The Washington herald., 1921-10-05
Huggins andMc Graw Almost
Certain to Rely on Stars Of
Their Staffs in Initial Game
Teams on Edge as Zero Hour Approaches.
Giants Conceded Paper Advantage In
Every Department Except Slugging, Where
Ruth and Bob Meusel, Despite Their Lame
ness, Are Supreme.
BY C. A. LovETT.

viewpoint OF New YORK Ians-loE
the eighteenth annual world series
of baseball. With capacity crowds
and fair. col weather assured. the
getaway of the October set of
gangs for the crown of crowns of
the diamond sport gives every
pro-rise of verging on the perfect.
The. curtain lifts at 2 o'clock to-
morrow afternoon at the historic
Polo Grounds when the Giants, Ma
tional League champions. take the
field as the home club to the
Yankees. American League pennant
winners. Each team is bent on
winning fve games with the least
possible delay. that number of vic
torIss being required for acquisi-
tion. of the so-calIed world cham
pionship. -
From all indications tonight, the
batteries for the first game will be:
Arthur Nehf, left handler. and Earl
Smith, for the Giants, and Carl
Mays, right handler, and Wally
Schang. for. the Yanees.
May. or Hoyt for Yanks.
The warm-up of pitchers IN to-
days workouts of the rival teams
disclosed the fact that the pitching
choice of Manager Miller James
Huggins of the American Leaguers,
will. be between Mays and Waite
Hoyt, youthful right-hand twirler.
and that the Giants board of
strategy, consisting of Manager
John ]. McGraw. veteran of six
earlier world series; Hughey Jen-
nings. who won three American
League buntings with the Detroit
team and is now chief coach of the
Giants, and Capt. Davy Bancroft,
Giant short fielder, will select
either Nehf or "Shuffiin' Phil" Doug
las the erratic spitballer, with the
probabilities all in the formers
favor.
Yankee sIugGers Lame.
Both teams shaped up we'll in
their endeavors to maintain keen
ness of batting and fielding eye and
to Keep their muscles supple for the
supreme test of the baseball year.
What handicap there will he from
lack Of fitness is on the Yankees
side, for both Of HuSgins' great
sluggers are a bit lame. Bob Meusel
with a bruised shin that caused him
to limp considerably today and
Ruth with a twisted knee that has
bothered him for several weeks. An
x-ray of MeuseTs ankle was made
this afternoon but failed to reveal
any spIintered or broken bones,
and unless the injury. an old one
Requiring, proves more painful to-
morrow, it will not prevent his TAX
ing his position in right field in the
opening game Meusers loss to the
club. II only for a game or two,
would be severe setback to Yankee
hopes
Wagering on the outcome of the
first game. the conditions being
that Mays and Nehf pitch. was
spirited today at even money. The
Giants rule slight favOrites to
triumph in the long run, .notwith
standing the record Of world series
play since 1908. which reveals
eleyen world titles won by the
American League and but six by
the.NatiOnal League. The fact that
McGraw. in six previous world Sc
ries. has won but one inter-league
championship and that Jennings
Tigers. although participating in
three big series. never were able
to win the greater honOrs. ap-
parsntly is not taken into Consid-
GRAFTON BY hackers of the Giants
in the set Of games getting under
way tomorrow afternoon.
Giants Have Paper Edge.
II is generally conceded that the
Giants have the edge in pitching. a
shade on comparisons of first string
catchers. and a considerably su-
perior infield combination to offset
what slugEing Ruth, king of long
distance swatsmiths. and Meusel
may do. But the unexpected usual
Iy develops in world series play
and the dope" more often than not
Is sadly upset.
Sold out" signs were on display
today at both the offices OF the
Giants and of the Yankees. But
tickets are plentiful along Broadway
tonight-if you have the price.
Prices range from SIS to S22 a seat
for-a single game Opening game
seats are invariably quoted at s25.
Blocks Of tickets for four games
are quoted at from S65 to S75-the
box ONCE price having been s22 the
block.
Ticket Spectators on the whole
are rather wary of world series
tickets. Most of them insist that 1t
is unfair to accuse them of gouging
the public this time because the
public ID gouging them. A number
Of tieketholders are trying to sell
four-game blocks to them for $50.
So If they sell for $50. where is
their proht? they ask. Several of
the largest ticket agencies refuse
to handle the tickets. Others are
willing to buy in order to resell.
Most Of them insist that purchasers
buy tickets for four games.
Betting Lively I'm Wall street.
The arrival of the vanguard of
i. baseball fanS who are fiocking into
has so far made little difference in
the betting odds on the two teams.
Thousands have already arrived In
town and hardly one Is without a
hunch and a roll of bills to. back
Il ND. Lively betting was reported
In Wall Street. The James w. Ball
and Company and w. ID. Darnell
and Company firms. which are
handling the bulk of the betting.
had several thousand dollars TO
place at Q to 10 on the Giants. This
firm also had $4,000 TO place at
s to 8 on the Giants to win the Sc
ries. There was comparatively lit
tie Yankee money in sight.
Most Of the freak bets recorded
so far center about Babe Ruth.
Most of the betters express a
cautious interest In the pitchers TO
be chosen for the opening game.
Douglas and Hoyt Ia the general