The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-01-28
NO CHANGE IN
 GIANT LINE UP
By MANHkTTAS

any lack of material. As a,matter of fact McGraw will take south with him this spring no less than r youngsters. Of these seven are pitchers, two catchers
 five lnfelders and three outfielders They are a husky, hard hitting lot of young sters and some of them probably will de- velop into stars. As a matter of fact however, nearly all of McGraw's men are comparatively youngsters and man to turn into regular place on the team must be away above the average in play ing ability.
 He could use. a couple of additional pitchers, and perhaps a catcher. and is confident he will get both in the batch which goes south next month. /
 Now, that Three Fingered Brown, the great pitching standby of the Chicago Cubs for six years, has announced his re- tirement it Is evident that Manager Frank Chance is worried about the pennant prospects of his team for next season. The first base position also worries him, Victor Safer not having shown any cham pionship form.
 Tn these days of fast inside ball." says Chance, "a first baseman who can only play the bag has no business on a team which is trying to win the championship. Nor Is a first baseman who can hit as we'll as play the first bag of sufficient worth.
 "The first baseman of today has to be able to do business on the bases. And that is one department of the game in which have gone back.
 'Time was when I yielded to no man when 1t came to running bases. I would take just as many chances as any man in the game. But no more. It isn't be- cause I have lost my nerve or that my knowledge of base running has. decreased. It's because I can't do the stunts that I formerly could do. My legs will not per- init me.
 q may trx,t to play first next summer. But I d9dbt whether I can. Yes, I'll give $25, ,000-sfor Konetchy of the Cardinals. l think he Is a great first baseman and great batter He will drive in my runs. and while I do not figure that he is the equal of some of the other first seekers, I would give that amount of money for him. A star ball player is worth that much money to any team in the running for pennant Konetchy might have made us pennant winner last year. And s25.- 900 is small price to pay for pennant
 "If there Is anything in the talk that Bresnahan is willing to allow Koney to go he can get S25,00 from the Cubs"
 Although the murderous shillalah of J. Franklin Baker, the slugging third base man of the worlds champion Athletics. is supposed to have figured in several rallies since the close of the worlds series. as q matter of hard, cold fact, Frank took 1t home with him to Trappe, Md and 1t will be banging out the home run drives again next season as of yore. If there is one thing baseball player believes in it is his wagon tongue. He never lets go of good l,a lao. do If- Bakers murderous bat will be on the job again for the Athletics in 1912.
 That $15,000 salaries in baseball will be common inside of 10 years is the opinion of Ty Cobb. Baseball will continue 70 increase in popularity" says Tyrus. "Ev- cry major league club will have plant costing from $5oo,oo0 to $l,ooo,0oo. Many minor league parks will rival those in major league cities Another major league will be formed within the next five years. Competition will become keen and star ball players will be paid fabulous sums.
 Ball players will be smarter. Unless conditions are satisfactory they will or ganize and force the magnates to recog nize their rights. Players will also be faster more dashing style of play will prevail. This, together with the improve ments in parks, will attract crowds, and the club owners coffers will be filled with gold.
 "Fifteen years ago star players received salaries equivalent to those of the or dnary players of today. When the at tendance increased and magnates felt their Investments were safe they loosened up
 Larger cities will mean larger crowds and more money for ball players and club owners The players are the drawing cards They will be paid according to their value as dividend earners
 Baseball will become faster in many departments. expect to see scores of players of the dashing, chance taking type developed within the next few years Ball clubs are securing the country for players of that sArt.
 Baseball fans are taking a greater in- terest in inside baseball. They will de- vote more study to the finer points Ten years from now fans will have what they want above everything else in baseball-I extreme speed.'
 Tentative plans for next years Olym- piad will allow American athletes suffl- cient time to unlimber themselves after they reach Stockholm, Sweden, is the opinion of Gustavus T. Kirby, president of the Amateur Athletic union and a mem- Der of the American Olympic committee.
 Unless something unforeseen occurs the Scneuule callS TOT the Salllng of the team on June 12, two weeks after it's members have been selected at the tryouts in the Harvard stadium.
 The ship is due to dock at the Swedish port on June 2I giving the competitors nine whole days in which to wear off the kinks and prepare themselves for the big games July 6, according to the Olymp.c programme. is the date set for athletics. in which Uncle Sam's boys will make their first appearance.
 Arthur Irwin, when we asked him re- gently why there had been so few trades in big league circles. cut loose with the following explanations
 The reason is said he that money no longer cuts much figure in obtaining q big league. star. Time was when the sen sational player could be bought for cash Chicago sold Mike Kelly, for instance. That time is past. A club can no longer l afford to dispose of some player who is a big attraction. The game has developed | to such an extent that the demand for | first class men far exceeds the supply
 Baseball has become huge amusement enterprise. How many theatres would it l take to accommodate the crowd that saw the first game between the Giants and | Athletes?
 Clubs cannot buy the best men now, and as a result they have to take the most promising minor leaguers and spend time and money in trying to develop them. The competition for these youngsters is keen and it is in discovering them and sizing | up their ability and the development or lrl,ir afsa l.l hot