The Washington times., 1933-09-27
BAN EXPECTS
CLASSIC Of
6 GAMES
BY BABE RUTH

NEW YORK, sept. N.-BaSe-
ball averages usually give us a
fair line on the comparative
strength of two ball teams. We
get the batting marks of the
teams as units, and then take the
individuals according to position.
Strength at bat goes hand in
hand with scoring power, and
runs win ball games.
But when we come to COM
parison of the New York Giants
and the Washington Senators,
the two teams which will come to-
gether next week in the 1888
world series. we run into a snag.
Those figures come far from tell
ing the real story If batting
alone determined victory, the
Giants would have finished fifth
in their league. If scoring were
the answer, the Senators would
have finished second or third in
their group.
It is the element of defense,
with the added qualities of hustle
and spirit, which has determined
the two pennant winners in the
major league campaign Of 1888,
and these things cannot be fig
ured in cold type. AS result,
the coming series shapes up as
more difficult to dope than
usually the case.
Giant Average .265
The Giants qualified for the
big series with batting average
of about .265, mark which was
excelled, at the time victory was
clinched, by four other teams in
the National League, and by six
of the eight teams in the Anerl-
can League. The answer is evl-
dent. They won with plenty to
spare through their ability to
keep their opponents down to
low number of runs. Games
which would have meant defeat
to other teams became victories
for the Giants because they did
not need so many runs them
selves to win.
Whenever the Giants scored
three or four runs they figured
to win. They were favored with
shutout pitching such as no other
major league club has enjoyed IN
many years, One-run games were
as frequent as Shutouts. I read
in a paper the other day that
the Giants had held opposing
teams to two runs or less in IS
ball games this season. Coupled
with this unusual pitching was a
high class defense behind the
bat, on the field and in the out
field.
This remarkable defense is the
answer for pennant victory
against better hitting ball teams.
which teams seemed to excel the
Giants when compared man for
man. Pirates, Cardinals ana
Cubs looked better. The main
answer in a pennant race is not
how many hits and runs can you
make, but how well balanced IS
your team.
Better At Bat
The Senators have been far
more impressive at bat, and as a
scoring combination, than the
Giants have been this year. They
ran up higher scores on the aver
age. They had the best defensive
team in the American League and
won their pennant, as the Giants
did, through their ability to keep
the other fellows to low scores.
They had more one-sided victories
than Terry'S men were able to
score, but it was in their ability
to win the close low-Score games
that they built up their pennant
winning margin.
So we find the two teams who
will be relying chiefly on de1en'
sive ability when they come to-
gether in the series opening next
tuesday. It should be quite a
series, featured by close games for
the most part. I figure it will
last six games, anyway, and I
would not be surprised if it went
to a seventh before decision is
reached.
Washington, the best hitting
team in either major league this
season, figures to outhit the
Giants, who have batted about
.265 as against .290 for the Amer
ican League champions. But the
Giants have become quite ac-
customed to beating teams which
were able to outbat them, so they
are putting no Importance on
batting figures.
copyright 1888 by the Christy Walsh
Syndicate)