EVENING LED0EB-PHIIiAI)ELPHlA, THTJBSDAY, MAY 27 1915:
.
PHILLIES IN FINAL BEFORE SWING AROUND CIRCUIT ATHLETICS STILL IN THE RAC
n
PHILLIES FACE "MAKE OR BREAK"
TEST IN SWING AROUND CIRCUIT
Every Club in League to Be Met in Trip Beginning Tomorrow.
Brooklyn, "Dark Horse" bf Race, to Be Feared Moran's
Pitchers Ready Athtetica Not Out of the Race.
Tho Phillies start on their first swing around tho National League circuit
tomorrow, and every team In tho leaguo will be met before Moran'B men return
to tho city. It Is tho make or break trip so far as the Phillies' pennant chances
are Concerned, according to the way It Is doped out by the fans. Ono may
point to the fact that the Boston Uraves did not even start on their mad dash'
pettnantward until tho middle of July last season; but tho Braves and Phillies
lire two different teams.
Local fans are of the opinion that the Phillies arc a. game ball club, as game
as they come, but they do not think that the team can survive a trip such as
the Athletics Just had through the West. It Is much easier to come from be
hind when opponents are paying no particular attention to a team until it
has up its full speed than It Is to como back after being Jolted out of first
place and possibly dropping Into fourth or fifth.
First Real Trials Arc Now On
Manager Moran can expect nothing but the best of pitching against
his club on the coming trip. Every team in tho league has. become aware
of the fact that the Phillies must bo stopped soon or they will becomo con
vinced that they are the class of the leaguo, and whon a ball club gets that
feeling It Is doubly hard to stop It.
Tho Phillies are full of confidence now, but It Is quite likely that they
are worrying Just a little about this first trip. It Is a team that Is likely
to lmprovo 60 per cent. If this first test Is passed with flying colors. Moran
1b fortunato In having his pitching start In wonderful shape, and barring
possibly the Cubs no other club In the league Is likely to get as good mound
work for some tlmo to come. Pitchers who are not In shape now will find
it rather hard to strike their stride until along In July, as tho recent un
certain weather Is not helping those who are slow In rounding Into form.
Phillies Have Cause to Fear Brooklyn
To date the Braves have been rather easy for tho Phillies, but the
series in Boston starting tomorrow may find things changed a bit. The
Braves have James and Tyler In shapo now, and though they were beaten
tour games in a row by the Cubs, tho world's champions are likely to start
on a spurt at any time. Five games are scheduled for three days, and If
Moran's men can take three of the five they should bo well satisfied.
After this series they tacklo Brooklyn, and this Is the club that must
be crushed. The Impression Is growing In .the National League that Brooklyn
Is the "dark horse" of the race. It Is the bcBt hitting club In tho league,
nnd tho- return to form of Pfeffer spells trouble for tho other seven teams.
Xt Is a club that will bo hard to trim If It once gets In the lead.
Little attention has been paid to Robinson's team, and the fact that It
has como from a bad last to third place In three weeks' tlmo Is being over
looked. At present Brooklyn is only three and a half games behind the
Phillies and a poor Btart In Boston will placo tho Dodgers In position to
oust the Phillies from the top rung of the ladder In their series.
Moran's Pitchers Ready for the Test
In tho West tho Phillies have little to fear If they can get away with
tho Cubs, provided they do not return to the slump that has followed them
for more than two weeks. Alexander, Chalmers nnd Mayer are in grand
Bhape, while Rlxey and Demarce are Improving dally. With young Baum
gartner to do relief twirling, there Is little to fear from tho pitching staff
Unless It shows a sudden reversal of form. This Is not likely, as Moran Is
exercising great judgment in his handling of the staff.
There Is not another club In tho country which has been fortunate
enough to use relief pitchers as seldom as tho Phillies havo to date, and this
means a lot as tho race gets warmer. Foreign fields, with their long fences,
will also tend to bring the Phillies back to tho style of play that was so
effective early In the season. Too much home-run hitting caused tho team
to go Into Its first batting slump, and the change will be good for the total
batting average.
Athletics by no Means Out of the Race
While the Phillies are struggling to hold their lead away from homo,
the Athletics will be battling at Shlbo Park to como back to the form that
Tnay mean tho flying of another pennant In this city. The champions are
luck?' to have had their slump at this time If they are going to get out of
It on tho present homo stand. The Mackmen are by no means out of the
race, as the Whito Sox, who are now out in front, are not nearly so far ahead
as the Tigers were last season and in 1011, when the Athletics hung about
the bottom qj the ladder until the latter part of July.
It must be admitted that the Athletics were a much better looking ball
club In those days, but so were the Tigers, and yet they were caught in
August. Tho pitching staff has been holding the Athletics back now, but
it may bo that this same bunch of youngsters are gaining the experience
und confidence needed to bring them around. If that staff of youngsters
tver gets working, the general opinion among baseball men is that the
Mackmen will go along in a sensational manner.
The great work of Lajole in tho West amazed the fans, and it is certain
that second base will not be the weak point in tho Mack machine. Third
base is, of course, not as well taken care of as in the past, but Kopfs weak
ness will not be noticed if tho pitchers can go the route. With a crippled
team the Athletics have been scoring heavily against all pitchers in the
West and a sensational trip would havo been enjoyed had the pitchers held
up their end. The staff Is gradually finding Itself. Bases on balls are fewer
and the changing of pitchers is becoming less frequent. These are good
signs, and with plenty of chance for morning practice the Athletics will
probably look like a different team In two weeks.
9
Gawky Cy Williams a Comer With Cubs
"Did you ever see a man who looked more awkward than that big fellow,
Williams?" asked a fan, as he watched the giant outfielder chasing a fly. To
be candid, one seldom sees a ball player who looks as ungainly as Williams, but
this is because of his great height. Williams, nevertheless, is one of the fastest
men in the game and is really anything but clumsy.
Williams is a graduate of Notre Dame University, and, while a student
there, mixed track athletics and football with baseball. As a hurdler, Williams
had no equal in the Middle West during his college career, and was such a
brilliant all-round track star that he was persuaded to try for the championship
of tho world at the Olympic Games at Stockholm. However, he decided to stay
at home and start on his professional baseball career. This decision may have
made Jim Thorpe's way much easier at Stockholm, if reports from reliable track
specialists of Chicago are true.
As a ball player, Williams was never a howling success until this season,
though he has warmed the bench at Chicago for two seasons. Joe Tinker and
Mank O'Day both passed him over because he was such a gawky-looking indi
vidual, but Bresnahan realized that he was a diamond In the rough and gave
htm a regular position. Williams has more than fulfilled the predictions made
for him while he was a collegian.
In Chicago he is looked upon as the successor of the famous BUI Lange,
Who was the Idol of the centre-field bleacherltes 20 years ago. Frank Schulte,
a terrific hitter himself, says that Williams hits a ball harder than any left
handed batter In the game. This was borne out by his drive In Cincinnati this
season, which went Into the right-field bleachers. The longest previous hit on
the new Redland Field had been made by Fred Luderus, and his drive hit the
bleachers on the second bound. No other player has even hit the bleacher wall,
except with a ball that managed to roll there. It is the longest fence In any
major league field, and the fans could scarcely believe that Williams had lifted
the ball into the bleachers. He is still a youngster, having Just passed his 24th
milestone, and he should get better right along in the next two or three
seasons.
McGlnnity Still Iron Man in Baseball
Old Joe McGlnnlty, for years the real iron man of baseball, is still a marvel
In the higher-classed minor leagues. On May 14, pitching for Tacoma, he shut
out Aberdeen with four hits, and came back on the 16th and again shut out the
same team, allowing but two hits. McGlnnlty is manager and half owner of the
Tacoma club, but he still does the lion's share of the "pitching, because he, loves
tho game.
When a member of the Brooklyn champions in 1900, and later with McGraw's
' fv pennani-winning uianis, jucuwniiy mougni noming oi piiciung aouoie-neaaers.
Mind, hardly a season went by that he did not pitch 60 full games, besides doing
JS!ronderful rescue work. His control made him a marvel. He still has t, and
m does not average a base on oaus a game.
IT HAPPENS IN THE BEST OF REGULATED FAMILIES
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PENN STATE HOPES
FOR GOOD SHOWING
Coach Martin Announcpa mi
Men for Intercollegiates' on!
n uiiKim rieia.
O'DONNELL IS STRONG
FOR MACK GO TONIGHT
Weight Will Not Weaken Him,
Gloucester Battler Says.
Open-air Boxing Bouts Here.
Joe O'Donnell, the boy with tho punch
and Idol of Gloucester, believes that the
weight governing his match with Willie
Mack, of Southwark, at tho Broadway
tonight will not weaken him. Ho hopes
to return a victor by a knockout. Mack
Is an elusive boxer and unless Knock
out Joe crosses a haymaker Willie should
win because of his better knowledge of
the hlt-and-get-away game. Previous to
the bout scales will be placed In tho ring
and the principals will weigh In at 123
pounds.
The program follows:
First bovt Dutch George, Falrmount, vs.
Dtnver Kid, Falrmount.
Second bout Younj? Hockey. Southwark, vs.
Johnny Gibbons, Southwark.
Third bout Chrlq Waugh, Gloucester, vs.
Johnny Lincoln. Dell road.
Semlflnal Willie Hannon. Point Breeze, vs.
Blllv Illaler, Smoky Hollow.
Wind-up Joe O'Donnell, Gloucester, vs.
Willie Slack, Southwnrk.
Two open-air clubs will stage shows on
Friday nlghtB. Tomorrow night tho Fair
hill A. C, 3d street and Lehigh avenue,
under the management of Stanloy Dooley,
will hold Its opening stag with Young
McGovern and Young Jack Toland fea
turing In tho star bout. Sun Ford, of
West Philadelphia, Is trying to hook up
Jack Fitzgerald and Terry Martin for the
first show at the Ludlow A. C, 60th and
Ludlow streets, for June 4. Ford will be
matchmaker and referee of this arena.
Al Rue Is of the opinion that his min
iature fight protege, Joe Bradley, can cur
tall the winning streak of Joe Tuber, for
mer amateur champion. He Is anxious
to make the match. Bradley and Tuber
each weigh less than 110 pounds.
Harry Lenny writes from New York
that ho Is anxious to rematch Jimmy
Murray with Lew Tcndler and also hook
up Packey Hommey with Sam Ttobldeau
or Pal Moore. Tonight In New York Mur
ray meets Abo Friedman, and Packey
tackles Mel Coogan. Murray then will
battle Kid Williams at Baltimore In a
10-round bout Juno 4. Jim will stop off
here on his way home.
Gunboat Smith will go under an opera
tion on his nose In a few days. As a
result he was forced to cancel his fight
with Young Weinert at Ebbets Field,
Brooklyn next Monday afternoon. Bat
tling Levlnsky and Porky Flynn have
been signed up to substitute. Mike Gib
bons and Soldier Bartfleld may clash In
another go.
IMNINGJBK
lipm
mm
Tho case of tho Giants Is ono of tho
most peculiar we havo coma across In
some time. We have heard many reasons
advanced for their Inability to scramble
back Into old haunts, but none that seems
absolutely convincing. Or Is any rea
son ndvanced ever absolutely convincing?
Back to Last Year
On tho 1st of July last season tho
Giants, with three pennant years back of
them, were nbovo .C00, still playing the
best ball In their circuit.
And then suddenly, without any warn
ing, tho collapse arrived. From July until
October the Giants staggered along bo
low a .450 clip, unable to win half their
games. If thoy were afflicted with old
age how were thoy able to dash Into tho
lead through tho first three months, al
ways the hardest upon veterans who
roach form slowly?
On Into 1915
Among causes advanced for tho Giant
collapse was weakness at third base,
ragged pitching and Doyle's batting
slump.
To offset this for 1915" McGraw got
Hans Lobert. who has been playing first
class ball. He added Poll Perrltt, who
was a winner with the Cardinals, And
Doyle has been smacking the missile
around .300 all the spring.
Yet at the end of six weeks the Giants
have been utterly unable to win half their
games.
Hard Luck Part of It
Part of this can be assigned to hard
luck, embracing Injuries to Fred Merkle
and Fred Snodgrass.
But this doesn't cover all the ground.
The club isn't loafing or quitting, and
McGraw is as keen upon the assignment
as he ever was, which means practically
all the time.
Most of the deficit Is assigned to a pre
ponderance of age on the club. Yet
among those who haven't got started
yet are George Burns, only three years
in fast company; Rube Marquard, who
Is still under 25 and these have been
vital factors in Giant success.
Doping out the why and wherefore of
success and failure In this baseball busi
ness becomes at times entirely too zig
zag an occupation to be carried very far.
BOX IN BROADWAY FINAL TONIGHT
""'""" ' "" '" imMmtiirawwuiirai minimi ram nrrmiummiJI
Both Mack and O'Donnell informed Promoter Taylor this morning'
that they were down to weight and in good form for their en
counter at the 16th .street and Washington avenue arena. Each
boy will weigh in at 123 pounds in the ring before starting their
18-minute Bet-to.
For If ago is a causo of Giant failure,
how dqes ono explain the fact that Red
Jack Murray, veteran to an extended
degree, has been playing the best ball on
the club? ,
Another Official Score
In off moments we have kept official
tag on the number of Russian prisoners
reported from Berlin. The list accumu
lated at the moment of loitering to press
was 14,567,823. Yet there nro still enough
Russians left to guard a 300-mllo front.
Which Is more complicated as a prob
lem than outlining some baseball status.
The Spice of Life
If, as philosophers report, variety Is the
spice of life, John McGraw and Connie
Mack should be having the spiciest season
of their careers.
Both McGraw and Mack have been
spending most of their Bpare time around
the top since 1910. With the exception
of McGraw's first year, back In 1902,
neither has ever come into the closing
days of May with a tail-end .attachment.
The experience is new, and new experi
ences, even if a trifle painful in spots,
are at least worth something.
Offside Plays
It Is as soft and easy to be neutral as It
Is for an umpire to give a decision on a
close play at the plate and thereby make
a big hit with both clubs and the fans.
Brain, so called, is very often nothing
but tho courage to keep your head up and
eyes open, all set for the main chance.
Tom Jones has now reconsidered. He
Is at last willing to permit Mr. Wlllard to
battle 10 rounds for J25.OO0. This Is a mat
ter of a mere $300 a minute, which Is, of
course, a terrific concession upon Tom's
part. Won't some ono suggest a vote of
thanks?
Gibbons Outpoints Leo IIouclc
NEW YOItK. May 27. It will be many a
long day before Leo Kouck can hope to take
tho middleweight boxing crown back with him
to Lancaster, pa. Charged to a high degree
with laudable ambition, Houck last night
mixed it up with Mike Gibbons, o( St. Pau,
at the St. Nicholas Rink, but the best that
Houck got was a protiubto evening of Instruc
tion. In the ancient art of slam and bang and
give and take.
PHILS' AND ATHLETICS'
BATTING AVERAGES
PHILLIES.
All. n. II. TB. BB. P.O.
Bancroft lot 13 i; (o i ,;is
Byrne 07 10 52 Ss 0 ,227
Becker 00 14 24 40 7 .2(17
Cravath 101 20 28 69 1 ,277
Whltted 77 T 23 47 1 ,288
Nlehoft ,, SI 12 23 80 0 ,272
Luderus - 63 II SI 21 1 ,37s
Klllefer 88 8 22 24 2 .230
Burns 19 O 6 T O ,318
i'askert 68 T 0 17 1 .1,15
Ducey 21 2 4 8 1 ,100
Welarr 10 1 4 8 0 .211
mock, , 10 1 2 4 0 ,123
Adams 8 0 0 0 0 ,000
ATHLETICS,
AB. n, II. TB. SB. P.O.
Murphy ,,110 10 27 32 4 ,227
Oldrlng ,.118 21 32 47 1 .271
fctrunk , .10.1 10 81 41 4 ,301
Schang ........... 68 10 17 20 4 .293
Lalole ..,.,,, 130 0 40 48 S ,308
Mclnnls 0.1 S 20 30 O .S115
Larry 117 3 26 . 6 ,107
Kopf , 72 10 10 22 1 ,MI
Lapp .,.....,,.... SO 3 U 11 o "11
McAvoy 30 4 11 18 0 .282
Walah .., 70 9 18 21 0 .228
Thompson ,,...,.. 10 0 2 S o .200
Davie ,.,,, ,. T 1 1 2 O .143
McConnell 10 1 2 8 0 .200
Boallck .,.,,.,,,,. T 0 0 0 0 .000
PIPING ROCK MEETING
SCHEDULED JUNE 2-5
Whitney Memorial Steeple
chase Is to Be Main Attrac
tion Grab-bag Novelty.
The two-day spring meeting of tho
Piping Ilock Itaclng Association will be
held at Locust Valley, L. I., Juno 2 and
5. The main attraction will centre In tho
running of the Whitney Memorial Steeplo
chase. This race originated ten years
ago, and sinco that time has become ono
of tho most representative events of
spring racing. Twenty-five entries havo
been received. Including many of the beat
chusers in training.
The Orab-Bay Handicap, for 2-year-olds,
Is another of tho events to attraat
wide Interest. This race was first run
last year, and proved such a success that
It was decided to make. It a permanent
fixture. The entry for these two races Is
already closed. Among tho horses nom
inated for the Whitney Memorial Steeple
chase are Itelluf, winner of the laBt two
races: Cabaret, Marcelllnus, Flanders,
Meeting House, Cherry Malotte, Chupa
dero. Compliment, Single Stick, Lysan
der, Meadowsweet and Mission.
STATE COLLEGE, Pa.. It.. . i'
Slate will bo represented by seven slifi
performers from her track and n.ftl
fcciuad at the lntercnltnn,. . -.. . i
Field. Phliadelnhla. nn it,m.., 7 555
. -", una Batim-
urday. Track Coach Martin today ,M
nounced his entries for th hi .!.. 'M
follows: Post, Whito and Oolbln n thM
nnrlntn! flnntnln ttnn,u. .. '" "li
the hurdles: Lamb In tho hammer BUM
unu uananu in mo two-mile run m
State's entrants havo dono such eie.n H
petition that Coaph Martin expects tol
eVerv man nlncn In lilo v..,. mi.. "".SB
Dast lntfrcn1Wlnt nnli .iL-n.B '?.
group Is Captain Hammltt, who last .t
finished In third place. This mr "l
mil Is slightly better, on two occislZ
voverlng the dlstanco In 12 2-C second?
Brown won the low hurdles from 3Im.
mm in me benign meet threo .i..'
ago in 23 seconds flat. This perf ormatics f
boosted Brown's stock until today hi i,f
the favorite hero for Intercollegiate hon"'1
ors In tho 220 hurdles. Laib r.,,i.,r.-
heaves the hammer US feet. The dliViH
third or fourth place on Saturday.
SHIFT IN HARVARD'S EIGHT 4
Radical Changes Expoctcd in Varsity,
Crow Soon.
CAMBRIDGE, Mass., May 27.-S6 manf-
cAiifiiiiiuiiiiti vuuniii'B navo Deen made ta
tho first and second eights of the Har.
vard rowing squad that Inquirers wer
told that thero was no varsity boat for
tho present.
M r. i ill A
I JbSingham I
i Roof i
1 Garden M
111 lllh & Market Sit. Mf
II Will 0penT 1
III lo-mght m,
I Season ll '
llll Popular Price Jllf I
5l Excellent Mtrne j8f I
DEVON HORSE SHOW
MAY 2 7 g 2Bj 2O3 ii 1
NATIONAL I.EAOUE PARK
PHILLIES vsf CHICAGO
OA5IE AT 3 ISO P. SI.
AdmlJilon, 25c, JOc and lie. Ilax seats. II.
On Mle at filmbeU' and 6paldlncV
I i
rA I nil I LI, ATHLETIC CLUB
TIIIUO AND LKIIIQII AVE.
KIIIIIAV NIOIIT, Mar 18 th
Younff Mclovern . Younjr Jack Toland
Four Other Ilout. Tlckt 23c, COc. Tic.
in a Forty-Footer"
By Dr. Eugene Swayne
Commodore Flat Rock Motor Boat Club
Other high power stories from motorboat
enthusiasts include "Lost at Sea," by J. B,
Yarnall, Commodore, Belmont Yacht Club;
"The Education in Motorboat .Racing," by
A. B. Cartledge, Commodore, Delaware River
Yacht Racing Association, and "Ten Weeks
on the South Jersey Coast," by Charles J.
Curran, Commodore, South Jersey Yacht
Racing Association.
Here is a big, newsy spread for power boat
owners that is highly instructive as well as
delightfully entertaining. Each contributor is
a man schooled to the ways of motors and
waters, whose experience and advice are well
worth your reading. Let these authorities
tell you how to get more safety and pleasure
from your power craft in next Sunday's
Sports Magazine
PUBLIC tOM& LEDGER
Order From Your Dealer Today
IS
1
EVENING LEDGER MOVIES THAT MAY BE TRUE ENOUGH, LYCURGUS, BUT THE GAME IS ON THE SQUARE
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