The Detroit times., 1910-03-31
NAHY k.gfC DRY
BAsEBALL's
SMALL FRY
Present Training Season Remarkable
for the Number Of Defeats by
81 the Big-League Tourists
In South.
Jennings' Scheme Of Splitting Tiger
Stars Between Two Squads May
Never Be Repeated.

The loss by the Donovan band OF
e northbound Tiger tourists OF four con
& oocutive games To the Houston club
&Uf the Texas league calls attention 10
n the fact that never in the history OF
trimming trips have major league clubs
suffered q similar number OF defeats
: - have lowered the banners during
+ the season now drawing TO close.
The Tiger regulars have a record OF
losing. one training game under Jen-
4 nlpos during the three prior seasons
4 40 has oflciated as the pilot OF their
<oytune6 This year news OF Detroit
(. @oeeats has been pattering in at rate
y nat Il simply astounding.
~ parallel IL afforded by the Chr
I &1gD Whitesox. who, in their tour ct
ne far west. have lost almost as many
&ames - they have won. Nor is this
Ill, by any means. The CLEVELAND
Napo have been trimmed by New Or
leans, the Birmingham club has az
Axed neutrality-suspicious. scalps 10 It's
bolt, the former worlds champion
Cubs have lowered their colors on sew
veral occasions, and virtually all the
major league clubs have been forced
! 70 swallow the more or less bitter pill
pf defeat more often than usual.
Minors. Getting 6etter7
specifically this condition would
seem to Indicate either an improve
.mpnt In thes general grade OF baseball
4 ~ the. mosquito leagues or else fall
|. lnx on in the class OF the men who
wear the quits that proclaim them rep
resentatives OF the big cities. To
6ertain extent the latter explanation Is
JJnaoUltedIy the talent which Is pro-
4u6ed III the training games by the big
'loaKuers n comprised OF an increasing
number OF young and untried players.
These are naturally to the fore in the
training season, which Is almost the
, sole opportunity with the youngsters
.of, the managers who are naturally de-
xs;rous OF making the test as thorough
!. as possible Big clubs are carrying
/. more youngsters than ever before and
the practice OF scheduling two sets OF
Games. thereby diluting the real stel-
lar nature OF the attraction, Is now
almost universal.
Yet there has been OF late an added
fnctor In the growing feeling that de-
ffedt At the hands OF a rival OF lower
tciase IA the training season brings
necessarily no disgrace.
u Thig psrtakes naturally or sane
|tphysfcal conditioning and training
'troRfmes - 49,
- Al veteran pitcher no longer hurries
his training by taking chances with his
N ARR wing. when q minor-league club
"a threatening. And the younger
t,layers catch the spirit OF the older
men and won't ms a rule risk dan
cerous slide or q charley-horse by go
Ing to their limit when there Is MOTH
\ ia but sentimental value attached TO
& victory.
N Not So Startling at That.
e Il this state of affairs which has
ulA1oubtetlly resulted in many petty
fr1umphs ~ the small fry OF the base
hall world. For. while the big leaguers
ATE progressing along steadily In their
trnfning regime, their opponents
rnarlv OF whom live IN the south ana
keer In condition all winter long-are
ueif1g all their skiIl, speed and
strength Add to this factor the trick
0eids of the south and the present
rendition becomes far less startling.
The situation with the Tigers Is this
wear n peculiar one, neither or the
1nams being the one on which Jen-
nings will rely for his start OF the big
, campaign. In fact, the little man.
t. nger's uniaue expedient OF abolishing
the second team and dividing his vet
4 Grams evenly between the two squads
appcars To have so weakened each as
io make victory difiicult for either.
Vvhethor or not the present plan will
he repeated another year Is not known.
ff3uf Il n easy for the average sup
porter Of the Tigers to understand
Hughes desire to have his regular
team together % soon as 1t can pos
Sfblv he arranged.