Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1910-05-12
now, CAN The
PIRAT ES REPEAT?
Many Dopesters Figure CIarke's
Buccaneers Will Cop Again.
FIRST BASE The PROBLEM.

At Present the Initial Sack Is the Only
Apparent Weak Spot on the Team.
How the Team Sizes Up-Pitchins
Department Strong.
Will the Pittsburg worlds champi-
ons repeat this season? This is the alb
sorbing question among the fans and
baseball generals at present. Almost
every day one can hear the following
questions being asked regarding the
1910 pennant race: Has there been any
change in the relative strength of Ma
tlonal league clubs since last fall?
Are the Pirates weaker? Are any of
the %contending clubs stronger? An
swer all of these questions negatively
and you have virtually admitted that,
barring accidents and what ball play.
ers term bad breaks" in the luck,
Fred Clarke will again realize his high
est ambition during the season of 1910.
Answer them afirmatively and it is up
to you to show the dope upon which
your judgment is based.
All the names engraved on the
worlds championship buttons are
there, with the exception Of Bill Alb
STEMS and Vic Willis. The clouters
who worried all the beavers they
faced, the twirlers with the tantalizing
shoots and curves, the fast felders and
speedy base runne and the agrees
sive genius who piloted the aggrega-
ton to victory last season are all pre-
pared to do business again at the old
stand, and the dopester who declares
that they will fail to repeat is CON-
PEELED to admit that he is figuring the
loss Of Abstein and Willis as q serious
detection or he is basing his predic-
tons upon the expectation Of sensa-
tional performances by some Of the
recruits from minor league ranks.
1T takes a great many years to build
up a baseball club like the Pirates or
the Cubs, and one of the second rate
~aggregations now claiming to have q
chance for the 1910 pennant is likely
to accomplish it in a single season.
Wagner was not a star of the first
magnitude when he first performed in
the big league, Tommy Leach had a
hard fight for a permanent berth on
the old Louisville team, and the base
ball world was slow to recognize Fred
Clarke as n Of the greatest generals
it contains. There will be new stars
in 1910 in all probability, but they will
be so rare that the conservative dope
ster will continue to figure the race
down to a triangular fight between the
Pittsburg, Chicago and New York
clubs. One of the three will capture
the pennant, but which one?
First base is the only weak spot of
the Pittsburg team, second is well
guarded by Jack Miller, short by the
only Honus Wagner and third by Bob
by Byrne.
The first sack position has given the
Pittsburg club more concern for half
a dozen years than all the other g
lar places combined.
Neither Flynn nor Sharpe will set
Forbes field on fire this season, but
either Of them will make a very capa-
BILE first baseman and will improve
with experience.
The pitching is every bit as strong
as last season. With Camnitz, Ad-
ans and Maddox working regularly,
with Lever and Philippe on the de-
livery line occasionally, with Leifeld
for use against the clubs that are
weak hitters, with a southpaw on
the mound and with Brandon, Powell
and Frock more reliable and more eff
fective than they have ever been, the
Buccaneers might seem to be very
well fortified in the hurting depart
ment. the most important Of the game.
But Dreyfus and Clarke have corralled
a bunch Of likely youngsters out of
which it Is reasonable to believe that
two or three will be selected for reten-
ton on the clubs roster.
The outfeld? Clarke, Leach and
Wilson! Can you beat it? Tommy is
in his usual spring condition and nor
NAL in all other respects. He ranks
with Wagner and Clarke as three of
the worlds greatest ball players, and
there are many who make allowances
for his size and pronounce him the
greatest.
Tommy and Fred can hardly be ex-
pected to improve on past perform
ances. Nobody asks it. But "Chief''
Wilson will. The Texas giant has not
yet attained his full growth In base
ball. He is faster this year, and he is
going to give the National league out
fielders more Marathon practice than
ever before. He looks good for the
300 class this time.
The catching with Gibson, Simon
and O'Connor compares favorably
with any on the circuit.
Umpires Must Grease Trousers.
1t NAV be that the umpireS Of the