The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-03-05
DONOVAN ULLIN
FORM IS WHAT
WILL TELL
Tigers Bad Year Is Bound To
Come When Both Members OF
This Pair Fail To Win With
OLD Regularity.
Mullins Hyper-Enthusiastic Cam
Paign at Weight Reduction Has
Bruske in Apprehensive Vein.

IOr Il moment III our dallg ana Atctlt
Z contemplation OF the efforts OF
Hughie's Juvenile pitching depart
ment, let us make due note OF the fact
3 that, barring most astounding develop
/. ments, the success or failure OF the
I, Detroit baseball club is going 20 rest.
as it has for the past eight seasons
on the pitching OF George Mullin and
Bill Donovan
With all due credit 10 the undoubt.
ed class OF the youngsters at the
training camp, IL is safe TO infer that
Manager Jennings would readily sac
riIice all of them at one fell swoop,
rather than lose the services OF either
OF his veterans. In fact this is a very
moderate way of stating an unques
toned truth.
What wots II If two or three young
pitchers show bigleague ability If. in
the meantime, a real veteran star is
lost?
This line of argument admitted
brings up the question straightway:
Where Danger Lies.
How about Mullin and Donovan?"
Or, more properly. Why is there any
reason 10 doubt their presence on the
job?"
Well. the writer may be yoieing a
revolutionary sentiment but he is go
ing to go on record right now that, II
the Detroit club fails 10 add TO it's
consecutive triumphs a fourth pen
Dant, the~failure lis. going 10 be oc-
casioned by the. collapse of its vet
eran.. PITCHING. STAFF. That tragic event
hasn't taken place nor i Is il 10 be re-
garded as probable. but it's neverthe-
less like breaking sticks 10 figure out
how IL can very possibly take place.
The great strength OF the Tiger
pitchers last year was unquestionably
Mullin. and George has an arm and a
physical equipment which ought TO
make him good for as many years in
baseball as Cy Young Last year he
added much TO his effectiveness by a
stretch of rigorous spring training.
coupled with self-denial almost as
celtic. He won a dozen games in a
row at the start and led the league
at the finish, II looked then as II
Mullin had only just found himself.
George Too "Fine."
But now the situation has radically
changed. Where once the cause OF
worry about Mullin was that he would
not take of enough fat TO permit him
self to do his real ability justice. the
fear is now that he will carry his
newly found training enthusiasm 10
such an extent that he will go stale
before the season starts, not only i'm
pairing his usefulness at that time
but also placing himself in a condi-
ton which Is often followed by
Il. -, 1ar
Mullin weighs now but l72 pounds,
which Is considerably lighter than
last spring and is, in fact. lighter
that he has been at any time since
he passed his seventeenth birthday.
ten years ago. He looks drawn and
pale but his spirits remain excellent
and. so long as this is the case. Train
er Tuthill can see no ground for com
plant. George is the architect OF his
own training season, as be was last
year
AS for Wild Bill. there seems no
more ground for worry than has been
given the great twirler's admirers foi
the last three years. Bills best year
In baseball followed his worst which
contrary to general opinion was not
1909 but 1906 There seems no more
than the usual ground for anxiety
over his return TO form. But Dono
van has been pitching curve balls fol-
IA years and nothing but the solici
tous care he has always given him
self has kept his naturally frail con
stItution at its prime SO long Some
day the end will come. II the eveni
proves concurrent with a bad season
for Mullin, Detroit will indeed be in
bad shape.
With Donovan and Mullin ont OF It.
the Tigers would have to do the best
they could with Wiliett and Summers
as reliances. - Both are good pitchers
but Summers has ever been an in
and-outer TO some extent, very large
ly due, beyond doubt. TO an injured
knee which Is now undergoing treat
ment at Hot Springs. And Willett
after three years and more in the big
league is still the despair OF the root
ers and his team mates. There Is no
pitcher IN the world who has more
"stuff" but what use is stuff when
you can't get il over 10 use little
professional vernacular?
Far be IL from the purpose OF the
fabricator OF this Job to predict that
all these dire possibilities are going
TO combine into one year. But when
the others do manage 10 pull the
Tigers down, Il Is more likely than
not going to be when Wild Bill Dono-
van and Big George Mullin parlay bad
seasons. Such a catastrophe as that
viii not only take the Jenningites ont
81 the lead but will hand them a far
worse bump than that unless Ralph
Works or some other Moses drops in
like deus OK machina.
VIII It be this year? Lets all view
she possibility with our fingers
crossed