San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-08-01
With II Victories and
Three Defeats He Has
Better Start Toward It
Than Any Pitcher Re-
Gently.
By JOHN b. FOSTER.

Copyright by The San Antonio Light.
New York. Aug. 7.-Luque, Cincin.
MATHS Cuban pitcher, is shooting at
Christy MathewsOn's mark for win.
ing games. With his II victories and
three defeats he has n percentage OF
$50, better start toward the record
than any pitcher has had in a long
lime.
In 1908 MathewsOn made the record
for victories which exists now in the
National League as the standard BY
which comparisons are to be made. He
was credited with 81 victories and II
defeats. That gave him a winning per-
centage on the season of III.
Matty had other great years. but.
all things considered, that was his
banner year because there was so much
that was big happening all the time.
That was the year he pitched the play
off game against the Cubs and lost ii
because Cy Seymour did not play back
far enough for Joe Tinker after he had
been instructed to do so.
Ruelbach's Percentage Better.
The same year that Matty pitched
his 81 victories Ed Ruelbach, of the
Cubs,~ led him in percentage. Reul-
bach pitched "a victories and lost seven
games and that was his best year. He
might have won more games if his con-
troll had been better. Every now and
then he had to be yanked out of the
game. His percentage was TIA, which
tops Matty's figures by three points,
but the old master had far more vic
tories to his credit. And no pitcher
since Mattys time has overtaken his
mark of 81 wins in a season.
Three or four times pitchers have
had start toward n new record. but
they were not good enough to keep up
the pace. 1t is a tough job in these
days and particularly tough when any
man with judgment can see that the
pitching is not what it was when the
Giants and Cubs were battling away
in days of old.
Luque has caught up with nearly
half of Matty's record so far as num-
Der of victories is concerned. He is
. ahead of it by many points in per-
I centage. If he can keep up the pace
he will have to win 20 more games to
tie Matty and 81 to set a new record.
The possibility is there if the Cuban
gets enough chances to pitch and if his
arm is good enough for it.
Would BE Hero i'm Havana.
Should Luque go back to Havana
I with Mathewson's record surpassed
he would be bigger man : Cuba
than il he went back as winning pitch
er for the National League champiin-
ship. The whole population would
turn out to greet him, because beating
| Matty is bigger thing down there
than winning pennants. The Cuban
fans know that pennants are won
every year, but making better record
than that of the big American star is
something which may happen only
once in lifetime.
If Luque surpasses Matty's record
he will not have to set a new mark for
baseball in doing it, Jack ChesbrO once
iturned in IL victories in season and
that stands as the American League
record.
Iuque's success this year is in con-
trast TO what he did in 1922. He won
only IL games all season and lost 70.
At that he stood fifth in the National
League on the earned run record. His
average was 331. That is not lot to
boast about, but it makes it clear that
he was a better pitcher than his rec
ord for victories would make evident.
Victories frequently go overheard when
he fielders kick the ball around.