The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-04-08
GRIFFITH is READY
MANAGER OF WHITE sOX is WAIT.
ING FOR THE STARTING
BELL
TEAM BETTER THAN OLD ONE
Little Pitcher Compares His Line
Up With the other CIubs-Is-
bell Considered
Il Star.

EXCELSIOR SPRINGS, April 7-ChI-
cago's baseball champions have been IN
training week and if the season began
this afternoon they would be ready.
Every man is in good condition and eager
to begin a strenuous course of work ana
now all stiffness and soreness have dis
appeared. Kinks have been smoothed out
Of arms and legs, back muscles have be-
come accustomed TO STOPPING and eyes
have been cleared ready for the benders.
NO Chicago team was ever in better
physical condition at the close Of the first
weeks work. said Manager Griffith.
THE men reported in good shape and as
a consequence more progress has been
made than is usual The weather has not
been at all to our liking, too much rain
having fallen, but good use has been made
of the time spent out of DOORS
Manager Griffith is never very sanguine,
preferring 60 wait until later to make pre-
dictions, but he says now that the Chicago
white stockings is the finest, fastest and
best balanced baseball team in the coun-
try. This means that in his estimation the
team Is the best in he American league
and he thinks it will win the pennant If
injuries do not occur. In regard to this
he said: Our team Is better one than
last year. 1t is not only better but it is
better, too in comparison with the other
last year, but l think that Cominskey has
succeeded in making the greatest improve
ment. AS a whole we outstrip every club
in the league in outielders. infelders and
catchers There is no doubt about our re-
ceivers. We have the finest pair in the
whole circuit. There is nothing that can
beat US in this department. Then our
pitchers-well, we can hold St. Louis.
Philadelphia, Brooklyn and Boston about
even.
Perhaps day after day we will be able
to put better man in the box than any
Of them, but it is, think not too much to
say that their stars outstrip our stars. We
have In Isbell a man whom l consider to
be the best first-baseman in the league.
and we also have the best shortstop. In
all-around work DAILY IS just as reliable
as is La Joie, although the latter is recog-
nized as the best ball player in the coun-
try. At third We have Strang and
there are but two other third basemen in
the league who are any better These
men are McGraW and Collins, and neither
Of them can outstrip him in running bases
Then look at the outfeld. St. Louis
with Heidrick, Burdett and DaYy Jones
mas a good one, l know, and SO has Phil
adelphia with Fultz lIartsel and Flick
but can these Elel beat cut Green
Mertes and Jone52 The three "A hite
Stocking helders stole 12e bases last
year, Jones had q batting average Of
1925, Mertes $50 and Green $40 That is
something which is hard to beat and
am satisfied that if injuries do lot de-
prive US of good men at critical times
we will land the penant once more.
Who is going to give us the closest
rub? Gentlemen, there are five teams in
this pennant race which is about to be-
gin, and each one Of them has a chance
to cop The one I fear most, though,
is st. Louis, and 1 don't like the looks
of Philadelphia much either. The Ath-
letics have a formidable appearance. Be-
ginning behind the bat we have the tct-
ter Of st. Louis-for Sullivan and Eddie
Mcfarland can't be beaten. Joe Sugden
is not the man he used to be. Douglass
is afflicted with a throwing arm and Ma
Ioney is as yet an untried quantity @ho
may be star or who may not be worth
his salt. McAleer's weakest spot is at
the receiving end, and he know it, as
well as does anybody else. The Browns
! pitchers and ours are pretty evenly ball
anced. st. Louis has Powell, Sudhof,
Donohue, Tasting, Reidy and Harper. It
does not take man very wise in base
ball lore to see that this is an aggre-
CATION which is not to be treated light
". But our twirlers are, l think, az
good. although a shade In favor of Nc
Aieer's men might not be amiss.