- Stung by Pennant Bee
- Pitching of Polly Perritt and Three Successive Victories Over the League Leaders Bring the Championship Pie Within Sight of Local Players.
- No living man can complain about the work of Sal, Doak and Perritt
- Cards’ Pitching Is A 1.
July 11, 1914 Age 23
By W. J. O’Connor St Louis Post Dispatch
WHEN Polly Perritt, who always has somewhat resembled a right-handed edition of Harry Sallee and who is now beginning to act the part, got rid of the Giants. Friday, a pennant bee swooped down upon Manager Huggins and stung him fiercely right on the bonnet. Hug still feels the effect of the attack.
For, be it known, should Perritt, who has pitched two bang-up games in succession, join Willie Doak and Old Master Sallee in dispensing that same brand of baseball which has been exhibited at Robison Field for the past three days, there may be an answer found for the question one of the Giants asked, to-wit: “If we don’t win the pennant, who can?”
The Cards have, or at least threaten to possess, two of the great essentials of a pennant contender: Pitching and speed. There is a fair amount of hitting ability in Miller, Wilson, Wingo, Snyder, Huggins and Magee, not to mention Old Cozy Dolan, first assistant hero of that conquest of Friday. There is some intelligent baseball concealed in the “conks” of Huggins, Miller and Magee: the club has only fair reserve strength in Riggert, Cruise. Charley Miller and Kenneth Nash, the eminent Senator from Waterbury.
Cards’ Pitching Is A 1.
Pitching Is the big do, just now, and no living man can complain about the work of Sal, Doak and Perritt. Perdue gives promise, although fat and almost forty, while Griner, Steele and Robinson, when he’s right, are all to the merry as reserve workman.
Huggins has the men stepping out nicely and the boys are playing the game as laid down by the little strategist. So what more can be asked?
There’s a big incentive for the Cardinals finishing on top. The lure of the world’s series gold, not to mention a 20 per cent split of the year’s profits, a bait that President Britton hung up at the start of the season, would make a championship club in this city net more to the players than any ever played anywhere on earth. A world’s series between the White Sox, for Instance, and the Cardinals, would undoubtedly stack up as the biggest money-getter in history.
And, by way of an aside, we might state that in case the Cardinals do get into the world’s series, the games will be played at Sportsman’s Park. Just bet your bankok on that.
Having got rid of the above wheeze, we wish to state that the final game of the current series with the champions of the Tener League will be staged this afternoon. Willie Doak, who whipsawed Mathewson in the opening game, will probably be sent back, while McGraw may retaliate with Big Six, who has lost his last three games – one in 1913 – on the local field.’
Matty doesn’t work on Sunday, and inasmuch as the Giants open in Chicago tomorrow, McGraw may deem It wise to use Old Ironsides in a vain attempt to bag at least one of the four battles. In case Matty is not named, the honors probably will fall on Schauer, a young right-hander who has yet to start a big league battle. Schauer has been with the team since midseason 1913. They say he’s a devil in his own home town. So trot him out, Mac.
The Cardinals took their third successive victory over the back-sliding champions of the pallid White Way. The score was 2-0 for McGraw’s men, who now hold first place by a comparatively scant margin of 2 1/2 games.
The deluxe play of the day was the final out made by Chief Wilson. Robertson hit a long liner to deep right center. Wilson raced to the fence, leaped high and speared the ball with his naked hand. It was a fitting climax for a thrilling game.