The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1922-09-20
DOUGLAS GIVEN
CREDIT FOR THE
GIANTS SUCCESS
BY GEORGE CHADWICK

Herald.
tCopyrfght, 1922, by The Age-Herald)
New York, September 1s.-Ths
champions of the American league.
whether Yankees or Browns, will face
as mouse-colored a pitching staff as
has ever ventured into world series
games since John T. Brush gave to
the owners the rules intended to pro-
vide for real world competition, ana
not show to extract a few more
dollars from the public wallet. That
is assuming that the baseball weather
vane continues to point straight at
the Giants as the National league
winners.
Viewed in the most favorable light,
the scout who would give three pears
and prickly cactus for the Giant
pitching staff, would be accused of
trying to throw his boss into bang
rurtcy. There is not a pitcher on 1t
who ranks higher than little casino.
Owe 1t to Douglass
Phil Douglas, poor old josey. really
pitched the Giants to a pennant. Bull
lied. villified, reproached and pleaded
with, slow to think, and burning with
hate over some of the things which
had happened to him, he wrote a let
ter. and the letter suggested he might
go fishing, and II he did, the Giants
could not win. He went fishing in
another way and the Giants seem to
have won. But they could not have
won If he had not pitched 10 winning
games to four defeats before he left.
The rejuvenated StengeL whose re-
turn to life indicates how little life
the National league possesses; the
100000 infield, which has performed
so per cent off all the season; the
outfield, which is made up out of one
player and two promises. mono of
these would have anchored the Giants
IL the haven of world series If the
remorseful Phil had not pitched them
there. From sentimental stand
point they owe Phil something, even
IL there is nothing coming to him
from a strictly moral and sportsman
like standard. e-
Looks Bad for Giants
AS the world series approaches,
thought must be given to all this.
At the moment II looks as IL the
Giants would embark in tho post
season games with another of those
unfortunate combinations which have
been led to the slaughter from New
York in the past. But who knows,
on the other hand, what these young
sters and these young players who
went to the shops for repairs ana
turned up with their arms freshly
strung for the fray, may not be the
kind of combination puzzling to the
opposition7
II they did win, 1t would probably
be due to surprise and shock to
their opponents. The team which
would find itself wobbly and nerve
shaken after facing the pitching
staff of the New York National
league club would attribute 1t to the
fact that they had never seen any
thing quite like it before. Hence the
81, ock.
Nehf Is firing
Nehf, who is as good as the Giants
have when 1t comes to skill and
knowledge OF pitching. is wearing
away like a grindstone. Never the
strongest left handler, he has found
the physical strain of pitching
tax to his energy and his vitality
this year. He can barely win go per
cent of his games. This Is winning
ball, of course, but 1t is not cham
pionship baseball.
Ryan, who has struggled through
rs games this year with a percent
age of 900, and probably will finish
the season at the same pace, is a
fine-mannered. Woodworking and
faithful young fellow. But he is no
Alexander.
Jesse Barnes, like Nehf. is wearing
away. Never thicker through than
gingerbread wafer, he cannot stand
too much pitching In succession. Ii
there had been a trade in sight IT
would have been made. Barnes Is
also a 900 pitcher and a modest.
shrinking 500.
.starsv Not Dazzling
These three men have been men,
toned as the stars" Smoked glass
ia not needed to look upon them. They
will not harm the naked eye.
There is also Jonnard- This young
man came to the Giants, was sent
hence and was recalled. He has won
ak games, but not six full games. He
NAV be one Of the shocks.
Then there is Scott. Last spring
Scott thought he was through. He
tried out with Cincinnati. and after
the doctors had rummaged around
his pitching arms for a while, they
told him that he needed rest. and the
Cincinnati baseball club gave 1t 10
him-perman His arm got bet
ter and the Giants took him. He has
won five and lost two, but 1t is
hoping a lot to ask him to do that
wen in a world series. Maybe he Is
q shock.
Then there is McQuillan. He can't
he much of a shock because he has
been pitching too long. Virgil Barnes
and Hill are left. Virgil looks more
like a shock than Hill. The latter Is
a cool bird. If he leaned over tea
kettle 1t would be iced tead aItel
6 while. Yet he is not a great
pitcher.
The Giants will miss Phil Douglas
in the world series. Phil thought ne
had as many personal rights as the
man who hectored him all the time.