New-York tribune., 1911-12-03
In Fortune Telling Trance Fore
casts Coming Season.
NOTHING TO IT BUT TIGERS
Detroit's Baseball Star Puts
Athletics Second and Van.
KEGS a, Dismal Sixth


Ty-rus cobb who ia now giving the stat"
of Georgia treat by spending 70"
weeks AZ his Southern homo. rises 10 re-
mark that tho Detroit Tigers are going 10
win the American League pennant next
wear. tho worlds champion Athletics 10
tho contrary Notwithstanding. Since Ty
Ia not dahbling in things vaudevilliau this
winter and il consequently not seeking
publicity IN the manner of p few other
PLAYERS whose names had best not he men
toned here. his words listen we'll Tho
open season for baseball forecasts is at
hand and the king of hitters is the first
n turn prophet In the course of his 70
marks he places the New York Yankees
a poor sixth next year IN spite of tho fact
that a reorganization of the club Is i'm
minent
Ty cannot gee tho Philadelphia Athletics
from any angle whatsoever. He may be
trfe preiudiced but he has the courage TO
promulgate his convictions. although the
vast majority NJ fans dss gree with
him Since Detroit has been the only :eanl
70 give the Athletics fight u = very
natural for Ty To pick the Tigers to firisn
first His rating Of the teams next wear
is as follows Detroit. Philadelphia. Eos
ton. Chicago, Cleveland, New York, Wash
lngton and St. Louis
According to Cobb. luck was against tho
Tigers last year. but with the brilliant Pei
Gsinor back at first. the way IS paved for
a triumph over Connie Mack's OUTFIT. The
Philadelphia pitchers. he believes haze
now stood up well under three grueling
l. rf fC,-
Of the great trio Of Bender. Coombs and
Plank TO fall by the waysidc. If any one
Of the three fails to come up 10 expscta-
tions the chances Of the Athletics will he
seriously impaired.
Boston may be the dark horse in tho
race, in Tvs opinion. The Red Soy are
sure TO finish better than they did last
season, and they will probably he In the
thick of the pennant fight up to the end
| Of next season. Accidents to star players
and the lack OF A good FIRST baseman
handicapped the team I'm the last cam
paign. With Jake Stahl. wonderful first
baseman and hard hitter back. Boston
looms up ss formidable flag contender.
O'Brien. a brilliant young pitcher who
was pronounced find after pitching a few
games toward the end of last season, Will
| be on hand to help Joe Wood. With these
two stars In the box, who can win the ma
| jority or their games, the chances Of The
Red Sox have perked up quite a bit,
| thinks Ty.
While the Chicago White SoX will he a
| hard team to beat and may improve trife
over last years form, they cannot be con-
sidered seriously as pennant hopes. The
| selection OF Jimmy Callahan as manager is
a step forward. says Cobb but the whole
team is too much unsettled to be developed
| into a winning machine without full sea
| sons experience. Tv picks Harry Davis 10
make good as a manager Of the Cleveland
| Maps, but he selects the team as occupants
| Of fifth place. nevertheless. Brilliant pitch
| ing with a demoralized catching staff and
infield kept the nine out of the race last
year. although it proved strong enough to
forge ahead OF Chicago and Boston. Cobt
looks for the Red Sox and White Sox to
show an Improvement next year which the
| Maps cannot checkmate.
| The Yankees he declares, will not finish
better than sixth. and even then will be
/ hard pushed by the Washington Senator'S
With Clark Griffith at the helm and few
| important CHdIlSts III Aiic iu'-Nf' " n'''ihS
ton ought to make a better showing. Cobb
says that Griffith Is due for change In the
hard luck which has followed him In his
career as a manager, and fortune VIII
| smile on him next season. Griffith has been
| cheated out OF a pennant several times
when Il was almost within his grasp, and
ne is bound to have a little good luck
sooner or later New York. even with a
new manager. does not look Ike pennant
| contender to Ty, and Will not be In the race
The ST. Louis Browns he gives up as the
usual hopeless cause.
| Next week will he a busy one In baseball
| circles Tho annual meetings OF the Amer
| lean and National leagues VIII be held on
Tuesday. On Monday evening the Natonal
| Commission will gather In the metropolitan
| Tower TO look into the evidence collected py
Ran y. Johnson in regard TO the world $
series ticket speculation scandal. There
| NAV he some sensations, and then again
| there may not. The meeting OF the younger
| organization is little more than formahty
at best, as Johnson is guardian OF the
| leagues interests and does Just about as
he sees fit, without consulting the owners
The National League meeting, however IL
always productive Of lot OF talk ana long
sessions as the Murphys, Fogels and Eo-
hetses seize upon the occasion TO say
something of momentous worth. Then, be-
sides there is the annual election OF n
nresident As far as can be determined
now Thomas J. Lynch will be reelected.
His administration has been very success
fuI and his handling of the Magee matter
last summer won many friends for him
among fair minded fans" and players. IL
Z. said that the candidacy of John NJ. Ward
Is being urged rather strongly, but Lynch
will rrohabIy get third term.
| Aside from the meetings themselves how
| over Importance is lent 10 the occasion by
tho presence of most Of the baseball man
ayers who arc seeking trades. The ne"
manager Of the Yankees will probably be
announced at this time. and trade or two
,,,,,. ha forthcoming. The Giants are known
! - no in the field for = proposition Tor
Ped Murray. while nearly every club is
out for something to holster mp the teams
-, number of players will probably be seen
IN now uniforms next year.
There was one item on the list oi eA-
,Arditures which puzzled some of the eN-
| ror,s II was the premium for accident