When Jake Stahl Meets John Mcgraw for the Championship of The

Panoramic View of the New York Polo Grounds and a Glimpse of the When Jake Stahl Meets John Mc the Base How the Giants and the Red Sox Compare on the Eve of their the Fortune Which By WM. A. HE heavyweight champions of the Smoke Pittsburg in 1903, is the new chal- two big leagues have finished the lenger, and the betting odds favor the T various elimination contests in Boston Kid at something like 5 to 4. which they have been engaged, and, each The Giants, despite the lovely lacing with a remarkable record of knockouts they got in the post-seasons of 1911, are and decisions in his favor, are ready to back there again, and are facing a new step into the ring for the gold-studded antagonist—one who was hardly counted belt that goes with the highest honors on when the prophets got busy in April. of the universe. As is the general rule, At that time, most of the wise ones fan- we see one familiar face in one of the cied that Connie Mack had so built and corners. Most world's championship reinforced his Athletics that they were events have one of the contestants of the good for three successive championship previous season engaged—it is but sel- seasons, while the Giants looked more dom that both champions are overthrown like a one-year team. In short, it was during the first year that follows their the concensus of opinion that the Athlet- ascendancy. In this instance, we see the ics could repeat, but that the Giants cheerful though somewhat battered fea- couldn't—all of which goes to show how tures of the New York Giants in the sadly fallacious is the form-card of even corner to the right of the ring, but we the most astute among us. do not see Battling Philadelphia in the Few, very few, picked Boston as the other corner. Kid Boston, a worthy son American League leader. Many, as has of the old champion who knocked out been remarked, thought the Athletics 24 Most Enormous Crowd Which Ever Witnessed a Baseball Contest Graw For the Championship of ball World World Famous Battle for the Supreme Honor in Baseball and Goes to the Victor PHELON were plenty good enough for another of Washington. That team, instead of season, and the rest remembered how contentedly occupying its usual notch at sorrowfully the Red Sox failed in 1911. or near the bottom of the batcave, rose There was good material there—every- in fury, and "declared itself in" on everybody admitted that much—but that ma- thing that was happening—every melon terial had either been badly handled in that was being cut, and all the graft that the past or had proved stubborn and un- the men higher up had previously been responsive. There was really no good dividing. Griffith's team cut an awful reason for picking Boston to win out, swath, and, with one more pitcher like but the American League dope went Walter Johnson, would have copped be- twisted in several places. Nobody figured yond a reasonable doubt. The solid stuff, on the breakdown of the Athletics. With however, wasn't quite there, and Wash- some of its great players crippled, others ington had to be content with playing the breaking training rules, and still others most sensational and glorious ball seen going back with astounding rapidity, the at the capital in more than twenty years. champion club fell by the wayside, and While the Mackerels were falling and did well to rally as effectively as was the the Senators were startling people, the case during later months, when there was Boston Red Sox were winning games. no chance for the flag and the only hope Jake Stahl, coming back to his old pals, left was that of winning an honorable seemed to put them in the best of humors, position. and the obstinacy or lack of concerted ef- Nobody calculated, either, on the rise fort that had knocked them out of previ- 25 26THE BASEBALL MAGAZINE ous races seemed to vanish almost at much; the plucky Cubs couldn't over- Jake's command. He welded the Bostons come the narrow margin of advantage, into a compact and formidable machine, and, when the last burst of speed was and he made them go straight on their due for everybody, McGraw showed new unswerving way for the first time in generalship by having a huge pitcher several seasons. Then, too, Joe Wood ready who could take up the work and came to the front with tremendous power, carry it to a successful finish. Give Mc- proving himself, with the right kind of Graw the credit, good fans of Manhattan handling, a pitcher who could win a —it was the way he utilized the material multitude of games. Everything broke in hand. Had such a team as the old just right for the Red Sox, and, after Baltimores won that flag, the credit they once established themselves in a wouldn't have seemed so massive, but to commanding position, there was no win out with what he actually had in chance to drive then off the pinnacle. stock—well, what can you call it but gen- They simply declared themselves in the eralship and the brainwork of a real Na- job by right of both conquest and dis- poleon? covery, and there wasn't anyone strong A world's series is a curious thing. It enough to dislodge them. is swayed too much by the surrounding landscapes, the brevity of the season, and It's all very well to say that the Ath- accidental happenings. To be a full, fair letics went way, way back, that Detroit trial of strength between the two great was only a shadow of former glory, that leagues, it should consist of not less than Cleveland and Chicago were in a forma- 15 games, to be played in summer weath- tive state, and that New York and St. er on an open field. Such a trial of Louis were helpless, but the fact remains strength, perhaps, may never happen, and that the Red Sox won out. Maybe the we will have to do the best with what we class was weaker and more jumbled than have before us. In the coming series, is the general rule in the American betting is in favor of the Red Sox, and League—but in baseball as in every other those true fans who never bet are ap- walk of life the sure winner is the fellow parently in favor of Boston's chances al- who can see and grasp an opportunity most to a bug. Even in New York, when it is presented to him—and the Red there is little of the plucky, cheery tone Sox grasped theirs. of 1911. Sad memories of that series, a McGraw's Giants, intrinsically not as belief in the slugging powers of Stahl's powerful a club as two or three of the men, and recollections of what Boston other National League organizations, did to New York in 1909—all these made good through hustling, aggressive- things seem to combine to make the Red ness, concerted hitting, and fast base- Sox the choice all along the line. And running. All of these qualities were in- yet—well, so the Cubs were choice over stilled in the team—even forced upon the White Sox in 1906, and the Giants some of its members—by McGraw. Even had good backing in 1911! the great pitching which won so many You can never tell. Fifteen games on games was really a credit mark for Mc- an open field, and it would seem only Graw as evidenced in the way he manipu- logical that the best all-season club lated the various hurlers. John J., re- should pull down the post-season honors alizing the value of a good lead, got his too. Seven games in a collar-box, and men away early with a flying start in how can you dope the chances? To my the east, and meanwhile, in the west, the last day in baseball I shall always main- Cincinnati team was mowing down Chi- tain that the Giants would have beaten cago and Pittsburg till those usually ter- the Athletic's had those games been play- rible warriors were way in the rear. ed on a field like that of the Cincinnati Then Cincinnati cracked, and, the Reds club—and who can tell what the angles once disposed of, the gap was too great and arrangements of the arenas at the for the Cubs and Pirates to close up. Polo Grounds and at Fenway Park may Desperately they tried, and there were do to either or both of the teams that are two or three occasions when Chance's about to grapple for the supreme honors men seemed to have McGraw's gang of the diamond? staggering. But the strain was too (Continued on page 102) 102 WHEN JAKE STAHL MEETS JOHN McGRAW (Continued from page 26) I had no chance to see the Boston Red Sox in action during the last few weeks of the season. Hence I couldn't figure on their condition or the amount of wear and tear they might have shown as the result of the long grind. I did see the New York outfit in several games, however—and they looked more like a second division bunch than champions. They seemed to have gone stale or lost their pepper.

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