Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 141, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 June 1919 — WINNING HURLER IS PENNANT CONTENDER [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

WINNING HURLER IS PENNANT CONTENDER

So Declares John McGraw, Mali- . ager of New York Giants. Hugo Bezdek, Leader of Pirates, Declares Club Must Have More Than One Winning Pitcher—Problem Open for Discussion. Baseball managers do not lamp the possibilities of a ball club in the same manner. * At the January powwow in New York, some of the major league pilots were discussing pennants and pennant Chances. John McGraw of New-Ydrk'started a live discussion vdien he declared one winning pitcher o*l make- a flag contender out of an otherwise mediocre club. McGraw’s views were shared by some of the leaders, but Hugo Bezdek of the Pittsburgh Pirates does not accept the McGraw .dogma. * McGraw pointed to the success of the Giants when he had none other than Matthewson to depend upon for mound duty. He also recalled the

Washington club’s success each season for the last few years with only Walter Johnson to star on the rubber. These cases, according to McGraw, are good grounds for his argument. Bezdek declared a ball club must have something more than good pitching from one pitcher, and he backs his argument with the story of Wilbur Cooper’s work for the Pirates last ‘ season. Cooper lost nearly all of his games by one run simply because the Pirates did not have the necessary punch to aid him with a run or two, says Bezdek, and the speech sounds reasonable, too. The argument was not ended in the one session, but there is much evidence on both sides that is deserving of serious consideration. McGraw’s

contention that a winning pitcher gives a club 25 irer cent, more confidence may be logical, but as Bezdek said. “It’s a tough proposition to ask one pitcher to keep a club in the race, and any manager who follows this course is traveling on a narrow path.” Like many more problems in baseball, this one was made for discussion.

John McGraw.

Hugo Bezdek.