Evening star., 1897-03-06
Looking Over the Teams.

Close ard exciting struggles have marked
the for the championship of the Ma
tional League for the past two seasons.
The fight of 95 was Il better one than ,hat
of 90 but it is the belief of experts that
TIE season of % will De even better than
either of its exciting predecessors. Almost
every one has about come to the conclu-
sion that the coming season will be ban
T:er one for the big league This conclusion
IS reached on the belief that at least three
teams that cut very little figure il last
seasons struggle will very probably be fac
tors in the race from start 10 finish.
To start with. the Ealtimores. barring ac-
cidentS, should be just as formidable his
season as last The team looks to have
been strengthened at center. Du. they will
have to play better ball than they did last
year to win the pcnnant. because they
Will 50 against harder game than they
ever did before. Many of the friends of the
Orioles do not like the idea Of so many of
their stars getting married just previous 10
the opening of the season. but a few games
Will demonstrate whether the old reckless
spirit remains CT whether the responsibility
from being benedict will be a handicap
Cincinnati. Cleveland. Boston, New York
and Chicago ard possibly PHILADELPHIA will
Hakc the Face q decidedly warm one for
the Baltimore birds.
The Boston team should not be under
estimated. They were followed by a streak
OF bad luck last season, but iwo weeks
finding the entire team together and in
4
Lowe were off nearly all the time Break
| UP an infield and team. no matter how
| strong. Is gone. The chances are these two
! men viii be all right the coming season
| and little Duffy. who is IN a class almost
| SIDE by side with Deiehanty and Ianye.
| VIII very likely be in his old form as his
! heaith has been first class since the first
| OF the year Then the addition of the left
| haIider klcbedanZ makes Boston very
strong in the bcx. as Nichols and Stfve-ts
/ can hoid their own with the best. If the
internal dlssensions that first came to the
| surface IN lH!sJ have entirely disappeared
| aiid the indications are that they have. The
| Beaneaters will certainly be a strong prop.
| oslllon the coming season.
! ne New fOrks need only one star
pitcher to make the team a very strong
| one NO sleep need be lost over Stafford
| III lelt Held Jim is hard hitter. and
| sIueser can be several shades shy on
| neidinG II his stick work is all right STAT
ford was hurt last season. ard this fact
| snould not he lost sight of. The weakness
| pehihd the bat is more Imaginary than
di, as joyce can be depended upon to
| Keep up their nerve. ana the exhibitions
/ given in this city by Wilson Warner and
| Zearfoss were far from being of the ordi-
nary kind 4 good man to take Rusfe S
| place VIII place the Giants in the guessing
| CLASS They may finish up close or hang
! around the bottom of the first SIX
II those two grand pitchers, Young and
Cuppy, hold up the Spiders will be- as
usual, strong bidder for the pennant
IL Is very evenly balanced team outside
the pitchers box. but II has two of the
greatest pitchers in the league to support
| good team, with pitcher thar can do
ms part. makes hard games very easy
team can be a little shy on hitting and
base running and win ou; If a puZzlinp
pitcher is in the box. Bad pitching is an
| awful handicap.
| Where Will the Cincinnatis finish? That's
the question Captain Ewing recently
SAID: Il never make it a practice to in.
duise in any lofty predictions. Brag is a
\ hAd
team that We would finish better that sea
son than We did the season before. Las
| spring L said we would beat the recort
We made in 1895. and l believe that mex
year we Will finish better than we did this
As there We're only two teams ahead O.
us this season you can see that have ou
mark set very high for 1897. 1 have neve
claimed any pennant for teams that l man
aged. but II cannct be but n matter Of prid
= TO me that the New Yorks. while l wa
in charge not only won two pennants, bu
the worlds championship on Two differen
| occasions. 1 think the Reds for 1897 /
one of the strongest base ball aggrega
tiohs ever put together, ana that with ou
share of good luck we will not be far CT
from :hat Temple cup money
If Tommoy Corcoran can be brought int
| the fold and Will put forward his best en-
deavors there will no falling down mex
) | fall like the disastrous one last year
| Germany" Smiths want of nerve las
year drove the Reds out of first place an
demoralized the whole team. but Corcora
is not built that way. and II he can b
jollied into signing the Baltimore club wi
ind the Cinc:nnatis harder team to bea
: out than the Clevelands Add Breiteu
, stein % Corcoran and 1t will easily b
\ seen that the Reds have been strengthene
! more than any other team in the league.
[ The Chicago and Philadelphia clubs al
J the ores that may cause all sorts of tro,
( bile. This list takes in seven clubs and
( is good guesser. indeed, who can locat
, the club that will head the second division
( | Placing the clubs at the end of the seaso
\ is old proposition, and 1t rests entireI
! on the opinions of the different writer's. br
( IL makes good reading for the ayerae
\ base ball enthusiast From all the info
! nation obtainable and a rearrangement
/ the dope book the teams should com
- under the wire next fall in about the TO
loving order: Cincinnati, Boston, Balt
more. Cleveland. New York. Chicago Phi
ic adelphia: Pittsburg. Washington, Brool
Il lyn. Louisville and st. Louis.