Albuquerque evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1911-1914, 1912-03-08
CUBS AND PIRATES
NEED GOOD FIRST
BASEMAN now
Managers on Hunt for Best
Youngsters; Daubert, KOh-
necty and Merkle Best in
National League.

NhbVudA League,
New York. March s.-First base
has proved the hardest position OF all
10 fill by the big League tennis dur
ing the last feW years. and az no
other time has there been more un-
certainty about IT'S occupants through
out the two major circuits than AZ
present Five tcamn are among tho
non-sure class. az % who win hold
down the Job. ana two others win
start ont with new faces on the first
corner.
The Cleveland Americans will have
Harry Davis. the Old regime Athletic.
working on tho initial cushion. az
we'll aa manHsinR the outfit whereas
George stovall cavorted about the
same package OF sawdust last year.
Sc. Louis Americans have obtained
Stovall By irodo. giving Lefty George.
a young southpaw pitcher. IN return.
and Star OeofRe viii occupy the
breach that cxisted ia the Mound city
ever since old Tom Jones was let 70
TO the Detroit Tigers on the bogus
transaction In which claude Rossman
ran off on tangent and refused 10
play Ia s.. Louis.
The clubs that arc zap ~ the air"
over the first huse problem are BOs-
ton, Chicago and Pittsburg 81 the Ns~
tiOnai league. and Chicago and Hos
ton OF the American league. TRUE,
both of the teams have veterans on
their rOster-Stahl with the Ameri-
cans. and Tonney with the Nationals
but il Is far from a foregone con-
clusion that they viii be able 10 keep
up the speed necessary IN these days
OF ultra-fast ball. A safe guess
would be that neither OF them can
come back" this yeaT and that eX-
perlmentlng Will be- done there the
same as at the other places
The National league possesses no
less than three men who can be called
stars OF the first magnitude at the
jumping off position. Jake Daubcrt
.of Brooklyn. Fred Merkle of New
York. and Ed Konetchy Of ST. Louis,
are all splendid performers and Phil
adelpkia and Cincinnati are not bad
~ fixed with Luderus and Hoblltzellc.
respectively. working at the corner.
The American league has really
only one man who can always be
counted upon 70 play ball that COM
pares with the three National league
stars--and he IS Hal Chase OF New
York. who ran give them all liitie
handicap and then some. "Stuffy"
Jack McInncs. who performed 50
BRILLIANTLY for tho. Athletics ~ the
successful 1911 campaign. would seem
on the strength on his showing 20
date 10 be- elasscd emonR the best Of
tirm an. Without. passing judgment
on his ability, Il mpet be said that he
has not yet been IN tho big arena long
enough o. Justify an unqualified
declaration that be Is sure 10 travel
NJ equal speed with Merkie. Daubert,
Konotchy and company. Del Gain
er. who holds tho fort at pillow num-
Der one for the Detroit Tigers, figures
almost the same as McIunes. Ger
many Schaefer, the comical initial
sack guardian Of the Washington
senator's. Is witnessing the decline OF
hts star. but Clark Griffith win prob
ably keep him on the same job during
the coming season.
Frank Chances retlremen, from
the field OF play makes the Chicago
Cubs about the most undecided crew
OF an IN. far NJ the first baseman Is
concerned. The peerless leader ex-
porimented In q variety OF ways last
saason IN order 10 turn up n worthy
successor for himself. but without
success. lie Was Obliged even TO ster
IN himself and work IN twenty-nine
games during the season because OF
the failure Of the experimentees "a
deliver The trading of Johnny kslae
to- Boston put him in the necessity 81
having 10 abandon his plan OF maxi
ing a first basemnn out Of Jimmy
Archer. as tho latter then became
needed behind the bat. ATtie Hof-
man was brought Ia from the out
field for service IN thirty-six OF the
games and the worlds greatest all
around artist performed In better
than passable stylo. But Holman
was needed Ia the outfleld. and TO tho
outfiold ne went. while the youngsier
Victor SAFER was put on duty at the
initial cushion. saier was there lo1
seventy three comes, but showed
many palpnbie sh0rtcomings and tho
indications arc that ho VIII not be
regular this year