Show R CE IF TF THERE was a matter of a ax x million dollars at stake and you as manager had to pick the greatest greatest great great- est one-game one pitcher for tor a particular lar tar contest contest what what hurler would you select Years ago I asked Connie Mack this question and he had a aready aready aready ready answer His pick was Charles Albert Bender the Chippewa Chief the wiry Indian who was not only a great pitcher but always at his best when the blue chips were on the line Weve had some pretty fair tair pitchers pitch pitch- ers on the Athletics In our time Connie said I II I mean Rube Waddell Wad Wad- Waddell I dell Lefty Grove Eddie Plank Herb 4 Herb Pennock George I Earnshaw and many others Some of ot these undoubtedly undoubted 4 ly had more stuff than Chief Chiet Bender had But Bender 4 was always at his x peak in a game you had to win On that Grantland Rico Rice one day you knew he would be at his best best and and the million million mil mil- lion dollars would d only key him up not not let him down I know there have been better pitchers over a season or through many years But in a pinch where the pressure was heavy where the stake was high Bender was a hard hardI I man to beat And he would be just justI justas I as cool and as relaxed for tor a million as he would be for tor a dime I After Atter this talk I put the same sameI problem up to Frank Frisch one atthe of at I the smartest men baseball has ever everI I produced one of Its greatest competitors Picks Dizzy Dean Bender was a little before my day Frank said Under the conditions conditions con con- you have named I 1 think my pick would be Dizzy Dury Dean Dizzy Dizzy Dizzy Diz Diz- zy was not only a great pitcher but buthe buthe buthe he also loved the spotlight Also the pressure His biggest thrill was in meeting Carl HubbelL But com competing eti et- et i ing g against any star pitcher delighted delighted delighted de de- de- de lighted Dean And dont don't forget that Dizzy had everything a great pitcher pitch pitch- er needs blazing speed a fine curve ball change ball change of ot pace pace good good control control and and above all unbeatable confidence in Dizzy Dean With a million dollars at stake Dizzy would have been unbeatable at least as close to unbeatable under under under un un- der such conditions as anyone I ever saw For he would have revelled at such a chance Even a billion dollars would never have bothered Ole DIz That's what I mean by naming such a pitcher Remember this is not a matter of Df naming the games game's greatest pitcher pitch pitch- er through a season or through many years It Is the matter of ot naming the pitcher you would select under the heaviest sort of at pressure for tor or one vitally important game Christy Mathewson In his prime belongs in this class Few people today remember the Matty who pitched three successive shutouts against the Athletics In the 1905 World Series The million dollars would never have bothered Matty He lost the Cub GIant play off in 1908 probably 1908 probably the most important single game ver ever played played but but how many know I De no tackled th this s game with an arm so sore and tired that he could barely bare bare- ly lift it when he began warming up For that season Matty had won 37 games and saved 12 others Great Old Alex Ill I'll give you another tough milI million mil mil- I lion dollar competitor in in or out of I condition His name is Grover j Cleveland Alexander Here was as great a combination of heart head and arm as I have ever seen As Asa a rookie in 1911 he be won 28 26 games Alex was another who took new Inspiration from a tough spot even evenIn evenIn evenin In his fading years when he was inno In Inno inno no shape to handle the job But he still sUll handled it as Tony of the Yankees remembers In the 1926 World series when Alex fanned him with u-Ith the bases full fuU And there is Ed Walsh of the White Sox the Sox the pitcher Ty Cobb names as the greatest of all time for Cor a period of five years Walsh was wasa a 40 game winner and winner and at his best bestin in a hot spot So here we have named such blue chip stars as Bender Bend Bend- er Dean Mathe Mathewson son Alexander and Walsh And there is always Carl HubbelL These big dough entries were sure to be at their best for tor one big game one game one vital contest I have another nomination who belongs in this listing Walter Johnon Johnson Johnson John John- son on winner of games with a weak hitting Washington club Odd Ring Styles We were talking with Dumb Dan Morgan who has only been mixed up with the ring game for a trifle pore nore than 50 years about various ing plug styles Dumb Dan brought up Lee Oma possibly the best heavyweight heavy heavy- heavyweight weight on the home front Oma is an odd one to the pres- pres nt generation Morgan said with ass ais way of dropping both hands walking by an opponent as if taking takings I Ia a s stroll looking over one shoulder is as he goes by and then suddenly I turning and leading the attack |