New Britain herald., 1930-10-01

world SerleS again came tO I Hild- delphia today with the annual | guessing contest between Connie | Mack and the fans featuring the pre-game activities. Everyone was trying to name the Athletics start | ing pitcher against the St. Louis Cardinals, and only wise old Connie knew. Manager Mack had the last guess and promised to keep his own counsel until game time, as he did last year, when he came back to the thick of world series fights after long absence. Manager Charles E. (Gabby) Street of the Cardinals has no secrets. He said Grimes" in a loud voice and stuck to his story. No. so c. McGillicuddy. The vet eran mentor of the As only smiled when asked who would fire the starting gun for the American League champions.
 Early speculation hinged about Robert Moses Grove, the tall, slim, lefthander with the high hard one it being taken for granted that the home team would put it's best foot forward at the outset. And then the guessers recalled that a year ago Manager Mack crossed the fans, the Cubs. and even the Athletics then7selyes, by nominating Howard Ehmke, who had pitched only 55 innings all season, to go out and try for victory in the all important first game.
 So the dope sheets were culled for other available sharpshooters on the Philadelphia staff. The names of Eddie Rommels who boasts knuckle ball of rare excellence, and Rube Walberg, with binding speed and a sweeping curve when he has his stuff and feels right, were sug- gested as possible surprises" up the sleeve of the crafty Mack Even old Jack Quinn, good cool weather hurler with a spitter was men, toned.
 But Connie only smiled.
 There was a furry of excitement among Cardinal supporters when it vas found at the last practice ses- sion of the National Leaguers that Captain Frankie Frisch not only was not among those taking a final workout, but was flat on his accom- plished back in his hotel bedroom receiving treatment for lumbago.
 Frisch hastened to reassure his friends by saying that his indispo- sition while temporarily annoying was by no means serious and that he would be at second base when the first big game started at l:30 o'clock this afternoon.
 There's chance of my being out" said the veteran of five world series. ''Ill be in there."
 Regarded as the handspring of his teams offense and defense. back trouble forcing Frisch from the lineup would have sent the Card inals into the series with all the National League in mourning.
 The day of the first game found every member of the Athletics in the best of condition. George (Mule) Haas, out for a part of the season with injuries, was pronounced fit and ready to play every game.
 Players on both teams today i nonchalantly talked of taking the 2 games for the supreme champion ship in their stride. They said that today's opening contest was just a ball game" out of the ordinary only because President Hoover had a reservation, with a member of his cabinet officers and other high off, cials of the government.
 Its not every day, of course, that we can play before the presi- dent" said Manager Street, and have him toss out the first ball. But even the chief executive will not eX- cite us. We'll do our best and mo- body can do no more."
 Manager Mack made it clear that his "boys" were not inclined to hold their National League rivals lightly and that they expected the hardest kind of battle.
 Tt should be a. great series" said the veteran manager.
 The presidents of the two leagues John A. Heydler of the National, and r. S. Barnard of the American, regarded the baseball battles as pos sible sanguinary struggles, stretch ing perhaps to the limit of seven games.
 Baseball stalwarts of other days assembled for the show. Former National Leaguers seeing nothing but the Cards and the eX-American League players stringing along with the As.
 Tyrus Raymond Cobb, who retir- ec undefeated as "the greatest play er," was back from his Georgia hills to pick his old team to repeat. Nap Fucker the Grove of his day when he was q southpaw for Brook lyn. coppered his fellow Georgian's bet by suggesting the Cardinals would break through the American League defenses as they did in 1926.
 National League partisans looked with pride on the Red Birds from Missouri as the series started. It was this same St. Louis team which won the last National League vic
 
 tory. In the lean and hungry years following 1926, the senior circuit has won only one game in three series.
 The Cardinals came from far in the rear to win the 1880 National League pennant. The Athletics have not been far away from first place at any stage of the last two campaigns and the struggle begin ming today marked q contest be- tween a team forced to the limit tc beat back stern opposition in the league race and one able 10 hold its own with considerably less effort.
 Philadelphia, with two world series in two years, was not so ex- cited this year as last when ths