The Washington times., 1911-02-12
anren Are Prepared for the Holding Of Big Wrestling Tourney This Week
ATHLETICS MOI, SURE
OF THE NEXT FLAG
Even Connie Mack Uncer-
tain as to Outlook for
His Players.

PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 12-Just be-
cause a certain tall gent who says his
name is Mack happens to be concert
meister of the Athletics. and the Ath-
letics carried off a few gewgaws in
baseball last season, it does not neces-
sarily follow that Mack considers his
bonded servants unbeatable.
AS a matter of fact, everybody in
Philadelphia is Iamenting the belief
that there will be no race in the Amer
lean League this year: they show a
startling unanimity of opinion that the
Athletics will have the pennant again
before they take the field. The only
skeptic in Philadelphia is Connie Mack,
manager Of the Athletics.
Mr.. Mack was discovered in the-con-
ming tower of his steel and concrete
fortress at Twenty-first and Lehigh
avenue. As he has no holdouts to help
him pass away the time in the Off sea
son, Connie looked rather glum. He
would have felt much better had there
been a saucy letter from one of his
1910 stars before him. ..-
DO you think Mr.. Mack, that the
Athletics will have this years pennant
clinched by April 30. or will it be as
late as May 15?'' the still, tall manager
was asked. -.
The Athletics?' responded Mack
"Oh. yes. there is a team in the Amer
ican League SO styled. l believe they
get under way on April Il like the
seven others.
Looking for a Race.
Seriously speaking. we expect a race
this year, and a hard one Certainly
nothing has happened to cause me to
lose faith in my team, but champion
ships are never decided in a room like
this at this time of the year.
For the Athletics TO repeat. the
team must be in the best of condition
and never let up for a second. We were
fortunate last season on the question
OF injuries, and may not be SO lucky
tnls year: In 1910 we had two star
players, Strunk and OIdring, out of the
game: but when Oldring was hurt.
otrunk had recovered, and we were
never weakened to any great extent
.. should oidring and Strunk be out of
year, then we would be in trouble. We
are pretty we'll supplied with extra
material, yet accidents might upset all
my calculations. There are SO many
factors that go toward deciding a base
ball championship that II is the height
OF folly to single one team out and de-
clare that 1t can't be beaten.
The other teams also must be con-
sidered: there are seven other clubs in
the league, and none of them has been
idle since the season closed. Many have
been strengthened with excellent ma
terial.
For instance, there are two or three
T4IW n, LII.
season that should be dark horses this
year. Two of the clubs l have in mind
are Chicago and Cleveland. Both Duffy
and MCGUIRE have added immense
strength to their teams during the win
ter, and 1t would be foolish for any
body to count either team out of the
pennant running.
Detroit Is Dangerous.
Detroit is dangerous at all times.
The Tigers have added tremendous bat
ting strength and are game fighters to
the last They should be better this
year than last. which means that the
Athletics will have TO work harder to
beat them.
Boston always has a good club. They
have a grand outfieId and infield and a
fine pitching STAFF. / can't understand
The real team in the league, how
ever, is New York. l am actually
more afraid of the Highlanders than
any other rival club. Their pitchers
even better work this year than last:
Moreover. the Highlanders have a good
fast team in the field, and play inside
baseball. They showed more SCIENTIFIC
and inside stuff last season than any
of our opponents.
Il consider Hal Chase one of the
greatest players in the country, and
believe that it won't be long before he
is rated just as highly as a manager.
The team that beats the Highlanders
next season is going to win the pen
nant."
Connie Mack announced that Chief
Bender has scrawled an example of his
on a 1911 contract. Ben
der at no time was a hold-out, and only
received his contract a few days ago.
He simply waited until he found the
time to visit Mack.
Bender Grand Pitcher.
Bender Is a grand pitcher. and he
ought to pitch as good ball next sea-
son as last" said Connie. Il see that
some out-of-town critics refer to Ben
der as an old man. On the contrary.
Bender is a young n,an-younger than
Ed walsh, Frank Smith, Christy Math-
ewson, Doctor White, Ed Mullin,- and
many other pitchers, who are still
pitching good ball,
when Bender tjoined the Athletics in
1903 he was just twenty years old, which
would make him twenty-eight years
of age now. 1t Tlhst be recalled that
Bender, like several of my pitchers,
joined the Athletics without serving
from two to five years. in the minor
leagues. -Bender's seven-year stay here
represents all of his professional base
ball experience. look for the Chip
pewa to be a star pitcher in the Ameri-
can League for many years to come"