The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1908-06-21
'CLOSKEY'S WOES.
St. Louis Nationals Badly In Need
of Seasoned Players.
HAS GOOD PITCHERS GALORE

Willing to Trade Any One of Them For
Crack lnfieIder or outfielder to Steady
His Team-Tried to Get Lohert, the
Reds lnfielder.
Manager John McCloskey Of the St
Louis Nationals is having his troubles
Many of the Mound City critics are
prone to deride Mack, all because his
kid" team is not playing first class
ball.
The great trouble with McCloskey
has been that his infelders are too
young He is suffering from too many
kids" Mack would give some of his
seasoned pitchers If he could get a
seasoned man of thirty for his infeld
Where will he get the infelders?
Echo answers. "WhereW But with a
couple of clinking pitchers to trade in
the National league a man should be
able to do some business. Every team,
save Chicago, wants pitchers. Nc
Closkey needs good shortstop to
steady his team. But where can he
get shortstop? How many of them
are there in the National league?
Pittsburg would not part with Wag-
ner under any consideration Phila-
delphla would not let Doolin go.
Tinker is not obtainable The others
-Dahlen, Bridwell, Hulswitt, Lewis
would not be of any use to strengthen
the team or to run an infeld. For a
shortstop McCloskey is up against it.
McCloskey also needs an outfielder
Of the Fielder Jones or Fred Clarke
sort Even Il man like Dayy Jones Of
the Detroits, with leading qualities,
would be a treasure to McCloskey He
could trade a pitcher for such a man
But where is the man in the National
league? Arthur Hoffman of the Chi.
cago Cubs would do in either position
McCloskey can afford to give up
great pitcher like Karger for Hoffman
But. then, the Cubs do not need Kar-
ger. They do need Hoffman So what
ean you do? For another good man
he could give up another good pitcher
But where is the man?
With his great pitching staff, with
The weakness of pitchers of all other
clubs save Chicago, McCloskey might
Dc able to do something in the way of
,rade. Yet could lie get Arthur DeVlln
FOR Karger or Joe Tinker for Raymond
)r for Karger? McGraw's pitching
staff at present is very weak. Yet
would he trade DevIin for the best
pitcher in the league? Hardly. DevIin |
s all McGraw has to trade. PIttsburg
las not much in the pitching line Yet
you'd Clarke trade Wagner Or Leach |
or the best Of McCloskey's twirlers?
PhiladeIphia's pitching staff is not |
'ery strong. But Murray probably |
you'd deride the offer Of Karger for
Sherwood Magee
The Bostons have not any ln6elders
" outfielders to trade that would help |
lack any. Hans Lobert Of Cincin.
latl, whom Mack tried to get ex
hanged for McGIynn and Beebe,
would have strengthened the team,
'ut still Mack should have a veteran to
teady the out aud in field.
Pitchers are said to be G5 per cent of
baseball teams strength. Eighty per
ent of perfect team would win the
championship. If McCloskey could add
> per cent more strength to his team
e would probably nave nearly a pen
ant winner He cannot even get Is
er cent, which would give him posi-.
ion in the first division.
In other words, outside of his team
itchers, McCloskey has a weak tea.a
tlllch, it must be admitted, is bar
lcK.