The Morning examiner. [volume] (Ogden, Utah) 1904-1910, 1909-04-11


II all their trouble. of tho last
Ia few months. Frosted cars'
chiIblains and roaring northwest "lhuS
arc now things of tho past for SIX OF
seven moro months at least. and hu-
n,anIty has n chance to get into tho
warm sunlight to "whoop 'er up Tor
the iomc team
1t is interesting at this stage OF tho
campn!gn to glance over tho playing
list OF tho various major league teams
10 note what men tho clubs arc do
pending on in the new makeup.
1t Is only by considering tho abili-
ties Of the individual players that tho
strength and prospects of a team cnn
be ascertained It won't do to take
too seriously the dlctum OF managers
md captains. each of whom has q
championship combination at tho be-
ginning OF tho season. at least in his
own mind. Tho fan who determines
to dlsburso 4 few brilliant remarks
ancnt championship possibilities must
ferret out his own theories until tho
timo arrives when tho percentage OF
tale.
Tho New York Giants appear to be
stronger than any other team in the
league at present. and. based upon tho
hot fight they mado last year with a
crippled pitching staff. 1t must be ad-
mittcd that they have q pretty strong
look-in. On tho other hand. closo fol-
lowers of baseball arc expecting a
L..
ming streak II was only by the hard
est kind OF n finish that tho worlds
champions pulled through last season,
only with tho aid OF blunder by
Mcrklo of New York
The Chicago management, however.
has not been idlo during tho winter
and 1t has made como changes which
arc expected to strengthen tho team
whcro It was growing weak. II the
Cubs get any kind OF q good start
which they did not have last year
they will be just as hard to beat out
this year as ever. But Now York and
Philadelphia proved stumbling blocks
to Chicago last ycor. and as both
teams have been considerably strength
encd for this years baltic Chicago
should have a fight from start to nm
ish. Pittsburg's chances of improving
It's position IN tho race shis year de-
pcnds upon whether Manager Clarke
has discovered an unknown phenom
I'm the llst of untried material he has
on hand. The Pirates can always be
expected 10 put up n hard fight and
they VIII very likely be somewhere
near the front when tho season ends
Despite the known quality of tho
Chicago team and the boastcd strength
of the New YorlIs. the Phillies stIll
stand out as a team which deserves to
be given serious consideration when
trying 10 pick a winner Last year
the Phillics played a most important
part IN deciding the championship In
tho National league. They knocked
Plttsburg and Chicago out OF first
place when these teams were lighting
their hardest to hold tho lead, and
then, through tho sensational pitching
of Covelcskie. who won three games In
five days from the Giants. they rob-
bed New York of what looked to be
sure victory In the pcnnnnt race
All ball teams look Ike winners 10
their followers about this tImo OF tho
year. and II Is reasonable to expect
that tho fans In Cincinnati Brooklyn
Boston and st Louis aro giving their
teams chance for the pennant These
teams VIII enter the race under almost
identical conditions, each OF the four
being under the leadership of new
managers. all OF whom havo been stars
of tho diamond in the past
1t looks Ike close race among Bow
erman, Lumley. Griffith and Bresnahau
for the four positions OF the second di-
vision
This lets Chicago. Now York. Pitts
burg and Philadelphia In as the most
likely candidates for FIRST division po-
siions. and from present conditions It
looks as II the National league raco
this year Will be 4 harder and more
interesting one than last II 1t does
the fans will have plenty to keep them
interested.