The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-04-18
New Managers Who Have an
Uphill Task for Their Portion
Change in management may make

Change in management may make
some difference in the standing of
two clubs in the National league.
With Henry O'Day at the head of the
Cincinnati team and John ]. Killing as
the manager of the Bostons, there are
not likely to he any championships
won in Cincinnati or Boston. but there
is a possibility that the stock Of the
Cincinnati and Boston clubs may he
gin to go up as factors in the pennant
races of the future.
has been a tendency to overrate the
strength of the cam. More has been
claimed for tho players than they
could deliver, and that is a handicap
to a baseball nine. for the players are
criticised sharply for that for which
they are not responsible and capable.
Estimates for the season of 1911.
which put Cincinnati i'm the champion
ship class. We're too high. There We're
good ball players on the team and
there arc good ball players on the
team this year, but the organization
was not a championship organization,
and with a pitching force which was
not first class. could hardly be expect
ed to do moro than make Il fight. More
than that, Cincinnati did not possess
the best of inticlds.
At the very finish of the season the
men of the inield began to play bet
ter than they had any time during the
year. O'Day will have the behetit Of
that for the team of this year. More
than that. Il great many young pitch
ers have been gathered to try out in
spring practice. and perhaps one or
two Of these will be effective enough
to be enrolled among the regulars for
the season. The pitching staff. as a
matter of fat, looks better than it
did last season.
Behind the bat Cincinnati is fair,
but not wonderful. IN the outfield
there are two good players and two
Who are uncertain.
Whether O'IaN will be a better dis
c%iplinalian than Griffith is to be prov
ed personally by the new manager.
The former umpire knows baseball
we'll, but it is one thing to know base
ball we'll and another to get players
to play we'll. If O'Day proves to be a
skillful handler Of men he may get
more work out Of Cincinnati players
than some of his predecessors, al
though 1t Is certain that he will not
get more than the team is capable of
producing.
Now take the case of Boston. On
form the team seems like a natural
tail ender. 1t isn't very encouraging
to start the season with that in sight,
but instances have been known where
the teams which seemed destined to
hold the last positions in a league race
have fought their way along success
fully enough to be a menace to al
most every. other club in the league,
not because the tail enders had any
chance to win the championship on
their own account. but for the reason
that they we're likely to hit hard when
least expected to do so.
Kings knowledge Of baseball is as
good or better thar that of others who
have essayed to manage major league
teams. The task before him in Bos-
ton is not so much to win this year as
to build up. Whatever success he may
have will make him the more popular
and bring forth the greater praise, for
there is so little expected Of Boston
that the better his record the more
formidable he will appear for the sea-
son of 1919.
Boston has a team Of hard batters,
as it stands at present. but 1t is not a
fast team. There are men who can
hit the ball we'll but they cannot go
YER far on it after they bat it.