Omaha daily bee., 1912-03-03
Man on First Base Now in the Limehght
ny MONTY.

NEW YORK. March Z-Ffrst base hss
proved the hardest position Of all to iii
By the big league teams during the last
few years and at no other time has
there been more uncertainty about ia
occupants throughout the two major cir.
cults than at present Five teams are
among the noIs-sure class. as 10 who will
hold down the job. and two others will
start out with new faces on the first
corner.
The Cleveland Americans viii have
Harry Dtvis. the old regime Athletic.
working on the initial cushion, as well
as managing the outfit. whereas George
Stovaii cavcrted about the same package
OF sawdust last year. 81. Louis Americans
have obtained stovsn by trade. giving
Lefty George. a young southpaw pitcher,
In return and star" George will oc-
cupy the breach that existed in the
Mound City ever since old Tom Jones
was let 50 10 the Detroit Tigers on the
bogus transaction In which Claude Ross
rnan ran Oft on q tangent and refused
to play in st. Louis.
The clubs that are up In the air over
the first base problem are Boston. CHI
cago and Pittsburgh Of the National
league. and Chicago and Boston Of the
American league True, both OF the
teams have veterans on their roxter-stahl
with the Americans and Tenney with the
Nationals-but Il is far from q foreEone
conclusion that they will be able TO keep
up the speed necessary in these days Of
ultra-fast ball. A safe guess would be
that mother OF them can come back"
this year. and that experimenting viii
be dono there the same as at the other
places named.
The National league possesses no less
than three men VINO can be called stars
OF the first magnitude at the jumping off
position. Jake Daubert Of Brooklyn, Fred
Merkle OF New York and Ed Konetchy Of |
81. Louis. are ali splendid performers,
and Philadelphia and Cincinnati are not |
badly fixed with Luderus and Hoblitze, |
respectively. working at the corner
Tho American league has really only |
one man who can always be counted upon
10 play bali that compares with the three
National league stars-and he Is Hal
Chase Of New York. who can give them
all a little handicap and then some.
''stuffy'' Jack McInnes. who performed
80 brilliantly for the Athletics In the
successful 1911 campaign. would seem on
the strength Of his showing to date to
be cIassed among the best OF them all
Without passing judgment on his ability.
Il must be said that he has not yet been
In the arena long enough to Justify an
unqualified declaration that he 10 sure to
'rAyel ct equal speed with Merkle, Dau-
,ert. Konstchy and company. Del Galner,
Who holds the fort At pillow number one ,
or the Detroit Tigers. figures up almost ,
he same ~ Mcfnnes. Germany schasfer, ,
he comicai initial sack guardian Of the !,
Washington Senator'S II witnessing the
eollns Of his star. but Clark Griffith viii
rohsbly keep him on the Job during the
oming season. =
Frank Chances retirement from the
|eld Of play makes the Chicago Cubs
bout the most undecided crew OF all 90
Ar ~ the first bzseman 10 concerned. /.
he peerless leader experimcnted In !.
'Arfety Of ways last season IN order to !.
urn up worthy successor fer himself. !
nut without succesa He was obliged even |.
% step In himself and work In twenty
nins games during tho season because Of
he failure Of the experimentses to de-
tvsr. The trading Of Johnny King to .
sostou put him IN the nscsssity OF having .
0 abandon his plan Of making . first
aseman out Of Jimmy Archer. ~ the
lstsr then became needed behind the bat
rte Holman was brought In from the l
atflsld for service In thirty-nx Of the q
Amss. and the worlds greatest Ill round B
rtist performed In better than passAbIs o
VIA But Holman was needed IN the u
utfaeld. and In the outfieId he went. N