The Washington times., 1926-09-29

Pc N mock
IS AGE Of
YANKEES
BY Miller Higgins
Manager New York Yankees. american
League Champions


NEW YORK, Sept. 29.--Pitching
always has played a big part in
world series. Ever since 1905, when
Matty shut out the Athletics in
three games, experts have come to
look, upon pitching as deciding
factor.
/ suppose they're right. Though
a lot OF times when the fans have
gone into ecstacies over the splendid
. work of some pitcher the facts are
that it wasn't the picthing so much
as it was the failure of the oppos.
; Ing club to hit that determined the
: game.
I'm great believer in the law of
=. averages. And in psychology. /
I think mental attitude has lot to
do with winning or losing pail
games.
4. II I've got player who nits 800
normally and he goes through a
game without getting a hit ] give
the pitcher credit. But IL he goes
three or four games without hitting
his. stride, then l. begin to figure
he's in a hitting slump and the
pitcher didn't have much to do with
!. II after all.
Unless miss my guess this Cardi-
nal-Yankee series will find hitting
playing just as important part as
pitching. Don't misunderstood me.
I figure st. Louis has some good
pitching and / know the Yankees
have-even though some of the
newspaper boys have put our pitch
ers on the pan occasionally.
A lot of fellows come up to me
and ask what Yankee pitchers will
go best against the Cards. wish
knew. If / was sure the series
would be pipe. But can't tell.
And 1 won't be able to tell until
we get going-and we are able to
get a little better line on the
Cardinal hitters. Looking at the
series from this distance, however.
] size it up about this way.
Among the Cardinal pitchers the
fellow 1 figure to give us the most
trouble is Billy Sherdel, the left
handler. Here's why. Sherdel in
addition to being a left-hander IS
a slow curve ball artist. My club
!. is made up of What we in baseball
call Swing hitters."
A swing hitter Is a chap who
takes his bat at the end and takes
a full cut at the ball with plenty
OF follow through" We've had
more or less trouble with these
slow curve boys all season long,
and 1 imagine Sherdel will be just
as troublesome. / pick him as the
toughest man we will have to
beat.
On the other hand I've got three
men who ought to trouble the
Cardinals. Herbie Pennock Is the
best left-hander in either ieague.
He'll make trouble for any cluD
when he's right. And it's a mat
ter Of record. over five seasons.
that Herbie has been more sue
cessful against right hand hitters
than against left hand ones.
The Cardinals have only two left
hand hitters. That's in Herbs
favor. Urban Shocker and Dutch
Ruether both have pitched against
the Cardinals a lot-and they have
both been very successful. Shocker's
record is something like nine VIC
tories and one defeat. And Ruether,
as National Lacquer, won a
majority of his games against
Hornsby's club. Of course, as the
boys say, this is another year.
But, as ] said before. I'm still
believer in the law of averages
and l figure that what a pitcher.
A lot OF the experts pick Alex
ander and Rhem to give US
trouble. Maybe they will. Unless
the Yankees come out of their
hitting slump and start pounding
the ball. any pitcher is apt to
trouble them
But with my club hitting norm
ally 1 don't worry about Alex and
Rhem. They're both fast ball
pitchers-and the Yankees have
been killing fast bail pitching all
year long-Miller Higgins.
Copyright. 1926. Christy Walsh
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