Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-10-08
TIM MURNANE'S CHAT

Perhaps there is nothing more distressing
TO base ball community than to realize
the breaking up of a great base ball team.
This season 1t comes home to Boston for
the sixth time since the game planted
professionally In this city, and never more
s, than at the present time.
With practically the same men who won
two pennants. Boston started out this
spring reinforced with eight young finds
from the smaller organizations. not one
o: whom proved fast enough for the Amer
lean League. The club falling back on the
old players. who slowed up, and with Pitch
ers out of shape. soon had Boston down and
out, with a knotty problem to solve for
next season.
A general shake-up of a winning ball
team is always a losing play and the wise
manager makes changes very slowly in this
way, holding the tried player until the
youngster has made good in earnest Two
splendid examples of keeping team to-
gether has been shown by Charley Comis-
key and Connie Mack. The infusion of
young blood into those clubs has ever been
slow outside the box men, and the result is
both clubs have made good for years.
1t those well-handled ball teams that
put the champs out of the running this
season, as they won thirty-one games from
Boston out of forty-four played. Boston
lost forty games by one run, the majority
as the result OF more speedy base runners
than Boston could furnish, showing that
when the long drives were cut out II was
run the bases or make less runs and stand
ieieat Players growing Older naturally
low up in their running, but a good bats
nan has always something on the pitcher
and teams will bunt hits and run and work
all round wrinkles TO score runs, but the
Boston club never for one moment changed
its tactics. but kept plugging away AT
the same old style of play and was noSed
out in consequence as the other players
took advantage of weakness
Old campaigners like Comiskey and Mack
were not slow to discover where Boston
had lost ground
A small army of youngsters has been pick
ed up by the club for next season. but they
must show much better than the youth of
last season to help out. and it takes even
good ones to be given a fair trial.
The great players of the Boston club to-
day are Criger. the finest catcher in the
world in my mind; Cy Young, good as
ever; Billy Dineen, who should be able to
repeat next season; Tannehill the prince
o. left-handers; Collins. Parent and Ferris
Here are seven first-class ball players, but
1t will take seven more to win a pennant
in The American League. Good use can be
made of Winter, Armbruster, Stahl and
Freeman. The two last named are game
To the core and haYe good influence among
the other players. Freeman can be re-
tanned as an extra outfielder, while Chick
Stahl must move over to right field and
give centerield to sprinting outfielder.
Stahl has grown heavy and finds running
after long drives a killing proposition but
the right fields are usually short, and Chick
originally a rightfelder. Stahl is
prime favorite and has done great work
foT Boston pennant winners.
A fine new catcher must be developed, at
least two more up-to-date pitchers, willing
TO work and two outfieldeTs. Goodwin, the
Three-Eye man, has shown great speed but
looks rather light with the stick, yet he
may do, as he has the speed, a most es-
sential thing for the roomy grounds in this
city, Burkett says he has money and will
quit this fall. He does not quite fill the BILL
although having played good ball of late.
Burkett never played with a pennant win
ner and 1 doubt if he would If he played
for thirty years. Jessie has been properly
named the crab In many ways Rurkett
Is an interesting character, and off the
field not q bad fellow, but once in uniform
he has an eye out for the fans retorts, ever
ready to give some uncalled-for remark
and make himself unpopular. These sort
Of players are a handicap to the ball bust
ness and impossibility of a champion
ship team.
Had Boston continued to play the same