Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-03-18
TOsS-UP FOR SIX
AMERICAN TEAMS
Half a Dozen Pennant Possibili-
ties in the League in Com
ing Base Ball Season.
BY JACOB C. MORSE.

The great success of the American League
has been largely due to the marvellous I'M
certainty that has attended it's champion
ship struggles ever since the circuit includ-
ed eastern clubs-a story Of five campaigns.
Three clubs nave won pennants during that
period-the Chicago White Sox once, the
Athletics OF Philadelphia and the Bostuns
each twice.
Last season it was Il great struggle be-
tween the Athletics and the White Sox,
the latter making most magnificent show
ing, and their record OF II wins in j.
games. six with the Boston Americans,
will be n record that will stand for many.
many campaigns to come and the chances
are will never be beaten. as it Is most I'M
likely that postponed games viii ever pile
up again they did last season.
When it came to the worlds series the
Athletics had good pitchers, hut no Math-
ewson. Even if Rube Waddell had been all
right it is doubtful indeed if ne would have
prevailed over Christy. When Boston went
against Pittsburg in 1903 the latter went
down for lack of pitchers to cope with the
Boston corps
Boston had bad year last year 1t was
most disappointing to the fans, but things
look brighter this year. The pitching corps
Is a remarkable one, and ought to do con-
siderable mischief.
The knowing think that Mack Will find 1t
difficult to replace Lave Cross, while Wash
ington Will lind IN him most important
adjunct. His accession to the Washingtons
is sure to help every player on the team,
but no one more than Manager Stahl
himself Cross Is sure to act as n .teader
to the Washington manager Stahl has had
no one upon whom he could depend he
can upon Cross, who Will doubtless be of the
greatest help to his chief in many ways.
Washington will have a quartet of excel
lent batsrnen in Cross, Anderson, hickman
and Stahl. 1t Is most unfortunate indeed
that handicap should be encountered thus
early in the season in the Illness of Short
stop Cassidy, but some good man viii be
, turned over to the club who will HI in &c
ceptably. Washington started out with Il
rush last season, and the query is How
about 1902" General Manager Ben Minor
seems to have hit it when he said: I'VE
will show the other chaps that we are IN
the game all the time
That's the spirit that brings results There
Is doubt at all that Washington VIII
have an earnest lot that Will play ball for
all they are worth all of the time. Wash
lngton has very capable pair of back
stops in kittredge and Heydon. Kit" is
a veteran of veterans but he is one of the
hardest workers in the sport and plays
ball for all he is worth all of the time Hey
don is one of the best youngsters behind
the bat today and was a most fortunate
accession to the team.
In the American race as usual one finds
the clubs better mated than in the National
No one would think of picking out St
Louis as a pennant probability, or Wash
ington. for that matter. but there are six
clubs that are sure to make most tlesper-
ate struggle for first place. New York will
make several changes, and changes are at
tended with more or less uncertainty. 1t
generally takes time to knit men together
who are new to each other.
Cleveland has been Il favorite with many
for years, but faith in that team has been
shaken considerably by its failure to land
year after year. Manager Lajoie feels very
confident this year that it VIII be Cieve-
lands, but it is the feeling generally that
the club Is not capable of the sustained
effort that is predicated of a pennant win
ner
The Washingtons remain closes to their
home than any one of the sixteen major
league teams. Last reason their visit 10
Charlottesville. Va. was attended with such
good results that they are trying shat place
is not so enerYG1ng as 1t is In spots further
south where the thermometer has already
mounted into the seventies. As a result the
men do not tire so easily and can do more
work.
The exhibition games will begin to wax
thick and fast during this week. The Bos-
ton Americans will try conclusions four
times during the week with the Macon ag-
gregation of Manager Perry Lipe of the
South Atlantic League The Chicago White
Sox are at New Orleans. For the first time
this season there will be an interchange of
games between the American and National
teams, the Detroits and Brooklyns meeting
at Augusta this week
The New York Nationals will forsake
Memphis and move on to Nashville while
the New York Americans will continue their
stay III Birmingham and tackle the South
ern League club of that city.