The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-03-18
Baseball Prophets Think Boston Has
Rather the Best of the
Start
Some of the Hub Stars Have Be-
come Much Dimmed by Dis
sipation.
Where tho Various Clubs Are Weak and
Where They Are Strong-Division
of Players.

CHICAGO. March 1.-THE baseball cranks
are getting restless. The daily reports of
practice games in the south make them
feel hungry for the real article on the home
grounds. Never in the history Of tho game
has the race for the psnnant promised bet
ter. Tho infusion of association blood
into the new league has caused n wide ya1i-
anae of opinion in regard to the relative
merits of the various teams, and each city
is claiming championship honors for it's
club. The majority of prophets seem to
favor Boston's chances for the pennant
from the fact that its team is made up of
an aggregation of stars. Fast experience
has shown that such combinations do not
produce the best results on the field, as wit
ness the Chicago Brotherhood CLUB Of TIVE
years ago, and last years New York club.
Boston has q busy time ahead Of it keeping
harmony in it's team. Kelly. Nash and
Duffy were all captains last season and men
who have once had authority are not
likely to submit kindly to orders from
one Of their fellow-plavers. Then be
sides the Boston team is not over
strong after all. II made q fatal mis-
take in prsferring Tucker to Brouthers at
first base, leaving a badly balanced inteld
in both batting and fielding ability. Qninn
at second base cannot handle d ball on his
right hand side, and as q results Long IS
kept close to second base all the timc.
leaving a big hole between third base and
short-stop. The outfield is q fair one only.
Duffy, great as he is as q run Retter and
batsman, is not a brilliant fielder and
Stoyey and Lows cannot be rated as brst-
class felders. whatever their other accom-
plisnments may he. Tho club is strong in the
box and just as weak behind the bat. Kelly
will not fit himself to play the game he is
CAPABLE Of, and Bennett and Camel have
outlived their usefulness. Then, too. the
pitching strength may disappear after the
season is we'll under way. Staley was re-
leased from Pittsburg last year on account
of his habits, Clarkson has been dlssi-
pating so heavily shis winter that he has
lost his position ~ coach Of the Harvard
team, and Stivetts WAS several times sus-
pended last year by Won der Abe on account
of his drinking. These men could easily
bring the team to the foot OF the champion
ship ladder by lack of caro- of themselves.
While manv affect to believe that New
York will net be in the race. it need sur
plAAc AO "A Al lAU 4IA A"A0 q Y
showing thar they did last year. Their
outfield remains the same, and while their
infield has suffered, they have been
strengthened behind the bat and in the
box. Ewing should be as useful s man as
Conner at irst base, and Lyons at third is
81 vast Improvement over Bassets as . holder
and batter. Fuller Is not, up to Glssscock's
standard, and no one can be secured to hll
Richardson's place at second. In the box
the club will be strong. Russie and King
are two as good pitchers as tho leage pos
sesses, and the club has Sharrott, Wslch,
and probably John Ewing to draw on, be-
sides 4 youngster or two. In Boyle the
club has one of the bes. eatohsrs in ths
United States. 1t has oil the whole an
evenly balanced team that will take a deal
of beating.
Brooklyn has been strengthened some,
but il still weak in vital points. 1t has
little strength in the box, has a slow and
uncertain outfteld, barring Griffin, aud il
not strong behind the bat.
Philadelphia is weak in the box, while
Baltimore and Washington have badly
balanced teams. Baltimore particularly
seems to be the weakest team in the league
In the west there are some strong anc
some weak points in the circuit, the strong
ones being Chicago and Cincinnati. Tht
be in the race all the time, and Comiskey
will keep the Cincinnati cutters playing
ball all the time, something they have
needed for years. Cleveland will lack Nit.
ting ability, and might be stronger in thu
box, but for all that has a fast club tina
may be- a factor in the race. On play
ing strength Pittsburg would have
chance, but will be dreadfully handicapped
by its famous directory and equally famou
baseball writer's, each ons of whom consti
tutes himself an assistant manager at tn
beginning Of each season. It has been til
suggestions of these managers that hav
kept Pittsburg in the rear these man,
years.
st. Louis and Louisville have teams that
while they may prove troublesome to in
dividual clubs, can hardly be factors in til,
race.
Looking forward it would seem that Ne,
York, Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, Gin
einnati and Brooklyn have ths best of TIL
division of players. but some startling re
veraals of public form may result before til
playing season is very old. Teams on pa
per and teams in the field are two difieren
bodies entirely.
whisky Firms in Trouble.