Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-04-17
BY J. ED GRILLO.

The sportSmanlike conduct Of Owner
Frank Farrell in Offering his ball park
to the New York National League club,
which because Of the destruction Of the
Polo Grounds was homeless, will do more
to make the Highlanders popular in New
York than anything that has ever hap
pened to that club There has always
been some prejudice against the Aneri-
can League club there, New York being
strictly a National League stronghold.
But Farrell by his action has wiped out
much of this, and this will be shown by
the increased popularity of his ball team.
But for Farrells action the New York
club would have found itself in a predica-
ment. 1t would have been forced to
play on the Polo Grounds without &C
commodations, and a heavy financial loss
would have been the result Just what
will be done to give the Giants home
has not yet been decided but the chances
are that work on a new stand at the
Polo Grounds will be rushed, and that, it
will be ready for playing games before
the season is half over.
According to Philadelphia critics, Con-
ME Mack never sends his team to the
mark ready to pu. up its best game. He
wants it to round into form gradually,
and to this is attributed the champions
defeat in ti1rea games with the High
landers. Though they pretend not to be
worried and express every confidence in
the Athletics ability to come back and
work their way to the front, there is no
getting away from the fact that the de-
feats suffered to date have been hard
blow to the supporters OF the Athletics.
1nSf mlch
as they do at any time during cam
paign. OF course. every one knows that
the Athletics are not going to stay where
they are. The team is sure to work its
way to the front, but it was generally
supposed that on last years form the
champions could be looked for to jump
to the front at the outset and stay there
to the finish.
The setback the Athletics nave re
ceived is the best thing that could hap
pen to base ball, for it assures, for a time
at least, that the team which conquered
the Cubs is not going to have everything
its own way in the present pennant race.
McAIeer's AH-Star team, which easily
disposed of the Athletics last fall. was,
with the exception of Speaker and Cobb,
virtually a Washington team. But the
addition of this pair OF outfielder stars
made it one of the strongest teams in
the country if not the strongest. Nc
A1eer has the same team virtually with
which he beat the Athletics. barring, Of
course, the outfield. 1t is not to be ex-
pected that a club could pick up a Cobb
and a Speaker, but it only shows that if
he had a pair Of outfielders who would
class with men of the Duffy Lewis-Hoop-
err type he would have a team which
would be sure to be factor in the race.
Packey Mcfarland has been forced to
acknowledge that he cannot make the
lightweight limit-133 pounds-and that
about the best he can do and be strong
is 49, pounds. But Mcfarland makes the
point that McAuliffe, Lavigne. Frank
Erne and Joe Cans fought for the light
weight title weighing pounds over the
limit. There may be some merit in Nc
Farlands contention. but the fact re-
mains that the lightweight limit has been
133 pounds ringside for years, and the