Damon Runyon
The Chronicle-Telegram/October 25, 1911
Win Fourth Game of World’s Series From Giants
Baker, Murphy and Davis Make Doubles Off New York’s Star Pitcher, Mathewson
And now the coroner gently takes himself into the house where the body was found and starts inquesting, while the members of the Prophets’ association, dispossessed of their quiet seats, step around the corner, still arguing that it must have been due to cyanide of base hits and endeavoring to prove by sums in arithmetic that 40 per cent. of the gross is only 20 less than 60.
In the fourth inning of the tragedy at Shibe Park yesterday afternoon, Mr. J. Franklin Baker, Mr. Daniel Murphy and old Mr. Harry Davis, all of Philadelphia, stepped lightly to the bat and cuffed Mr. Christy Mathewson three separate and distinct blows, each buffet counting, one way and another, for two bases and eventually resulted in a total of three runs. The Giants were beaten in the fourth game of the world’s series, 4 to 2.
The college cry of Philadelphia is said to be three snores and a gurgle, but it must be admitted that the noise which followed the rotations of Messrs. Baker, Murphy and Davis amounted to a veritable outcry.
The scene shifts to the Polo Grounds tomorrow with presumably Marquard’s last shot at the Mack crowd. There are some Giant rooters able to lift their heads tonight and say that the Gotham boys will go on and take three straight games. But the friends of those persons may rest assured that they are in good hands and will be gently but firmly led to the next train bound for home.
The world’s champions had to rip their way through a two-run lead held by the greatest pitcher in the world to win this afternoon. The Giants tore into Albertus, Bender, the Chippewa chief, before he could get his familiar smile fixed upon his bronze features, and grabbed two runs. Then for two innings Mathewson turned the champions back one by one and the Gotham delegations seated in the stands smiled cheerfully and talked about the possibilities of a second game series.
Two runs to Mathewson is usually an unsurmountable barrier for any club, and the big, fair haired fellow seemed to have all his speed working smoothly. Bender clearly got away on the wrong foot, but he dropped into his old groove after that troubled first and went booming along with his blonde rival. Then the Athletics forged to the front.
The Giants hung on and made a good, game fight. They deserve a great deal of credit. They have made this so far the greatest world’s series ever contested and if they should accomplish the apparently impossible now, and still take the series, then indeed must they be accounted a wonderful team.
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