The Washington times., 1929-10-14
BEST WITH
CHOICE Of
HURLERS
. BY Bob Thayer

BY Bob Thayer
PHILADELPHIA, Pa, Oct.
14.-Connie Mack, venerable
war-horse of the Philadelphia
Athletics, has out-generaled
Joe Mccarthy in every depart
ment of the game.
That's what the boys were say
ing today when the Philadelpnia
Athletics prepared to go into oatti ,
with the Chicago Cubs in the 1ltth
game of the current world series
and the final meeting at ehloe
Park.
Comics strategy, they claim mas
figured conspicuously IN the W l
advantage now belonging 10 ms
club and may result in the termina'
ton of the series and triumph
for the Athletics today.
The Mackmen need only to
gather in today's game in order
To walk away with the laurels.
And every ounce of pressure
will he nut behind an effort to
do so. Otherwise the 1929 par
ticipants will shift to Chicago
tonight and resume their series
Mt WrigIey's park Wednesday.
In this event the Bruins will
eniov the advantage of playing on
their home lot and II successful IN
their struggle, can carry on there
In their sixth and seventh games:
Trailing as they are the Cubs Will
have to battle through to the seven
game limit in order to turn the
unexpected and bag the series.
Which seems unlikely.
The lone ray of hope rests in the
1925 performance of the Pittsburgh
Pirates who, under similar circum-
stances, came back and helted the
Washington Griffmen for three
straight verdicts and world suprem-
acy.
Howard Ehmke, long armed right
handler, will be striving Tor MS sec
ond win of the series In touay
crucial mix-up while either rat
Malone, the speed merchant, or Guy
Bush, the cautious. will oppose NM
Ehmke checked in world series
classic last Tuesday when ne carved
himself a record Of 13 strike-outs
Wise baseball men have credited
Connie Mack with uncanny judG-
ment in the handling of his pitchers
while McCarthy's too frequent usage
~ ace hoxmen in relief roles has
heen roundlv condemned. Mack has
h, n especially commended for his
skillful Juggling of Lefty Grove,
whose unexpected insertion as a re-
lief pitcher. has thrown the hostiles
completely off balance.
In last Wednesdays game
when he relieved Earnshaw the
ex-Baltimore OriOle was invinci-
ble while he looked even better
yesterday after not only has the
fire.ba1 merchant nipped Cub
rallies in the bud but he has
made opposition look positively
foolish-talxing the heart out OF
Joe McCarthy's bunch with his
lightning delivery.
Ten batsmiths have died on strikes
IN his brief appearance. while the
others, with rare exceptions. nave
popped ur or grounded out tamely.
Though taking chances, the willy
Mack has reverted to conservatism
when it paid the biggest dividends
end-in other and better words-has
completely unbalanced the Bruln
morale with his sudden and un-
expected decisions.
Pitted against the Master Mack,
Mccarthy has seemed drab by com
parison. His tendency to oVerwork
his regular pitchers has detracted
perceptibly from their effectiveness
and now with the crucial test at
hand he has no dependable mounds
men capable of carry on.
Every Cub slabster has been
worked in two games, and the only
reliable man of the lot, Guy Bush,
needs more rest before getting an
other call.
To-day Mccarthy Is faced with the
proposition of either working Bush
out of turn, with only two days
rest, or else bringing hack Pat Ma
lone, the biggest gamble on his
staff.
There have been, Of course. cir
cunstanCes that the Bear chieftain
nor anyone else could remedy. He
can't hit for Hornsby, and he is
hardly equal to the task Of bringing
Gabby Hartnett through as pinch
hitter. He has no control over
Hazen Cuyler's batting slump, and
no one planes MIN lOE " OOuN Eng
lish's unfortunate early game errors.
Tt has been the handling OF
pitchers that has turned the
tide at the psychological mo-
ment and in this respect the
portly Mccarthy must step aside
and acknowledge the superiority
of his rival and master-COnnie
Mack.
The same mob sentiment that
promoted Jack Dempsey from the
ranks of ex.champions to the plane
Of hero several years back, is
now lined up solidly behind old
Connie, who is attempting a return
to the heights after a lapse Of IA
years.
With 1t all Mack is accepting his
success modestly and giving his
bows all the credit for their per-
formance-Connie Mack would.
Lefty Grove will likely be held
back for a relief emergency again
today. Such was the report circu-
lating from Athletic headquarters
this morning.
In the event Ehmke skids. it is
thought that the speedboy's smoke
ball will be just the right medicine
for the hard swinging Bruins-who
haven't exactly cottoned to the
swift stuff served up thus far.