The Washington herald., 1910-04-10


valuable time OF the general public
VIII have to DO thrown into the
ash heap. More important subjects
are to be settled and discussed. They
are as follows: What teams viii cap
ture the pennant in the National and
American leagues? Can Fred Clarke
and the Pittsburg Pirates make II Two
straight and win another worlds cham
pionship, or are Frank Chance and
his Cubs strong enough 10 win an
other flag? VIII Johnny McGraw win
out this year. or viii Clarke Griffith
and his band of Cincinnati kids cop
the much coveted gOnfalon? Are Hugh
Jennings and the Detroit Tigers going
to equal Comiskey's record and make
1t four straight? Can Connie Mack
spring another surprise. or will the
Boston Red Sox.walk of with the BAN
ner7
In sizing up the four leading teams
IN the National league one finds that
the Pittsburg Pirates are every bit as
strong as last year, and If nothing I'M
foreseen happens they viii cop again.
The Cubs are not as strong as they
were in 1908 even though king has been
reinstated. And another thing is that
this great baseball machine is not run
ming as smoothly as it did a few years
ago. McGraW has been working hard
trying to whip together pennant COM
bInation for the last two years and has
corralled several crack youngsters that
he hopes win MI up the weak spots
on the team. Clarke Griffith and his
great band Of youngsters will be in the
hunt all season. Taken all in al, the
fight for the banner should be a good
one.
OF course advance dope often goes
wrong. The team which looks strong
est on paper may not loom up promi-
neatly at all when the real battles are
being fought on the diamond. Take
the Phillies last season, for instance.
Nearly every student Of the game
thought Billy MuTray's charges would
finish high up IN the first division and
that they would be fighting for the
pennant all the way. with splendid
chances Of landing the plum. But az
matters turned out the QualEers were
never very serious contendeTs- after the
Fourth Of July.
Those who profess not 10 take seri-
ously the Pirates chances are point
ing out that the Pittsburg team is
built up around three men, who are
likely TO go to pieces almost any
time. II is needless 20 say that the
three veterans referred TO are Manager
Fred Clarke, Hans Wagner and Tom
my Leach. all OF whom have been on
the Pittsburg team for the last ten
years. II is true that these men are
all veterans and that sooner or later
they must pass from the scene or dia-
nond activities. But the prophets are
going a step too far when they declare
that this season may see the last OF
these players They evidently forget
that Leach led the National league run
getting in 1909. that Wagner was the
leading batsman for the seventh time
during his career and that Clarke not
only hit we'll and scored a lot Of runs
but that he was the leading out1elder
IN the older organization.
There is no denying the fact that
Clarke, Leach and Wagner form the
buiwark of the Pirates strength. It is
a fact, however, that every team de-
ponds more on one or two men than
on all the others combined. And IL is
also fact that dependence on veterans
is more waTTantable than on young
sters. There are scores OF cases on
record where young players have
broken into fast company under most
auspicious circumstances, have shone
effulgently for a single season and
then quickly dropped into Oblivion.
OF course there is no contention as
70 the right of Wagner, Clarke and
Leach to be called stars. Taken indi- |
vidually they are three OF the grand |
est ball PLAYERS that ever douned uni |
forms. Taken collectively they form
a trio which has 40 equal In the game
today. Their abilities, considered from
any angle, stamp them as Indispensable |
TO the Pittsburg team, and If all three |
were to disappear from the baseball |
horizon at the same time il would be |
a blow 10 the Pittsburg team from |
which it would require years to re-
cover.
Wagner looks good for two or three
more years at shortstop. When he has
slowed up so that he is not considered
speedy enough for that position any
longer IL is more than likely that he
will take to first base. where he will
not be required to cover so much /
ground, but where he will be q tower
OF strength 10 the team.
Instead Of deteriOrating, as some
claim. fans who have seen Tommy
Leach in action year after year are OF |
better today than for many years. The
move from the infeld to the outfeld /
helped Tommy a lot. and it is a fact /
that last year he did not suffer at all !
from the complaint watch slowed him
up at times in past years. Leach is a /
wonderful little baseball machine.
AS for Clarke, his work last season I
speaks for itself and refutes the as 4
sertion that he is going back. He was /
rated many years ago as the best left /
fielder fl the business, and there Is no |
reason 10 rate him lower than that at 4
the present time. Although he has 4
been IN the game long time. he plays /
with the same enthusiasm which /
marked his work when youngster. He |
ranks with the greatest in history /
without even considering his manage 1
rial ability.
Valuable as are Clarke, Wagner and /
Leach even aside from them the Pitts 1
burg team in 1910 will shape up as .
well as any other in the league. This
trio comprises the only real old PLAY /
ers on the team except Phillippi and /
Lever, who are not likely 20 be used /
TO any great extent. Pittsburg win
have three comparatively young in
felders in Miller Byrne and either
Sharpe or Flvnn. BYrne Should be-