The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-02-20
SECOND DIVISION
MANAGERS MODEST
IN FORECASTING
Have Learned AbSurdity
of Coming FanS-Can-
tilIon Sensible.
By THOMAS S. RICE.

Now is the season Of the year when
fhe gallus baseball manager tells the
newspaper men and the public exactly
how and why his team viii win the
pennant.
Hughey Jennings is among the first
in the field with his pick of Detroit
and New York FOR first and second.
and Washington for eighth. Connie
Mack. Clarke Griffith, Charley Com
iskey Eiay be expected along IN a few
days but 1t is hardly lihey Jim Nc
CURE, Joe Cantilloa or Jimmy NcAleer
Will claim the biating
The fashion OF tall-end teams or man
ayers bowling over the snowy wastes
that they have a pennaat winner has
died out. one of its last gaGps was
when Ban johnson used to come 70
Washington every cold snap and tell
the Concentrating fans OF the CAPITAL
that he was going 20 furnish them with
a club that sinyply couldn't help land
ing in first place. Johnson got away
with that bluff for a long time, and
when he was called good and hard, that
marked the end Of the foolish season
Yor predictions,
Childish Boasts Resented.
Baseball writer's ard fans are becom-
1og more sensible. are not expecting
the impossible, and resent the childish
attempts to delude them into believing
their roofing can make champions out
of second-cIass material. Cincinnati
was a leader in making absurd uid-
winter forecasts, coming the fans
along, and then roasting the team and
manager to a fragile when the vision
vanished in summer, Fittsburg, Cleve-
land. Chicago and st. Louis were other
burgs in which the prejudiced prognos-
tlcators allowed their feelings TO run
away with their judgment, while for
downright sIOp-over as a bail club, New
York was in a class b. itself
Ire classy and brainy thing these
latter days is for a manager 10 figure
about where he stands or will stand,
tell the fans frankly that with the ma
teIial he has IL hand he might finish
a round Or two higher, and thus step
from under the avalanche Of cEltlclSm
that would naturally be his II ne prom
Used To put a mediocre collection on top
of tie heap a baseball ian wants an
he can get, and considerably more. but
he is not as big fool as might De
supposed from the manner n which
some managers and newspaper writer's
try to sOft-sOap MIN along.
RoOteTs Becoming Reasonable.
II the public thoroughly understands
that the club is willing 10 spend liber-
ally and is leaving no stone unturned in
an effort 10 benefit its position. then there
Is nc reason why the owners should not
be supported by patronage, and such
IS the case more and more every year.
Nobody is fond CT roofing for conf rmed
Cellarites. but only one team can. finish
in front, and If the roOteTs for the others
be sure that they are getting as good
run for their admission fees as the
willingness 10 buy and the conditions
of the baseball market viii admit. they
will remain loyal
CantillOn showed good sense last year
end this by making no CHILDISH boasts
about what his hired mt.I would ac-
complish. on the contrary he said
the club would be lucky TO get sixth
place last year, and some day Us ago I'm
an exclusive letter 10 The Times. which
has been going the rounds ever since.
nc admitted il would be a bit of good
fortune II Washington led the second
division when the 1908 season was aver
W aSlingtOR fans understand the Sit
uatIOn ard appreciate the extremely
dlulcult task before the manager. If
ne does as well as fifth place this wear
ne VIII have accomplished "a feat fuIjv
as great as that by Jennings when the
detroit leader took a fhoroD.Ll,,
organized team OF good men and earned
We Tlght to play for the worlds cham
pionship.