-
fore the charging multitudcs. Al any
rate the 5000 bald spots in ar exclu-
sive New York world series was more
of an upset than the series could ever
nope to be, no matter what may happen
until the nnai runner is retired some
late afternoon next week.
When the word goes out that good
seats were as plentiful as steers in
texas the expected rush may develop
to-day But we are no longer prophc-
sylng. The pragmatic done is now de-
funct and ready fer embalmment ana
the sepuicher.
sun Tempers the Wind
Outside OF the missing tumult and
the absent shouting the battle took
strangely familiar look as Mayor Hylan
tossed out the first ball, the band
struck up the national anthem and the
opening batteries were announced.
A cool, roistering wind whipped the
grandstand into 4 tlutter, bat a warm
ing sun took away the sting and so
rounded out en IDEAL day for the first
act ir the big autumn meiodrama
From the start the crowd was none
too hoislerous. bur its cheering gave
the Yankees siight efse II welcome
and still larger margin o. arSS,~s,
as Carl Mays began grimly to fre his