Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-01-16
EVEN UP STRENGTH
OF SEVERAL CLUBS
HustIing Magnate Is Tired of
Seeing Various Teams Out
cIaSsed Every Season.

PlTTSBURG. January 15-"I want all
the pennants / can GET said Magnate
Drey1uss recently. If i could win
seven in a row I'd pretty near break my
neck to do it. Nevertheless. l am begin
ming to realize-never having been an alb
solute lunkhead, you know-that some
thing must be done in a hurry toward
equalizng the pennant races of the Ma
uonal League. The general public is
tired, | think, of seeing the same teams,
year after year. in procession. While
there are lots of action and excitement,
of course among the top-notchers, it is
dreary pickings for the fans of the sec
ond division cities. These teams, costing
as much to maintain as the leaders, do
not draw the money either at home o.,
abroad. and the honest, loyal fans of
those towns are heartsick thinking Of the
honors that never seem to come.
The American League races are al
ways so close, SO furious, that quite a
few of US. when We didn't understand
things, even believed they were manipu-
lated that way. l apologize for anything
tone. for the National League finish of
1908 taught me how such things can
really be. Four teams then raced down the
stretch and fought like madmen all the
teams are frequently contestants to the
last. and there might be seven if the eli
matte conditions at Washington did not
make that club always feeble.
The American League managed to get
its teams pretty well balanced when the
league began business, and its additions
OF young players ever s.nce have served
to keep that general standard about uni
form. though 1t now looks as If Detroit
had accumulated the best batting bunch
that Ban Johnsons circuit ever saw
three flags won with the stick, and in no
other. way.
Question before the house then is. how
is the National League to get its teams
evened in strength without disabling
any of the present top-notchers by rob-
bling them of talent? Only one way to
do it. in my opinion, and that is by a
little less greedinesS all around. Greedf-
ness in hogging extra players, l mean.
Il know / am as bad as any of them
know l have been proud of the fact
that the Pirates were so strong in extra
players that they could present win
ming front with half the regular men
disabled. The rest are the same way
division clubs will loosen up I'll unbelt
Immediately right with them.
Cincinnati doesn't need any help.
Count the Reds right out of the unfor-
tunate brigade Griffith has assembled
team that will make us all jump for
our lives next seasonal team that is
likely to outbat the whole bunch and
will certainly steal more bases than any
of us. With the gang Grif has gath
cred he will be bidding for the flag ev-
cry minute, so don't waste any sympathy
on him.
philadelphia has a strong foundation
for a team. Give them one more win
ming pitcher. one more hard hitter, either
infeld or out. and they can take care
of themselves. The cripples are Boston.
Brooklyn and st. Louis. There is no
real reason why these three clubs can
not be given material aid, and made
into extremely powerful teams. by the
exercise of little generosity and discre-
tion."