The Washington times., 1933-09-20
GR|FFS LACK
KNOWLEDGE |
Of ANGLES |

Editor note-ThiS is the first OF
d series OF stories By DGDtS J,
Walsh, International Net0s SerUice
sports editor, presenting contrast
ing Uie1DS of the ttDo clubs that
noW seem certain contenderS in
the 1888 1Dorld series.
By DAVIS ]. WALSH
NEW YORK, Sept. 20 G.NS0.
In one series years ago it was
young third baseman named
George Rohe, almost unknown be.
fore and soon forgotten after
ward, who hit like fanatic and
q fool to decide a championship
Of the world. In another, it was
a young pitcher, Babe Adams; in
q third, an outfielder named
Snodgrass let a fly ball ricochet
from his numbed fingers into i'm
memorial headlines, and there
was also the famous pebble that
never really existed. This time,
it can and might be couple Of
foul lines that end so close to the
home plate the catcher can
identify a chance acquaintance in
the third row balcony.
A lot of useless 1lather, It seems
to me, is committed in the name
of comparisons in connection with
world series contenders, all Of it
conjectural and much OF it use
less. Whereas, 1 think it is I'M
portant that the first two games
of the 1888 world series will be
played at the Polo Grounds, New
York; also the last two, If 1t ever
gets that far.
In other words, of a seven-game
series, the four most important
games-the first and the last two
will be played on a field that
figures to show one club at a
distinct disadvantage.
GOslin No Gazelle
There is no outfielder on the
Washington Club who can play
the short walls in New York as
OFT and Moore can and will play
them. Goslin was on the ball club
the last time the Senators were
in a world series with the Giants,
but a mans memory can become
vague and blurred in the years
since 1924, and, besides. he's no
body's gazelle. The rest OF the
Washington outfield Will be like
somebody walking into DARK
room for the first time.
This may sound slightly distort-
ed. but not to anybody familiar
with the Polo Grounds, where the
right field line appears to end al
most on the edge of the lcfleld,
and center field is so deep that
a ball can roll itself slabsided and
the man who chases it car run
his shoes into Spats. Playing a
wall with an angle like that, it is,
therefore, possible for a man to
wait a single into a Triple or chase
q double into a home run.
If you don't think so, consider
the strange case of Mr.. Cactus
Cravath who was the right fielder
for the champion Phillies of 1915
and, in the course of his duties,
inspired the press boys to great
deal of ribald material. Mr.. Cra-
vath seemed to be funny to the
press boys but not to the rest
Of the ball players. There was
nothing humorous about a man
who played the right field fence
at the home park perfectly and
whose record it was to have never
made q throw to the wrong base.
Pop Fly q Homer
Anyhow, the average compari-
son seems empty and insipid If
only for the fact that it discounts
the human element. The human
element, for instance, enters
rather acutely into the calcula-
tions of visiting pitcher who is
all too conscious that his outfield-
ers may be a little unhappy in
their strange surroundings and
that, properly placed, a pop lily
can become a home run
Such a pitcher can make par
donable mistakes under the cir
cumstances. He can worry him.
self right out Of the box score.
He can take too much for granted
or too little. He will not, in any
case, feel the same freedom with
which the Giant staff approaches
this problem, for it has been sub
jected to the home run menace
for IS games of each champion
ship season and knows pretty
much what to do about it. That,
as a matter of fact. is the rea'
son it is the Giant staff. 1t
knows what in local parlance the
"home run ball" is. It also
knows that, If it throws too many
Of them, it becomes very un'
fashionable around here and
winds up in Council Bluffs.
In any case. don't sell the right
field fence. Factor short" in
this series. The Giants are an
eccentric ball club and they are
winning their pennant at a most
eccentric park.