Evening star., 1902-02-01
TEAMS SIZED UP.
Western Critic Analyses PLAYING
Strength of American League.
from the st. Louis Republic

Western Critic Analyses Playing
Strength of American League.
From the st. Louis Republic.
From the list Of players signed by the
American League clubs, as promulgated by
Ban Johnson. 1t APPEARS that Chicago and
Philadelphia may have a runaway race fol
the championship, with Boston and Detroit
tagging along. h'e'>o z -.
Chicago has Griffrh, Callahan. Garyin,
katoll, Skopeck and Patterson for pitchers,
Mcfarland and Sullivan for catchers, IsbelI,
/, DAILY. Davis and Strong in the infeld and
Jones, Mertes and tfireen in the outfield,
The team is strong in the batteries, strong
in the infield and strongin the outfield.
Strong, Mertes and Green are the weak sis
ters Of the nine. The first cannot bat and
tn the last two are nott.sswf1as might be called
Philadelphia signed Frazer, Bernhard,
Plank and Duggiesby for pitchers; Steel
man and Powers, catchers; Davis. I.aioje.
Monte Cross and "I,aYe'a cross for the in
field. and Hartsel, Fuitz and Flick for the
oatfieid The teams strength lies m it's
batting and the work Of its inffeiders The
pitchers are not high-water mark and Steel
man mas long way to go before he be-
comes frst-cfass catcher. Hartsel is an
outheider of only average ability, Fultz an
experiment and Flick none too certain
What the players lack in fielding ability
IN their batting. and the pitcher who meets
the team when it has one of its good days
will wish himself sunk in the Schuylkiu be-
fore the game is three innings old
Not Up to Pittsburg Standard.
Neither the Chicago team nor the Phila-
delphia team Is up to the standard of the
present Pittsburg team of the Natioaal
League, or up to that of the former Brook
iyn champions, Boston champions or Bal
t1more champions.
Boston has Young, Winter, Dineen, Prem
tlce and Williams, pitchers; Warner and
Criger, catchers; LaChance, Ferris, Parent
and Collins In the infieId. and Hickman
stahl and F'reemanyin In the outfleld This
team is strong in pitchers unless Cy Young
has reached the limit of his effectiveness:
strong behind the bat II Criger is not ill
two-thlrds of the time; strong at third base
ana shortstop, and weak In the outfield,
though good at the bat. 1t does not rat
up ike team of championship caliber.
MeGraw has signed McGinnity. Howell,
Hughes. Foreman and Nops to pitch; Rob-
inson. Bresnahan and Erickson to catch;
MeGann. Williams, Gilbert and McGraw
Tor the inf1eld and Kelly, Selbach, DonIin
and Seymour for the -outfeld McGinnfty
is an exploded phenomenon. Without
strong fielding team behind him he cannot
make the record he did when a Brooklyn
player. The catching department is only
fair; the infield is erratic and the outfield.
unless Kelly plays there, Is merely an aver
age combination. ,ls.
Detroit has Miller, Sievers, Yeager, Null
Inns. Mercer and Crystal for pitchers, Casey
ana Elperfleld for the inf1eld and Harley
Barrett and Holmes for the outield. There
Is more real American League blood in the
team than in any in the circuit 1t Is one
OF those organizations that, as rule, are
quite certain to give the spectators value
received in the shape of a lively game, but
When II comes to finish the players will
propaeiy be found tagging far behind the
band wagon.
Pitchers for ST. Louis Team
In st. Louis they have signed Powell,
Sudhoff. Donohue and Reidy for pitchers.
Harper is claimed. but he certainly signed
a National League contract. and 1t remains
to see how the dispute Is settled The
catchers are Douglass, Maloney and an un-
known. The infeiders are Anderson, Pad
den, Wallace and Friel: the outfielders,
Burkett. Heidrick and Mcfarland Frank
de Haas Robson has In his possession per-
sonar tWo-Sear contracts with. Wallace and
Heidrick. and 1t win be interesting to see
II they can break them.,1 .,,- g,se5 So
Washington's list sincludes Carrick. Lee.
Orth. Patten and !; Townsend pitchers;
Coughlin, Wolvertoa,. Keister and Ely, in
helders; Deiehantys sbG Gettman and Ryan,
outneiders; 1t is prpbablx the most pro-
nounced all-aged team In the league.
CleFelands list is Wright, Moore and
Scott, pitchers; Wood. CATCHER; Schrecken-
gnost Bonner. BradIay and Shay. infielders;
Mccarthy, Pickering, and Harvey, outfleld-
Cleveland club of last year, If two or three
more men equally stgong are signed there is
in eighth place.