Evening star., 1925-10-17

iIdi 10 come from DellilQ.
In the first game we never had
chance Walter Johnson flashed the
best pitching our club had seen all
season. Yes, better than Vance showed
US on some of his good occasions. We
got beat, to /, and we should have
been beaten. Johnson on that day,
after long rest. and owning a great
confidence in himself, was simply un-
beatable. The fact that he struck out
10 men showed what binding and
puZzling stuff he had on that day.
CoVeleshie was the next pitcher to
face US I Will be frank enough TO
say that before the series started a
good many of US feared Coveleskie
more than Johnson. But after John
son defeated US the first day we all
remarked; "WeH. Coveleskie can't be
any better than that fellow. He can't
be as good"
Coyey Pretty Good
But he was pretty good, at that.
And with one game to the bad we saw
the Nationals get the jump in the sec
ond game. They got a run in the sec
ond inning. But the Pirates tied IT
up. thanks to Wright's homer. And
then in the eighth we went out in
front when Cuyler got a homer with
man on base. Aldridge showed his
real stuff in this game when twice the
sacks We're loaded. once with only one
down and the other time with none
down. But the Pirate gameness stuck
out in these emergencies. Then we
went to Washington for three games.
We didn't worry much when Fergu-
son beat US in that first Washington
game. Honestly, we should have won
~
pitcher, but he had not the stuff suf-
ficient ordinarily TO beat the Pirates.
But, nevertheless he beat us kremer
pitched dandy game against Fergu-
son, but not good enough to win,
mainly because we We're not hitting
in the pinches. We were not down
hearted, however. as we figured on
evening up the next day.
Johnson went at US Sunday in such
fashion that he set US down without
a run. He was not so good in this
game as he was in his first battle. but
he pitched a great game, nevertheless.
You have got to pitch good TO shut
the Pirates out. and that is what
Johnson did in that second game.
Here then is where that gameness
l talked about asserted itself. 1 am
telling you the truth that when we
went into the fifth game of the series
that Monday in Washington there
was not a man on my club who was
not certain we would win out.
Ready for Barney
Aldrfdge helped lot by his fine
work and for the second time we beat
Coveleskie. This was the turning
point. Rather than fearing Johnson's
appearance again. even though he had
beaten us twice. we We're hoping he
would get IN again.
When kremer won in Pittsburgh on
Tuesday we We're ready for the kill.
The whole club felt that nothing would
stop US. Then came a day of rest.
III admit things looked blue when
the Nationals got four runs in the
first inning. There was Johnson
against whom we had scored only one
run in S innings, now sporting
four-run lead to do him nine innings,
providing we shut the Nationals out
the rest of the way.
But here came the greatest display
of spirit, courage and gameness in
the face of the heaviest odds 1 have
ever witnessed in my 20 years of base
ball. How we came close to even
the score, only to see the Nationals
get two more runs to help them to a
three-run lead, and how we once more
tied them. only TO see Peck get a
homer in the eighth. to give the Ma
tionals another lead, and then how
we overcome this lead and won out
is history.
Picks No Heroes.
You can't say too much about the
Nationals to suit me. They We're not
disgraced. but l want to so on record
as saying that the Pirates, while get
ting attention for speed and hitting
and for some good pitching, will live
In history on account of their game
ness more than on account of any one
other quality.
l am not picking any individual
heroes. Every man on my club helped
out in one way or another. There is
glory enough for all. They worked in
the spirit of all for one and one for
all mixed with a quantity OF nerve
and courage unsurpassed in the his
tory of base ball and these are reasons
that they are the base ball champions
of the universe.
Copyright. 1920