Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-08-28

! lined up will take the field next season
| and. it is expected, will make a good
| showing. In conversation with a Star re-
i porter last night Cantillon said:
Il have been watching the four leading
| teams of the American League very close
| ly this season. and at the present time
! cannot see where they have a great deal
| on the Washington club. When the
| Browns were here I compared the two
| teams. man for man, and there wasn't
| one of the visitors would have traded
even up. Bobby Wallace is certainly the
| best of the Browns, but there isn't a
manager in the country who would have
| traded Mcbride for him in the face Of the
| latter's grand work this season. Wallace
| has a few points the better of George in
| batting. but think of the difference in
| their age.
Delehanty at second. and If his health is
all right next spring he will be better
than ever. This will allow me to shove
Unglaub over to third. Bob played the
| position for me in Milwaukee. and 1
know exactly what he can do. He won t
come up to Shipke a fielder. but it is
Bob's hitting that We need. If you will
| take the trouble to go back over the
| Washington scores you will find that
whenever Shipke got one or more hits we
| a hard hitter at third. He may make
errors. but 1 have figured it out that the
| third baseman has SO few chances that if
| he hits close to .275 he will Offset all the
| misplays that develop. .
Infield Is All Right.
GERRY Freeman will also show up bet
| ter next season, as he will be better &C
quainted with the American League
pitchers by that time, and as he is
natural hitter We will get the benefit Of
| his improved playing all around. With
Mcbride at short and all in good condi-
| ton. believe that tnfield will compare
| favorably with the best in the American
League. 1t may not show up as we'll on
| paper as one or two others. but it will
| win games and that is the great object
sought after.
my outfield will also remain the same,
with Pickering as utility man. Ganiey,
Clymer and Milan can do everything
fielder is called upon to perform, and If
they could bat right-handed as good as
am not foolish enough to think the three
men are up to the Cobb, Crawford and
Mcintyre standard but they are winners.
and men like the Tigers are not picked up
every day or every year. Any one can
see that Clyde Milan has improved to
wonderful degree. gaining that confidence
which only comes with experience. and l
take it from his work that he Will be
better than ever next year. Clymer's
ankle has strengthened up satisfactorily
and he will be in the game right along
next season. Ganley Is as good as the
best right now and there is no one in
left today for whom 1 would trade him.
Best Catcher in the Country
'Behind the bat have the best ca.cher
in the country in Charley Street. Don't
smile when 1 make this assertion, but take
the trouble to ask about Street when Wis
iting clubs are here. I have had some of
the wisest men in base ball tell me that
Street right now is the best catcher in
the country. and guess there are few
to back me up in this assertion on
account of his recent fine showing. War
ner will go to Galveston. but Kahoe will
remain. as he is a great help to the
sticker. I have lines on Catcher Roth.
now with Milwaukee. but I may be out
bid for him, and 1 won't put up more
than think he is worth. I am not
troubled about catchers. as / can pull
back Cliff Blankenship any time 1 want
him. and If I fail in my negotiations with
Milwaukee I will get Cliff to report to
me N the spring. Blank Is better hit
ter and faster on his feet than Street. and
that portion he Is short of being the
others equal will make him a first class
assistant catcher. / could have had
Blankenship with me at any time I want
ed this season, but he was trying to get
foothold in business and didn't want
enship or Roth and Kahoe behind the bat.
j will be very strong. as Charley can
catch a majority Of the games.
That brings me up to the pitching staff
and about 1t can talk for a week just
imagine Walter Johnson being all right
last spring. guess we wouldn't have
won him few more games. With him
and Tom Hughes as a. starter I will have
Tannehill and Burns to fling from the
south side, and as Jesse looks as gaad as
won't cut some ice. Then Dolly" Grey
Is reported to be better than Burns, which
will give me three first-olass southpaws.
Suppose I work them day after day
you suppose that great outfield would
make. eh? Charley Smith is not the
best pitcher In the world in the spring
as his arm has always bothered him. but
he has been taking the treatment that
Tannehill went through and 1 look for
him to be the candy kid next year
This gives me six pitchers who class up
with the best in the country and I chal-
| lenge any one to produce Its equal in any
| one club. Then there are Kelley and
Gates to fall back on in case of need, and
| from the way both have pitched for me
this season, they will be very valuable
| next year.
Room for Stars.
''Of course If 1 can get a Hal Chase
or Bill Donovan to join my club, 1 will
quickly find room for them, but from
present indications this will be the Ma
tiOnals lineup next year.
| you mustn't lose sight of the fact that
my players are coming, not going, and
while they look good this season, they
will look a great deal better next year.
Take the Boston club as an example
Those youngsters have been playing so
well this year that many of the wisest
newspaper men have picked them for
pennant possibilities for next season,
while at the same time the Washington
team has had very little trouble out
| playing them in almost every game we
have hooked up. If that crew looks
good for the first division, I don't see
why we haven't a chance to get there
| also.
1.-The work that have cut out for my
self from now on Is to weld the boys to-
gether. They must get on to each
others private signs. and get away with
the play from the first fash as to what
is being pulled off. Several times you
| have doubtless noticed that plays were
tried for that looked almost foolish, but
| 1t was a case of one of the players drop
| ping the flash given him by the man
who started the play. I have impressed
| the importance of this part of the game
on the minds OF all my men. and since
they have been home their work shows
1 Of hiCr TINY lot