The Washington herald., 1911-12-31
NATIONAL SHOULD
HAVE A HOT RACE
Another Great Battle on Dia-
mOnd Is Assured.
BOSTON CLUB MUCH IMPROVED
Give PittSburE n First BaSeman and
Pirates Would Cut n Swath-CiB-
cinnati Is Doubtful PrOpOsI-
tiOn - Cardinals Again Loom
Up as n Puzzle.
,ial to The Washington Herald.

/
| Pittsburg, Pa, Dec 3O-The National
League last season had one of the great
est races in its history. When five teams
run almost neck and neck for the better
part of the season it makes a race that
! is hard to improve on. but from present
indications the campaign of 1912 will be
even tighter than the strenuous tussle of
ISL.
There was only one really weak team
! in the National League last season, name
| ly, the Boston Rustlers. and they showed
| flashes of strength in the fag end of the
race. However, though they came strong
at the finish, for the greater part of the
season the Rustlers were a joke In the
| first invasion of the East by the Western
teams. Tenney's clan failed to annex a
victory in the series with the Cubs, Car
dinals, Pirates, and Reds
1t is hardly likely such a condition will
exist in Boston next year. There is some
good talent on the Boston roster-more,
in fact than there has been at any time
Since the American League broke up the
old Boston team of 1900. John NJ. Ward
is likely to make things hum in the Hub.
Though Tenney may be retained as man
ager, having signed for another year, IT
is the general belief that Ward will be
the leading figure in the management of
the team
The Superbas also should put up a
better fight than they made last year.
The team was weak at third, owing to
lIimmermans loose stick work, but Dab
len seemed to have filled this gap nicely
when he landed Red Smith. Brooklyn
can use TWO hard-htting outfielders to
keep Zach Wheat company, and it looks
as If Cousins and Davidson will have
hard fight on their hands to keep Hub
NOrthen and Jud Daley from playing
regularly in the outskirts.
Dodgers Get Poor Start.
The BrookIyns started last season with
Nap Rucker on the hospital list. and Cy
Barger was incapacitated shortly after
the campaign got under way. With Nap
and Cv ready at the opening of hostili-
ties next April, to say nothing Of Stack.
Steele. Schardt, Knetzer. Dent, and
other youngsters, Dahlen ought to make
more of furry than he made in the
past two years.
Cincinnati seems to he a doubtful prop
sltion. \ good many baseball men do
not take Hank O'Day seriously as
manager. though they are not using the
hammer on the former arbitrator yet.
Cincinnati had the strength last year to
be right up with the leaders, and on paper
looked to he far stronger than the Car
.
good baseball out Of the Reds. there are
many who think Hank will fare little
better It seems that Cincinnati is hoo
dooed from a baseball viewpoint. Still.
who knows but that Hank will he the
Moses to lead the Reds out OF the wilder
ness?
As for the five contenders Of 1911-the
Giants, Cubs. Pirates, PhIIlies and Car
dinaIs-aIl should be tough nuts to crack
next year In the East ii is expected the
Cubs and Pirates are due for slump.
and some believe that both teams must
be rebuilt from the ground up before
they can again hope for championship
honors. But the Cubs have fooled the
public so long that they may again
spring the unexpected. Give Fred Clarke
a good first baseman and he will be in
the race all the way.
Cardinals Puzzle.
The Cardinals again loom up as puz-
zle They may fall further back in the
second division, and again they may sur
prise every one by maintaining a cham
pionship clip all year. The Mound City
outfit played far above its real strength
in the first half of last season. being
kept in the race largely through Bresna-
hans individual efforts. Can Roger make
the Cardinals again believe they possess
championship caliber? That question can
be answered about September l, 1912.
The Giants and Phillies should be in
the upper ranks of the National League
in 1912, however. Both are young teams
which will improve by experience.
Though the chances of these two teams
look better than they have in several
seasons. almost anything may happen
next year. 1t ought to be a wonderful
race.