The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-12-25
GIANTS FIRST.
Forecast of How the National
League Teams Stand.
Are the Greatest Deals in the
Baseball History.
BOSTON PROFITS MOST.
Pittsburg's Chances Lessened
for Second Place.
Cincinnati Really Looks Like 1t
Has a Show.


meeting, and figures as to the strength
of the clubs interested must be rad
| ically altered to fit the new condition
of affairs. So important were the
changes that they affected the prob
able positions of every team in the
league, barring New York, the Giants
still appearing to have enough of a
lead on present form to land another
9ennant.
Trades at the meeting. or immedi-
ately before and after it. were prob
ably the most extensive and sweeping
/ in the history of the league. No less
than an even dozen players changed
hands, and nearly every one OF the lot
was man of more than ordinary
ability Among those who figured in
the deals were Brain, Howard, O'NeHl,
Prefer, Moran, Willis Lfndaman Ma
loney, Casey, Sheckard, Mccarthy
and Briggs, and it would be impossible
to write a correct history of baseball
in the last few years without giving
the most of them prominent mention
So important are the trades that even
the experts cannot agree as to whether
some of the teams were weakened or
strengthened by the deals.
Boston Is Stronger.
Boston looks to have proited most
by the trades. Boston was lamentably
weak last season, and it looks as
though the National had come to the
conclusion that it would be well to
strengthen up Tenney'S tribe The
trade which looks the most favora Bile I
to Boston is the one of Willis for
fSrain, Howard and Lindamann. Drey-
fuss gave Philadelphia a boost last
season when he sent Rrans6eId and
Kruger to that club, and the last trade
makes it look as though he had done
Boston a friendly turn also. Two first
class men and a promising young
pitcher is a pretty high figure to paw
nit n rfara
sidered one of the best pitchers in the
league.
What the effect will be remains to
be seen. Pittsburg is confident that
1t has the material to fill the holes
made, but to an outsider this is doubt
full. Tommy Leach. of course, will
take Brains place a third, but it is
doubtful whether Leach is a better
player than Brain, and the club will
have to hunt for long time to dis
cover substitute as good as Brain. |
Nealon is. of course, expected to take
care of first base, but it is taking a
long chance to rely on a yOungster to |
play championship major league ball
his first season in big league company. |
Pittsburg critics consider Howard one
of the best youngsters picked up last
season, and his batting was phenom-
email, as he hit at a .292 clip Linda |
mann has shown nothing in major
league company as yet, so he is not of |
great importance in the deal. Willis |
the man secured for the three players, |
is a heady, clever pitcher. and he will /
do good work for Pittsburg. where /
pitchers were sadly needed. last season. |
but, at the same time, he can hardly /
be ranked in the first flight OF tWiriers /
Under the circumstances, it looks as
though Boston had the best of the |
deal.
Chicago's trade with Boston also looks |
to have helped Tenney's team. O'Nefl |
and Pfeffer go to make rafting good |
battery. O'NeiI is a. high-class catcher, /
barring his light batting, while Pfeffer I
looked like coming pitcher last season. I
He is a husky chap and has everything /
that goes toward making a first class |
pitcher, except experience. He was green |
and rough last season, but when he gets /
more polish should be winner. Moran I
is a high class catcher. He probably has /
a better head than O'NeiIl when 1t /
comes to helping out a pitcher and on /
inside work, but O'Neill has it on him /
when it comes to throwing to catch base |
runners and in getting four flies When |
it comes to batting, Moran has ~ points /
the best of it, as he hit at .240 clip last /
season, while O'Neill went but 1913, and /
this is probably the strongest reason /
why Chicago made the trafie.
Sheckard the Star.
At first glance the trade between Chi |
cagO and Brooklyn also looks bad for I
the Cubs but on a closer examination /
the deal appears more favora bic to the |
Cubs. In Sheckard Chicago has landed !
one of the real stars of the game. some /
thing hard to obtain at any price these
days. Most of the fans have an erron- |
eous impression that Sheckard is an old (
man because he has been a star in base |
ball for a number of years. Such is not |
the case, however, as Sheckard is
younger than Maloney, his age being /
close to 26- Outside of having the rep |
utation of being a somewhat hard man |
to manage, Sheckard has no faults and |
he can find a place on any team in the |
country today. In return for Sheckard /
Chicago gave MalOney, Casey. Mccarthy |
and Br1ggS. MalOney IS the star of the |
lot. Last season he was a leader in /
base running in the National league and /
considered one of the fastest men in |
the league. Sheckard outbatted him /
thirty-tWo points, however. the figures /
of the two men being .292 and .26O. |
Sheckard's batting is more effective
than that Of MalOney, as it is harder
and more timely. In stolen bases Ma
Ioney made over twice as good a record !
as Sheekard, the former purloining /
fifty-nine bases. while the latter stole /
twenty-three. On sacrifice hits the two /
were even. OF the other men in the trade /
Casey has seen his best day and is going |
back. Mccarthy is but an average out /
fielder and Briggs but an ordinary |
pitcher
Stronger in Batting.
What Chicago was after was more |
batting and it looks like Chance has /
succeeded in getting that. He had but /
little use for Casey after he secured /
Steinfeldt. as this latter is the better /
player all around. Hence Casey was /
practically dead wood on his hands. /
Briggs was also of but little use, as the /
Chicago pitching staff is strong enough |
without him. In the outfield Chicago
viii have Sheckard, Sebring, Schultz |
and Slagle, and this lineup viii be hard /
to improve on. Under the csrcumstan-