The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1910-04-15

What will the end of the National
and American league seasons be?
Sail around in October and the an
Awer will probably be ready. The
season opened yesterday In good
style, but never at the opening of a
season has it seemed more hazard
Gus to venture an opinion on the
outcome than this year. In the Ma
tional league this is due to the fact
that the return of Catcher Johnny
king has made the three time pen
nant winning Cubs again intact and
the doubt, more or less general ex-
cept in Pittsburg, as to whether the
Pirates can again maintain the
steady gait they set last year, a gait
that landed them unexpectedly in
FIST place.
Z In the American league the rapid
development last year of Philadel-
phia and Boston and the hard tussle
that Detroit had to repeat for the
second time her pennant perform
ance. makes the picking of cham
pionship team this year the merest
guess work.
About the only thing that does
seem assured is that the first divis-
ion teams in each league will not
differ materially from those of last
year. Pittsburg. Chicago, New York
and Cincinnati again look to be GER
tainties in the National for the up
per tier. while in the American, De-
troit. Philadelphia and Boston ap-
pear reasonably safe, with either
New York or Cleveland having a
good chance to wrest from Chicago
her berth in the upper division.
AS standpatters the pennant pos
sibilities in both of the big leagues
have Joe Cannon beaten to a pulp.
In the National. practically no
changes appear in the lineups OF
the leading teams, while De-
troit, Philadelphia and Boston
in the American haven't found
enough new blood worth mention
ing New York, Chicago and Cleve-
land, however. have sewed several
new patches to their old garments
and are hopeful that they will stick.
With practically no changes in
the personnel of the leading teams,
the question simply resolves itself
down to the proposition of whether
these players will improve over
their 1909 form. Cincinnati's
chances are much brighter than
some critics are willing to admit,
due to this very fact. Last year the
Reds broke a lot of new men into
the game and they demonstrated
that they were of National league
caliber. That they should play a
stronger game this year is admitted
by baseball students.
Pittsburg can hardly expect to do
any better than she did last year
and whether she wins the pennant
again will depend largely on the
improvement or failure Of improve
ment shown by the other clubs.
Chicago has team of veterans and
many are predicting that the team
is due for slowing down. even II
Johnny King. who used to be called
the brains of the Chicago works"
is back on the job. Steinfeld.
Tinker, Sheckard and Schultz
showed last year that they at least
are getting no better and 1t would
not be surprising If the veteran
twirlers came united" this season
NEW YORK HAS HOPES.
New York pins her hopes for a
better position than last year to an
expected improvement in the work
of Pitchers MarQuard and Ames.
the promising work of Drucke and
Klawitter. two new pitchers, and
the bolstering of the outfield by the
substitution of Devore for McCor-
mick. In the infield Markle. the man
who once upon time didn't touch
second, will be at first base in place
of the veteran Tenney, and the
foxy play and gingery methods of
ancient Fred may be missed to such
nm extent that he will soon cease
to warm the bench.
Not many persons are picking De-
troit to win 4 fourth straight pen
nant in the American. Had either
Boston or Philadelphia played early
In the season the way they did at
the finish, the pennant would never
have gone to Tigertown and it Is
reasonable to suppose that these
teams will strike a winning stride
early In the season this year and