The Detroit times., 1909-12-22
THREE BIC SCRAPS
ARE ALREADY
SHAPED UP
Tom Jones Getting Ready To Fight
Annual Contest For His Job
at Detroit's Initial
Sack.
Beckendorf Will Have Chance and
Pitchers Will Indulge in Battle
Royal at "Santone." "
BY PAUL NJ. eRUSkE.

The three-cOrnered scrap between
Tom Jones, Ness and Pete Lister for
ffrst base; the featuring OF the catch
ing OF Heine Beckendorf. and the
struggle among Ii pitchers for the
seven or eight berths which will be
permanent on the club, form obvious
ly the three points OF interest for De
troit fandom in the training season
which is ahead. Already the bugs are
beginning to exchange views on al
three OF the contests.
There seems absolutely no chance
for any OF the Tiger regulars to be
pried loose from their Jobs. with the
exception OF the veteran first-sacker
Furthermore, he is sure to he strong
favorite in the battle which he is to
wage at San Antonio, beginning TWO
months hence.
Manager Jennings and the whole
baseball world know what Tom can
DO He is a fine-fielding frst-baseman.
an accurate thrower a quick thinker,
by no means the slowest man on his
feet of the guardians OF the inheld
sack in Banjohnsons league. can hit
fairly well and sacrifice unerringly. To
beat him out Ness or Lister Will have
to do il in sheer batting ability. Both
of them hit better in the minors than
tom did In the big league. but there
,is a great gulf between the quality OF
the pitching encountered there and
here. Lister is left-handed and. or
course. is therefore dubbed second
Chase. Ness Is right-handed and hits
'em n mile But Tom has had battle
for his Job every year he entered the
league and has won so many OF them
that past performance leads to the
belief that he will do so again.
Maybe "Beck" Will Suit EN-.
Beckendorf. according to informa'
ficn given the writer by Hughie. Jen-
ninss after the close ot the 1909
worlds series. will get real chance
20 make good in the season that Is
ahead. Last year was his first in fast
company and he was used virtually
only on the occasions when Stanage
was out of 1t and Ieft-handed pitchers
were officiating for the opposition.
Although Detroit is pretty we'll sat
istied with it's catching stan, in the
main. other critics insist-and the
worlds series returns have borne them
out in the assertion-that the cham
pions are most in need OF high-class
suit them better.
But the battle-royal among the
pitchers-there Is the one that VIII
prove the corker
The Detroit club has. by common
consent corralled a finer bunch OF
budding slab artists than has fallen
10 the lot OF any other club The list
has simmered down TO Il men, OF
1~At
years staff. Browning. Hardin. Per
noIl. Sayidge, Stroud. and Vance still
remain. OF whom Pernoll Is the sole
southpaw.
Weiqhs 125 and Then Some.
or this bunch Browning comes prob
ably the besttouted. According 10
conclusive information from the coast.
one story regarding this youngster is
erroneous in the extreme. That is the
one that has him weighing but 12o
pounds. Browning is little fellow,
all right. But he's a lot bigger than
a watch charm He pitched at 145
pounds last year FOR San Francisco,
and he has undertaken special course
OF training this winter to build himself
ND. In all probability he will report
weighing $50 pounds or more. He Is
a corking pitcher, beyond question.
Whether ne will be able to beat out
lelivelt or Works remains. however.
TO be seen.
Some Detroit folks who have seen
Minnie" Hardin work in the Three
league assert that he IS sure big
1eaguer in ability There have been
nice boosts for all the others. though
Vance has. perhaps unjustly, gained
the repute OF being a hard man 70
handle. From there on II is specula-
ton. pure and simple. II isn't often
the highly-advertised kind that makes
good when the going Is tough.