The Washington times., 1929-10-02
SOUTHPAWS
EASY FOR
CUBS \
By Babe Ruth


pitching is 80 per cent of q
world series, and maybe it is.
But don't forget that pitching
and hitting go sort of hand
In hand. It's little hard to
tell sometimes whether it's ex-
cellent pitching by one club or
poor hitting by the other that
wins ball games.
I've seen clubs in such q biting
slump that they made any pitcher
In the world look good--and I've
seen clubs that were hitting so well
that they'd make any pitcher who
faced them look bad.
Sizing up pitchers over q seasons
play is one thing, and trying to
dope pitching strength for a series
of six or seven games Ia something
else again. The trouble with doping
.. world series pitching is that
man gets only one chance. The
best pitcher in the world, IL he
happened to have an off day when
his turn came, might be a. series
goat. And an ordinary pitcher, OF
the other hand, il he happened TO
be having a good day might turn
out 10 be hero.
Man for man the two pitch
ing stats size up about equally.
Tho Cubs are little over.bal.
anced so far a. right handlers
are concerHed-but that IL
evened up by the fact that right
handlers are likely to so best
against the AS. The AS. on
the other hand, are Handicapped
by the tact that the Cubs. All
things being equal. hit better
against left handlers than they
do against right handlers.
There has been a lot of argument
as to whether or not Lefty Grove
could stop the Cubs. Personally ]
figure that good pitcher can
pitch against any club and beat
them. And Lefty Grove, you can
take ii from me. is good pitcher.
The Cub record against left handlers
has been very good all year. But
they have been beaten by left
handlers at that-snd if there's any
left handler in the game today who
can beat them that left handler is
Grove. Provided, of course. he is
right on the day he pitches.
Experience against the AS has
shown that If they have n, weakness
In hitting it is against right handlers
of the side-arm, fast ball type.
Root, understand. Is that very
sort of pitcher. And Malone and
Bush are somewhat Of that type
too.
] have a. sneaking. bunch that this
will be three-pitcher series. l
figure the Cubs will use Bush. Ma.
lone. and Root and think Connie
will depend almost entirely on
Earnshaw, Grove and either Walhers
or Quin. To my way of thinking,
Walburg ia the big puzzle of the
series. There's no better pitcher in
the country than Rube, if he makes
UP his mind to pitch.
And no worse pitcher IL he
isn't In form. Even Grove
hasn't as much stuff as the
Rube il Walberg really wants to
cut loose. But he's q funny
chap and it's as easy to tell
when the next war VIII start as
it is to foretell what Walberg
will do In the series.
Personally I've got bunch that
Earnshaw will be the toughest man
on the whole Athletic club for the
Cubs. He's a right handler with a
good fast ball, corking curve, ard
good control He knows how to
pitch too-and he's got the quiet.
calm sort of way that is best for
q crucial series.
For the Cubs-well | haven't seen
them so much and l can go only OIL
mostly what hear. but from all /
can learn Root and Malone are
the two who will bother the As
most. I've got a bunch that Bush
won't go nearly as we'll in rhe series
ss he has during The season--oe-
spite the fact that he's the leading
pitcher in the league right now.
fCopyrigbt. 1929. by The Christy
Walsh Svndicstel