Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-02-24

per, but It's ability to win games ends right
there The Cleveland pitching staff-Joss,
Rhoades, Hess and Bernhard-are not in
the young class any more, and they GER
tainly pitched star ball last season. 1t is
foregone conclusion that their work will
not be improved on, and the chances are
that at least two of them will go back. The
great shortstop Turner, was wonder last
year, but he will be lucky to play within
% per cent of last years speed. Then the
great mistake was made of leaving out
Rossman, winning player in every de-
partment of the game, and these defects
will just about take the edge off Of the
Blues and land them in fourth place. The
questions of salaries will play no part, and
every one will start the season satisfied
with his contract, but the team will never
again play the wonderful ball it did last
summer, before SO many injuries knocked
out it's best men.
The Chicago club can be depended upon
to put up it's well-known steady game
throughout the season. and the team to.
beat the White Sox out will have to show
something superior to last seasons per-
formances. No matter how much you finger
the dope" sheets, the New York aggre
cation has the CLASSY look of an even
money choice in any of the big handf-
caps on the metropolitan tracks. The
Highlanders made one of the gamest fin
ishes on record last season and worked
up into second place through sheer grit.
The pitching force is only ordinary, but
throw in a little luck in that department.
class-the New Yorks should be able to
wear down all opponents by the 1st Of
September and anble home alone there
after. The Athletics cannot be considered
a factor any more as Bender. Plank and
Waddel will never again pitch the ball
they did in 1908, and that cavity around
the third sack will take several years to
fill up.
The two dark horses are Detroit and st.
Louis. Transfer the Wolverines to city like
Washington Philadelphia, where they
would be appreciated in the home games,
and they would be up around the leaders
throughout the season. The teams greatest
weakness is behind the bat, as it requires an
old timer to get the best work out of Null
lin, Killian and Donovan, great trio of
twirlers. The st. Louis outfit was certainly
the goods last season as Manager Nc
.Aleer got his boys working together, but the
little weakness at third and the one position
in the outfield kept the team out of aristo-
cratic company. Had Manager McAleer COB
bled up Jimmy Barrett instead of Ollie
Pickering the team would have been
strengthened materially in the outfield but
the latter lacks the head work necessary for
player on a pennant winning team and
this will be demonstrated before the sea-
son Is many weeks old. Pete O'Brien will
be all right at third, as he did we'll there
toward the end of the season, but the
greatest improvement came from himself
as he settled down and took good care of
himself. Here's hoping that Pickering will
make good and that the Browns l1nd the
nag II 1Or no OCDeF reason imam C1dC JIM
my McAleer is a prince of good fellows and
one of the whitest among the white.
The general consensus of the wise
newspaper boys is that the Washington
club will bring up the rear, and right here
is where Joe Cantillon steps to the front
with his well-known order of ''heads up"
The Nationals played great ball at times
last year, but the tendency to quit af-
pox and games went by the board with
woeful regularity. This quitting microbe
has been banished from the Washington
club once for all, and any player showing
signs of the disease will go over the fence
instanter. No matter what quality of ball
the players put up they must stick to their
guns to the very last, and Manager Cantii-
Ion has passed the word along that he will
put an entire new team on the field If nee
essary to secure this sort of men. Then,
again, there will be no more of that lament
able work by the umrires whereby the
Nationals We're given the worst of about
three out of every four close decisions.
Manager Cantillon will be there to watch
everything, the umpires will be on to
this fact, and as a result fair play will
rule.
Notwithstanding the general consensus
The Star places the Washingtons at the
head of the second division. 1t will be a
hard climb on account of the general
strength in the American League but we
have enough confidence in Manager Cam
tllon and the Washington players to be-
lieve they will turn the trick this year.
Value Of "Inside" Ball.
In the opinion of Grantland Rice the
Cleveland scribe, several wads of good, live
ly dope have been sprung recently regard
Ing the merits and dement's of so-called
inside BALI with the value of so-called
expert coaching on the side. Bill Bradley
opines that inside ball." so named is all
bosh, or words to that effect. Hughey Jen-
nings rushes into print with the contra
dictory opinion that inside balP' is every
thing, and then some. Now for the meat
of the whole business Each teams object
i've point is the pennant, and, failing in this,
as high place upon the ladder as possible.
The main point Is how to get there. The
opinion which we gently advance Is that
winning base ball bloometh best upon that
base ball vine which carries a heady catch
er and a staff of high-grade slabmen,
backed up-by team which combines the
largest element of ability, common sense,
and good luck You can call 1t all inside
base BALI IL you want to, but when You sift
it down there's nothing left but plain,
hard-headed common sense When ball
player is able to draw major league salary
and have his name inscribed upon a major