Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-10-04

AGAIN the annual OdSS pdiI
Nj classic is with us. and 1t would
not be surprising IL the world
series between st. Louis ana
New York. at the Yankee Stadium,
would smash all records for attendance
and receipts.
In the stands there will be some
where around 10000 rooters, tense with
that excitement which always precedeS
the throwing Of the first ball. When
Won come to think of it, $4,000 is quite
3 crowd. It is greater than the popula-
ton of Douthitt's birthplace, Little
Rock. Ark, or Hafey's birthplace, Berk-
eley, Calf, or Meusel's birthplace, san
Jose Calf.
You could take all the residents of
The towns where Alexander, Zachary,
Pottomley. Sherdel, Pipgras and Pas
chal we're born, scatter them through
the stands, and still have room for
everybody living in Davenport Iowa,
or Quincy. Mass, or Topeka, Kans.
The press seats will hold 500 or more
reporters and telegraph and radio
operators, sending each hit, error, run,
base on balls and Strikeout, as they are
made, to virtually every city in the
United States. The result of the game
and it's highlights will be cabled or
wirelessed to most of the countries on
the globe. And where there are thou
sands who will see the battle, millions
will listen to it on their radios.
Catering With Dogs"
Exclusive of managers and coaches,
% men are eligible from each team.
Not all of these so young athletes will
actually play. but most Of them will
see action before the contests are over.
There will be four umpires in their
nattiest blue uniforms, police, firemen,
groundkeeperS and their assistants,
trainers, bat boys, ushers and innumer-
able white-coated purveyors of re-
freshmentS.
Did you ever stop to figure how many
sandwiches, hot dogs and ice cream
cones have to be provided for world
series at a New York park? 1t is like
catering for an army, and takes days
of preparation and organization. Enough
peanuts are bagged to furnish Winter
rations for all the chipmunkS in the
forest reserves.
In this series each manager places
his main reliance on three pitchers
Higgins on Hoyt, PipgraS and Zachary;
McKechnie on Sherdel. Haines and
Alexander. That doesn't mean the
other pitchers will not get chance.
They are likely to get several chances,
a game, but the six pitchers I have
mentioned figure to bear most of the
Batting Averages Low.
If you wish to see what pitching
means in a world series, look over the
club batting averages in all the series
from 1905 to the present In the 1905
series the Athletics average was 1852.
in 1906 the Chicago White Sox hit
.197-and won. In 1911 the Giants
averaged ITS. In 1914 the Mackmen
averaged .172. In 1918 the Boston Red
Sox emerged victorious with club
average Of 1876. .iea
Only twice in all these series has a
club hit over 300. The Giants in 1922
hit .309 and the Athletics in 1910 hit
.317. In the 1926 series the Cards hit
.272 and the Yankees, .242. In this
seasons league races the Yankees hit
295 and the Cards hit .282 There will
be hits and errors in these coming
games but, as always, pitching will be
The big factor.
Many followers of base ball predict
that this series will be Won in five
games and-if the Cards happen to
take the first contest-in four. The
record for attendance and receipts was
made in 1925. That year st. Louis
and the Yankees played to a total of
328051 spectators. and in the seven
games took in $1,207,864 When I say
that this series may break all records,
] figure on at least six games.
There are several reasons why it
seems probable to me that this base
ball war may not be decided in less
than six battles. Both clubs are game.
both are powerful on attack and both
are good on defense All in all, the
CARDS have the better pitching staff
and are in better physical condition.
On paper, they should win. The dope
is in their favor. but the games will be
won or lost on the field.
Troubled by Contenders.
st. Louis won the National League
flag this season by its ability to beat
Philadelphia, Boston and Pittsburgh.
Those three teams combined took only
10 games out Of sc from the Cards. The
Giants and Cincinnati each won the
majority of their contests with st. Louis
and the Cubs split even with them.
The Yankees won a majority of
games from every club in their league
While the Giants took IA games in %
from Mckechnie's men, the Yankees
beat the Athletics, their chief rivals, l6
cf->.-S~ IN %
Against such hitters as these two
clubs possess, speed and curves are not
the things which win games. Control
Is what does it; the ability to put the
ball where the batter doesn't like it
and to keep it there.
(Copyright, 1929