| Show MATTYS MATTY'S COLUMN S Sport port C Comment an and d V. V View wr 5 L c By CHRISTY CHRISTY MATHEWSON th v New e Yok York Giants' Giants Famous Pitch Pitcher t T I Copyright 1915 by the Wheeler Syndicate tc Inc S S SS S When When-an old fellow like me me gets S ill ii of rhe rheumatism mat sm and arid adv advice e eS S about about th the W worlds world's series I think I am am b to feel my age age If 1 51 r could give the Phillies any Rny tips S on on the fhe B Boston ston Red Sox which w would u d really help them I would do it because Pat Moran Moran- and his club given a dem demonstration tion of gameness jn in this years year's race which has surprised all alJ followers followers fol fol- lowers of baseball Preliminary tips on on ties des are seldom very valuable to toS S the contending teams and pitchers pitch pitch- pitchers S ers ers more often go wrong wrong through trying to follow them than otherwise other othe wise v wise It It Itis is generally s supposed d hate tery team which gets get into the he worlds world's series series' has spies out as thick as have the warring nations na na- in Europe trying to discover dis dis- dis- dis over cover some weakness in jn their op op- op p. p McGraw does not behave be believe believe be- be lieve have in looking over the enemy even before a worlds world's Once h he ho was was successful by adopting this co course and three thre times he failed but I dont don't think his preliminary preliminary pre pre- preliminary tactics had anything todo to do with this outcome Before the series of 1911 when th the Giants met the Athletics it was rumored around the American Ameri Amen can league and andin in in baseball I. I circles s generally that Hugh Jennings had had several sessions with the Giants in the club h house use tipping the t team am and particularly our pitchers off to the flaws in the Athletics This report resulted S in fl some h hard fd feeling toward Jennings Jen Jenft flings and and- the Detroit club by Connie Mack and his Athletics The rumor was probably the fact that Jennings and McGraw McGraw McGraw Mc Mc- Graw have been friends friends' friends for for years ever since the days of the old Baltimore Orioles But Hughie did not attempt to give us information information information mation about the Athletics at that time any or-any other He Heis is too loyal to his own league in the first place and in the second he knew S McGraw and knew Mac did notS not S want it that it-that that wi wion win winon winon on on his own resources if he was to win at all Rube Vickers the old pitch pitcher r of the Athletics and several more more men men who should know something of Connie Macks Mack's team buzzed around the Braves last lut fall after they had cinched the championship champion ship of th the National league bothering bothering bothering both both- ering the Boston club with well- well meaning efforts to tell the Braves something which would be of use usG to then the In the big series When youre you're pitching to this Baker said Vickers to big Bill James one one night at th the Somerset hotel dont try to throw the ballS ball S past him because you cant can't do it no matter how much speed you ou turn o 0 on Keep it low tow and oh on the theo theS S o outside and use tise your head C S S Stallings herded his players players players' play play- ens ers ers' when he tie ne saw saV saVall all these advisers advis advisers ad- ad ad ad- vis rs crowding them for he was watching over his his- team like a hawk then as he always does and anti said Any information inform you get about the Athletics I want you to gather 5 from me I know something about Macks Mack's club Most of these outside outside outside out out- side advisers dont If my pitchers tried to follow followS followIll S nil Ill the tips given them declared Stallings to me they would have havea a tougher time than a on plaid trying to make good They wouldn't show anything This trying to follow every everyone's ones one's advice is is what makes so many really good ball players look badin bad badin S in the series series Stallings had been in he league with Connie Mack for several seasons He knew Macks Mack's methods meth meth- otis and he arranged a careful preliminary campaign In this he showed keen knowledge knowledg and study of the Athletics which was after after- wards evidenced by the manner in which he rehearsed the Braves before the contests He told each pitcher just how to work on each batter he ho faced and Stallings depended depended depended de- de entirely upon his his j own ownS S knowledge knowledge alone S t t S I F S t 4 JJ 1 r W SiN f I Besides this he display dY S showmanship in preparing I. I S the Braves for the His js S greatest stroke was threatening Connie Mack on the lief day before ro rothe the opening game because th thelong l iong ng Philadelphia leader leader- would not not permit the Braves to practice c at park Stallings playe incident up to the limit ft He dwelt on the fact to his players that that the Athletics a taking a distinct advantage tho the Braves Braes Macks Mack's team had b en playing on the Red Socks Sock's p park rk whenever sched scheduled led to toS S appear i in Boston and k knew the W the groL grounds as well as th they did t their ir irown own park is a bad field for the sun in the late afternoon Stallings Stal Stal- lings n his request to tei Mack to be bo allowed to practice on it told him he lie wanted his outfielders outfielders' to to get used to this The Braves Braves' were were playing that series on practically two strange otrange parks for even in Boston they were using Fenway field the Red Socks' Socks grounds in order to accommodate bigger crowds When turned Stallings down George Georg eorge went to a telephone where all newspaper newspapermen newspaper men and his players could h hat t he said and bawled Mack out He made it strong Of course this started a feud feud be be between tween Mack and Stallings and the players went into the series eries fighting mad That Is j what st what Ge George rge wanted most I would rather have had that incident come off than t to h have ve I h had d two weeks' weeks practice park park admitted Stallings' Stallings t me aft afterwards It w wa was s worth more I to my club to have the pl rs go in there sore ore at their o and feeling they were get getting a of it worst V s N No Noman man man ever handled handled at team handled a Steam am better before the big series series than Stallings did last year year He possible the limit He showed I keen een judgment and he knew th the the- Athletics The result speaks for itself v S SI I dont don't figure Pat Moran is going to be much Stallings in cleverness in preparing ing the tho Phillies Pat he has the in baseball in Alexander That means a a lot in a a Alec Alee will be bo able Jo o work at least three games and possibly four He will have an edge redge on the Red Sox when he steps into the box for some of the Boston players saw him pitch the on-the trip of the star all all teams to the coast I last winter and know what he is The rest have hav heard of him I Several American leaguers h have ve told me they figured Alexander better than Walter Johnson at his best Th These se reports are not going to give give the tho Boston batters any confidence f M Moran ran is going goig to h v va e a nice chance to rest Alec up and send him to to- the box in in his best conditi con con- n. n I was afraid at IhS Ih'S one e stage that the i. i National league finish would be drawn rawn so class clase that Pat might have to work Alexander Alex Alex- Alexander ander hard right up to the last I game almost to tobe be sure of th the championship The Phillies' Phillies coming to the front so strong in j the final few weeks has added to their chances of winning the series series S Alec is easy to handle and a horse for work He knows how to tako take care of himself and he uses uses' uses his his is head The Boston Red Sox are going to see some better bet bet- ter tar pitching than they ever have before when they face that bird I think It is is my opinion that tat there was several seasons when I Wa Walter n ter Johnson Jonnson was waa at his best team could have beat beaten n either club in the worlds world's series in such a short set of games It would have been Walter alter Johnson alone winning for over the short stretch he could have worked at least every other day and I dont don't think there was a club that could have stood up against that sort of pitching The Philadelphia star is just JOSt as physically fit as the Washing 5 ton wonder was at his best Alec Continued on n page 8 8 7 J i i J J K r. r j. j MATTYS MATTY'S COLUMN I- I r j Continued from page 4 4 i has his heart eart in jn that hat series serks too too Through the Phillies winn winning ng the pennant he is g getting the tho chance hance he he deserves by by hi his fine work in baseball the chance that Walter Walter- Johnson h has s d deserved served to too and has ha never nevet never h had d He will be in inthe in- in the tho the big series If I could give 5 Alexander lexander or Moran any any i iMor fori h about the Red Sox Sox- which help Wo d help them I would But j r leve I c could Uld I l may i M a t- t tall with Alexander be 9 VM I would like to I 1 ys y's if about the hit hit- tars S x from having I f faced them n 11 ono one on series But ButI I it is is hard forgone ono pitcher to tell another hoto work The dif dif- I ference style in-style and nd nd method o of pitching makes it almost impossible 1 sible To go into the box with a lot of ideas collected from informers informers in- in j formers that have to e corrected cor corrected in tho period perio of of a a short series aeries is more of a hat handicap than thanS S an advantage A man can can find out best for himself asIt aia S rule I prefer it and I know Alexander Alander does He Ho is that sort of Pitcher a I dont don't figure that th fh the Red Red Sox Soy are going to be so to tough gh in in n this series as most r the game do Moran is a smart mart manager and he ho has a pr pretty Uy 1 smart club He has made it himself him him- self I will take up his team more fully in my preliminary discUssion discussion dis dis- of the men on the two I clubs as I know them just before before before be be- fore the series The Phillies can be depended I upon to fight the Red Sox all I the Hie and way Carrigans Carrigan's team I will wit go into the series with the I fear fea of Alexander in in their thel hearts I Tho The Red Sox Box do not look as strong to me oda today as they did in 1912 enough gh no v. Ar r v trong e then The Giants should h have hav aVe won that series Moran is' is is s' s not unlike Stallings He He- Heis is is' isa a believer in baseball su superstitions superstitions suo su- as is George Geors and he builds up spirit in ina a team Up to the end of last week Moran refu refused ed to make any arrangements arrange arrange- arrangements arrangement ments ment for the worlds world's series Wait until we ye cincH the pennant pen pennant nant and wo we will ta take e up the worlds world's series he ho de declared l red to a aman aman aman man man who wanted to arrange some worlds world's series matter with him Moran w was ws s far eno enough gh ahead then to be justified I it for granted that he was wa in but he refused to admit th that t he ho had w wan won n tho the pennant untiL was no no chance of losing it even if his whole club dropped dead 7 That L. L is an Pr old SUperstition in baseball If a man takes It for for granted he has won won the flag while there thero is still a al Chance chance hance to lose it he believes will be against him on a account c of his f Stallings and Evers and other stars and managers believe this tIis too and refuse to assume that they have won until they actually actually actu ally cannot lose And b bythe the same came token j H Iese ieso e very men r refuse to admit that they are beaten until they have proved b ble mathematics mathe mathematics matics that they cannot win Evers Ever's had not conceded the pennant pennant pen pen- nant to Philadelphia late lat last w week k You Vou can never tell tell was the way ho he put it 7 B Many f fans ns have written eiten to me me ne to fo aek ask why Stallings Stallings' l lost st the league championship this year Here are the three reasons Poor pitching 1 Evers out of the much gane e of the time The club as a club hit far below be be- I low Jow its 1914 mark f. f |
