Evening journal., 1911-03-02
JENNINGS HOPES
FOR BETTER LUCK
DetrOit Manager Says Seven
Teams Figure In American
League Race
PICKS THE GIANTS
TO WIN THIS TIME

DETROIT. March Manager
Hughey Jennings, Of the Detroit base
bail team, discussed the coming major
league pennant races before startihs
with his Tigers for the South.
Prospects? We ought to be bet
ter than last year" he said IL we
can get a few more good pitchers we
will DC a good number Of points bet
ter than in 1910. tt
This year will witness q great race.
There will be seven clubs hghtins
hard The club that wins the Amer
ican League flag will be lighting I'LL
the last day, and there won't be any
way Of doping things out.
what / mean is this-in other
years you could always figure on tax
ing three out Of four games from GER
tain clubs. You could say, in regard
TO St Louis. for instance, three out
OF four. Ii would be at least that
and probably it would be the entire
series. This year | guess St. Louis
will be the only club you can hope "
take a majority Of the games from;
YOU will have to fight all the others TO
the limit.
This season managers won't be
able to say as in the past: III work
one of the weaker pitchers today and
save my best men for Philadelphia or
Boston; not this year; you will have
TO work your best men against all the
clubs: none of them will be sure
things.
Washington is stronger this year:
same thing goes for Chicago ana
Cleveland There are the three last
division clubs of 1910 that will be
much improved this year and Will
hand the other clubs a much keeneT
battle than in the year gone by.
New York should be as strong as
last year and Boston should also
prove factor. Boston may miss
Lord on third, but ! think they can
get a good first sacker to take the
place OF Jake Stahl do not think
Philadelphia viii be as strong as in
1910. and / figure st. Louis will be
as weak as ever. as Wallace will haze
to set about building up club.
"I do not know who will play first
base for Detroit Gamer and Ness
both look good on dope, but I will
have to see a lot of them this spring
before / will be able to decide. You
can rest assured. though, that we
won't be weakened and that there will
be a man on that first sack there
when the season opens.
I'VE will fight better than last year
and we will be on top or mighty near
there in a close race. think it will
be the best race i'm the history of the
I league for excitement, and nothing on
the order Of the 1910 race.
II am not making any predictions
as to where We will finish. There is
too much to be taken into consider
alton but from the looks of things
now l can safely predict what / have
said regarding seven clubs.
I'm the National League / pick the
/ Giants. McGraw has a wonderful
team there He will be stronger than
: for several seasons. and the flag is
cinched for New York if McGraw can
get two good pitchers out Of his spriug
crop and has any sort of luck.
Take in that series with the High
landers last fall. There was Devore (;
he played a brilliant game, and be-
fore that series Devore did not know
his own strength. He will have conf
dence in himself this year and shouh
be one Of the leading outhelders Of the
old league. Murray is another splen-
did outfielder. and Becker is also a
remarkable fielder. ] don't think Nc
Graw will use Suodgrass. who led the
Nstioral League in hitting for some
time last season.
"On first the Giants have Merklo
whom J consider one of the greatest
frst-sackers have ever seen, and on
second is Doyle. an erratic infelder
but one who covers a great amount
Of territory, and who can also hit
Devliu is still corking good third
socker and Bridwell one of the bes,
shorlstops IN the business Mathew
son should pitch as well as ever, and
McGraw is well supplied with
catchcrs.
Cincinnati may start something
this year Don't put Clark GriRth's
team into the discard He has a
strong aggregation down there. and
with the men he got from Philadel-
phia working right he should finish
no lower than second place"