New-York tribune., 1922-10-02

Amid the fashionable chit-chat of
the day pertaining to this series there
is at least one important topic for de-
bate, viz: "Just why should the Yam
KEGS be favored at odds Of to 5 to
whip the Giants?'' By the law Of the
dope, which is all that one can work
with unless he is operating a home
brew hunch, these odds are justified by
the facts and figures that make up the
testimony.
The Giants last fail, with ShuffIin'
Phil Douglas in winning mood, had
tough time stopping the Yankees, who
had only Mays and Hoyt in pitching
condition, with Shawkey fame and Ruth
virtually dismembered.
Since that stirring fracas the Giants
have seen Shufflin' Phil and his famous
right arm disappear against the sky
line while the Yankees not only have
Shawkey and Ruth in shape but in ad
dition have Joe Bush, Sam Jones, Joe
Dugan, Everett Scott and Whitley Witt
drawn up as reinforcing units at vital
sectors of the line.
Briefly the Giants have lost pitching
strength since last fall and have gained
no great strength in any other lines;
the Yankees have gained a world Of
pitching strength and have bolstered
up both infeld and outfield in their
untamed determination to wear the
purple toga of the game after strug-
gle that has lasted for twenty one
years. The Giants look to be fully 20
per cent weaker than they were with
Douglas pumping the ball by Yankee
bats, while the Yankees look to be
something more than 80 per cent
stronger with Bush, Shawkey, Mays
and Hoyt all set and primed to hold
the Giant attack in check.
Held Giants to s Runs
Last fall Mays and Hoyt worked
six games and in these six games held
the National League champions to
eight runs, only a shade more than
one tally to the battle. But Higgins
then had no one else to help out the
American League cause, and so two
games went by pitching default while
placing heavier burden on his two
stars. Now he can work Bush, Shaw
key, Hoyt and Mays in turn with Bush
ready to repeat after sound three
day rest. Quite a difference. The
Yankees can bank upon fine pitching
all through the series with plenty of
reserve strength to rush to the front
in case some star begins to skid. The
Giants can hardly count upon good
pitching for more than three games
and even this is uncertain, although
the Yankees are not the greatest hit
ting team in the world.
With such steep odds resting so
heavily against them, what chance have
the Giants?
They have one chance in the fine
skill and power of the club outside
the precincts of the rifle pit-a great
lnfield and great outfield that Is
well tried under fire and usually on
top Of the job when it comes to a
pinch.
Their next CHARGE might be worked
out from this. factor-last October
against Nehf and Barnes the Yankees
batted less than .210. They couldn't
hit Nehf and they couldn't hit Barnes
at any stage of the show. They made
but twenty-three hits off Nehf and
Barnes in forty-four innings, less than
FIVE hits to the game. If by chance
these two are as effective as they were
q year ago and either Scott or Nc
Quillan can pitch frst-class game
there may be another grenade tossed
into the dope with devastating effect.
But after all the argument, including
rebuttal and gestures, we get back to
the old proposition--last fall McGraw
had three good pitchers and Higgins
had two; this fall Huggins has at least
four good pitchers and McGraw can
bank on only one. 1t is for this rea-
son that we. figure the odds of 7 to
5 upon the Yankees are justified
even as I'VE realize from long and at
times bitter experience how often the
fragile dope has been rumpled into
shapeless mass, knocked cockeyed
at the moment of its lmpending
triumph. If it wasn't for this known
fragility of the dope on SO many oc-