New Britain herald., 1930-09-24

Some of baseballs most dramatic and spectacular history was being made while the Athletics of pre-war vintage were the toast to Quaker town.
 Walter Johnson, Big Barney the smoke-ball king. was in his prime, single handed pitching Washington into a contending position by marvel ous mound work that earned him as high as 36 victories in the season of 1913. Johnson once hurled three successive shutouts against the New York Yankees, causing Kid Fiber field to remark on the fourth day:
 If that blankety-blank from Ida ho pitches again. none of us will have any job left.'
 Ty Cobb. too, was at the zenith of his unparalleled career as an all- around star with the Detroit Tigers.
 Starting in 1910, after the intro duction of the cork-center ball, Cobb burned up the American league with a five year streak in which he aver aged 400 at bat. The great Georgian hit his high mark with APO in 1911. when Shoeless Joe Jackson, then just a Carolina rookie with the Cleve- land Maps" pushed him by hitting .40S.
 The Boston Red Sox had a great array, featuring the remarkable out field of Iris Speaker Harry Hooper and Duffy Lewis, as we'll as a fine pitching staff headed by Smokey Joe Wood. The SoX were the only club able to check the championship run of the Athletics in their own league, winning the pennant in 1912 and thereby preventing the Mackmen from setting a record of five in a row.
 The year of 1912 produced the most astonishing set of pitching per formances any baseball season has known, with records for consecutive victories being achieved sby three moundsmen.
 Topping the list was Richard w (Rube) Marquard. left handler. who came up to the New York Giants from Indianapolis of the American l association highly -touted, only to be labeled the S11, 900 lemon" when he failed to show anything in 1909-1o He struck his stride in 1911, leading the leagues pitchers with A vic. l tories, and in 1912 started the sea. son with 19 consecutive triumphs i The Rube was unbeaten from Apri II through July as he equaled the all-time record of Tim Keefe, made in 1888, and established a moderr mark.
 The American league subsequent, | witnessed a thrilling duel between Joe Wood and Walter Johnson. | ended with each winning 1 $ straight games for a new league record Johnson was unbeaten from July : to August 23, Wood from July { September IS. The Red Sox ace let the hurling list with final total o 34 victories and only defeats, for { winning percentage of .ST2 that ha. never been touched in either majol league. Chief Bender nearly equalec Woods and Johnson's records wher he won 15 straight for the Athletics in 1914.
 The New York Giants. three straight pennant winners, were king pins in the National league. but wer, beaten back as many times by thei American league rivals, twice by tn, Athletics and once by the Red So. in the hectic eight game battle 0 1912.
 Mack had gained revenge owe McGraw in 1911 for the humilia tiol of being shut out four times in 1905 Mathewson. nemesis of the As, go the decision over Bender in a sensa tional to 1 opener to the 191 series. but he was beaten twice aft crward. Two homo runs by Franl Baker were contributing factors {, the victory of the Athletics, wht finally won four out of six game after the series had been delayed <; solid week by rain.
 One of the early incidents O "player-writing' complications de veloped in this series. The first o Bakers home runs helped beat Rub, Marquard in an early game, where upon Mathewson's ghost writer" i, the pitchers signed newspaper art cle, took the Rubc sharply to tasl for pitching improperly to the slug sing third baseman of the Athletics
 Marquard was sore" but he hac ample revenge. IL was Mathewson' turn to pitch the next day and Bak CT again connected for a homer {, decide the contest
 Another incident In this serie gave eloquent testimony to Mack fine sportsmanship. It happene, after the Giants had won a tigh game, Larry Doyle racing home uitl