The Washington herald., 1922-02-13
YANKEES PITCHING
STAFF FOR u MAY
BE GREATEST EVER
Records Compare Favor
ably With Those Of Old
Time Combinations.

| outnt VIII prove since the addition
of Sam Jones and Joe Bush to the
star cast headed by Carl Mays and
Wallie Hoyt, with its fine support
ing company of Bob -Shawkey and
Harry Harper. not to mention
Lefty" .o'Doul and some OF the
newcomers who are expected to
step out into the limeliSht.
This is lot of good pitching, an
ADMISSION that could be wrung
from most anyone, but whether II
is better than some of the big time
STATS of other days is something
that calls for a lot of argument
from many places.
1t was easy enough to get by
with assertions OF this kind in the
early days of baseball. In the
days Of the first of the outstanding
pitching stars. A. G. Spalding, one
moundsman was an entire pitching
staff. There was Bond in 1858.
he pitched all ithe games for his
team in these years when Boston
finished in first and second place
and 1t must be agreed he was
some pitching staff.
And Charley Radbourne and 9TH
| ers might be mentioned who car
ried the pitching burden with very
little help. which is still talking
of the days before pup Hector>ne-
| Eotiated his first bone. Even in 1885.
which isn't going back any further
than a lot of us can remember, Tim
Keefe and Smiling Mickey" welch
were all there was to the New
York pitching. And the same pair
didn't have an awful lot of help
LII
boasted its first National League
pennant.
In 1880 to 1897.
In 1890, 81 and 80 John Clarkson
and Charley Nichols were hurling
mainstays that helped Boston to the
gonfalon in the three aforemen-
> toned seasons. and these two alone
were the equals of a lot of the pres
ent-day STATS that fill half the play
er benches of more than one ma jor
league team.
Baltimore was considered to have
quite a set of hurlers in their big
years. 1898. 1894 and 1895, but as a
matter of fact the superiority of the
Oriole aggregation. both on the at
tack and defense. made their slab
sters look better tim they really
were. Amos Rusie and Jouett
Meekin. with others of the Giants
probably made up a more power
full mound array. This pair easily
humbled the Orioles in the first year
of the Temple Cup series. when New
York captured three of the four
games played.
Probably the first pitching ensem-
BILE with a genuine wealth Of ma =
terial, one that would coincide with
the modern idea OF a real STAFF.
appeared in 1897. 1898 and 1899.
when kid" Nichols. Jake Stivetts,
Fred Klobendanz and Vic Willis
showed Boston the way to the pen
nant in two Of the years and fin-
ished second in 1899.
Brooklyn has been fortunate in
the possession of two OF the finest
of pitching stats in both quality
and quantity. Back in 1899 and
1900. Roaring Bill" Kennedy, wild
Bill" Donovan. Jack Dunn, Al Maui
and James McJames were names
that conjured victory and when the
Baltimore franchise was purchased
Joe McGinnity. Harry Howell and
Jerry Nopes were priced additions
But for the American League raid.
which transpired the following
year. here was a bunch that should
have ruled supreme for a consid-
erable period.
| OF course the Dodgers 1920 staff Is
still keenly remembered. Burleigh
Grimes, Ed Pfeffer and Leon Ca
dore and Rube Marquardt and Sher-
ry Smith was probably as finely bal
anced a mound union as can be
pointed out.
In 1900 to 1902.
Only Pittsburgh ever equaled
Brooklyn in being blessed with so
much good pitching at one time. In
1900 to 1902, when they were a
three-time pennant winner. they
could call on Jesse Tannehill. Jack
Chesbro. "Schoolmaster" Leever,
Deacon" Philippe. "Rube" wad-
dell and Ed Doheny.
, George Winters. "Old Cy" Young
and Bill Dineen for the Boston Red
Sox were a tough trio to beat in
1904. And about that time the
Giants began to show with Christy
Mathewson. Red Ames, Hooks
Wiltse. Joe McGinnity and DUN
my" Taylor. In 1911. when the
Giants started repeating, the first
three were going strong and, with
and Charles Tesreau, gave an ad-
mirable mound selection. OF course.
any staf with a big Six" would
stand out and in 1912 Marquard
hung up his record of nineteen
straight victories.
In 1895 the Chicago Cubs with
Jack Pfeister, Orval Overall. Ed
Reulbach and Three Fingered
Brown were. in the general opin-
ion. the greatest set Of moundsmen
In six years they accounted for
four pennants and two champion
ships. They were a great bunch.
In 1908 Reulbach shutout Brooklyn
twice on the same afternoon.
Possibly the only combination
that might be estimated as equal or
superior to the Cubs collection was
sported by the Athletics from 1909
to 1914. Eddie Plank, "Chief' Ben
der. Joe Bush, Jack Coombs and
Bob Shawkey WERE about as gen.
erous a pitching apportionment as
any manager could dare to expect.
In 1910 they triumphed over the
Cubs in four out of flve games and
it took the Chicago team ten in
nings to win that one game
All in all one can see where e.
1922 Yankee hurlers will have :.
do considerable showing before tht
critical will allow that creates:
ever" stun.
One of the greatest set of hurl-
ers the Yankees will be called on
to match was the Red Sox staff ,of
1915 and 1915. Ruth and Mays, with
Erpfa Cbora snuf,hD Tnanard aud