The Washington times., 1921-10-04


chronicles OF the game? Isn't he now
Home Run" Baker even though an
other and greater circuit clouter has
usurped first position in this spe-
cialty?
Yes. indeed, Home Run" Baker Is
name to be remembered. May be
he will be the hero again this year.
Who can tell? He il now q Yankee,
though out OF the cast these past few
weeks, yet able now and then TO limp
to the plate and swing a wicked mace
In a pinch. Will he pinch hit in the
coming world series and smash a
homer for victory? It's hard 70 say
And Babe Ruth. he of the greatest
home-run record in the history of base
ball, Babe Ruth. the superbatter. May
be II will be Babe who will be crowned
the great hero after this next series.
And yet 1t may be some relatively OBJ
scure player: Rawlings. a Fewster,
Ryan. Piercy. who will come
forth with the gigantic hit, the shut.
out game, the sparkling fielding play.
Heroes are made of funny stuff.
Form Will Tell.
Usually form will tell. The records
show that the players figured to do
tho big stunts have. on the average,
lived up to expectations. But the
rule doesn't always hold true. There
IS hank Gowdy, lank and gawky, an
eA-Glant, fair catcher, but only a
mediocre batter and assuredly not q
star. He was the first string catcher
OF the Braves when Stallings' great
machine spurted to a pennant in the
1914 National League race and then
toppled the naughty Athletics, until
series.
What Hank the Lank did in that
series forms one OF the epic pages of
our great national pastime. Rising
to unexpected heights, throwing
himself into every critical episode of
the series, he emerged the hero,
crowned without opposition as one OF
the most unusual stars ever to
scintillate in the big battles"
And what Hank did, with his three
doubles, triple and a homer and four
bases on balls, will never be forgotten.
Before, others had come through,
others who gave no hint beforehand
that they would whirl dizzily into the
limelight with some startling deed.
This year the air is full of potential
surprises. Look, for instance, at the
list or hard hitters on the Yanks and
Giants-Ruth, the two Meusels. Baker.
Kelly. Burns, Frisch, Pipp, Smith, Sny-
name both teams.
Kelly is the home run champion OF
the Giants. topping all National League
home-run hitters. VIII he come through
with homer, or two or three? Or
VIII he fall down when his hits NEAR,
victory The answer is not easy.
What About MeuseI.
Then the Meusel brothers. Last year
I'M t< 49, 4.
the Dodgers, and Wheeler, of the In.
dams, faced each other in the big
classic and many thought one or the
other might blossom out in heroic pro.
portions. but neither did. It was Ell
mer Smith with a home run with the
bases full, and Wambsganns with an
unassisted triple play, and Coveleskie
with three hard-earned victories
who stood out when the counting was
all in.
Years back, in 1905, when the Giants
defeated the Athletics, Christy
Mathewson, then in his prime, made
startling worlds series history when
he pitched three victories in the series.
all within a week, when only his
steady head. his iron nerves. his won.
derful arm, could have turned the
trick. There will not be many hurlers
who Will go beyond Matty's achieve
ments that fall.
Eddie Collins, yet brilliant player,
and then the spirit of battle itself,
rose to super.human heights on three
occasions in as many worlds series.
Who can forget him in 1910, 1918 and
1917?
Hooper's Great Catch.
Charlev Herzog PLAYED one of the
most brilliant roles in the 1912 worlds
series, but his great playing was over.
Swallowed by the homeric efforts Of
Harry Hooper. Not many who saw
that catch Of Hooper's In the last game
Of the series between the Giants and