Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-07-14
BY Il. c. BYRD.

The post-season series will bring to-
| gether a stronger bunch of teams than
| competed last year. The combinations of
clubs which will contest the city cham
pionships as representatives of the va
rious leagues will, in general, be much
stronger than those which played in the
1911 series At least that will be the
case If the indications now prevailing In
| the leagues count for anything.
! Suppose the teams which are most Ike
| Iy to meet in the series be taken one by
one, they will be found to be better look
i ing aggregations than the ones which
represented the same leagues year ago.
| There may be one possible exception.
Take what is generally believed to be
| the strongest team in the city at present,
| the Cornell Company, and there IS ainost
a general sureness that It Il peIte.
| combination of players now. The lnneiq
looks faster and is certainly composed OF
| better hitters than played on the nine
which lost to the Trust company Lne
final game. The pitching staff is e httie
balanced It will be weakened, though, IN
the big series by the loss OF one OF the
best men on it-Waiters.
Either of the two teams which are now
| fighting for the champion ship IN the
Independence League look more formida-
| Bile than did Manhattan last year, Juog,,
ing by the fact that both have defeated
| the same squad this year that took part
| teams looks little better than did Man
| haitian at that time. while with the re-
| cent additions much strength mas peeh
| added to both. a.. ~,
i The Printers look to be better than iase
years champions Of the Marquette League
| simply because they beat out the Medicos
| this season by a fair margin. 1t Is hard-
/ " probable the Printers will have mucn zen
chance against the other clubs IN the
/ better aggregation than last season
| pennant winners In the same circuit; J.
The Government League was not IN
existence last season and no line VIII De
secured on the team representing It until
after it has played q game or SO against
Out in the sunday School League the
ingram or Nativity nine. looks as tnousn
it will beat out Sherwood. sherwood mas
practically the same team it had last sea
son, and II it loses this year II VIII oe
because it met a better club 49,,
The East Washington SUNDAY Scn0ol
League is playing Its first season. put the
Ninth Street Christian team, judging by
the way it has romped away Win tne
schedule In the circuit, should be strong
enough to show we'll -.
There is no Bankers League, but tne
club which represented that circuit last
season will play as member OF Ine
Columbia League next month, ana WhHe
it is almost intact, 1t Is improved over
last season. It's pitching staff is better,
and II has added another catcher, which
factors should prove of immense aovan-
/ tage.
i The Northern League teams are
composed for the most part Of youngsters
and will stand little chance 10 ngure III
the final result.
The one league which may not be more
strongly represented this year than last Is
1.-THE Departmental At first glance II
<ho< ho Mail mi have
e. better team than last seasons, because
Lit is composed Of almost the same players
and they are not OF the age wnen Lney
Improve with time. The addition Of Fan
merry to the pitching staff should help
considerably, though, and with him there
lis not much doubt that the Mailmen Will
present just about as strong front as
they did during the other campaign. the
team will get good pitching ana tnat
II counts for q great deal.
Two of the best all-round men in the
District were signed yesterday by the
4 Ioffier club and their addition will I'M
doubtedly aid it in its fight for the PEN
nant The contracts Of Earle Steele and
Il Phil Buscher were sent into the secre-
J tary of the commission by Manager
u Loff1er. and the two men will start play
ing with the team this week.
The two departments In which men will
be needed now have been filed and the
Proyisioners look to have at least an even
three days ago appeared to be the strong
est combination in the circuit The one
outf1elder who was needed all season has
been found In Steele. and 1t is needless
to say that both the pitching and hitting
have been made stronger by Buscher' 9
presence Buscher, besides being a
pitcher much above the average. Is able
to hold his own as a batter among the
amateurs.
steele is undoubtedly one of the. best
outfeIders in the city He is not only 2
fast fielder but hits exceptionally well
and runs the bases with great deal OF
Judgment His record in stolen bases has
always been Of the very best. That
Buscher is a good pitcher is certain. His
record sustains the assertion that he has
few If any superiors in this section OF the
country in the class.
The other of the two leaders in the In
dependence League Is considerably
strengthened also. The Pepco nine looks
much more formidable now than at any
time this season. It has added another
good inflelder and man who can play
either the In or out field.
Murphy, who will cover second base
from now on. is a good man He played
some good ball In the Virginia State
League before his club broke up. and that
he will do some mighty good work In the
amateur circuits is certain. Murphy Is
a good fielder and q better hitter.
Somebody had better watch out. With
things going on as they are now the win
ner of the Independence League cham
pionship is apt to surprise few and up
set some calculations. With the clubs now
representing that league 1t would not be a
very unt0ward matter to see one of them
win in the final series.
ReidpatI1 is the greatest .quartermiler In
the world today. His performance in the
Olympic meet yesterday Is all the proof
necessary of that fact. He is q wonderful
runner. When a man can go out day
after day and run heats in the quarter
and then do the distance In the final In
less than forty-nine seconds. he Is travel
ing better than anybody would imagine.
It would be worth great deal to see
Refdpath run quarter. The fine preci-
sion shown in every movement IL some
thing that Is 30 Unusual In this section
OF the country as to be considered mar
velous. It Is mighty seldom that man
Of his capabilities performs In the south
The only man who could come anywhere
near eQualing the record OF the Syracuse
man is Carpinter when he covered the
distance In 40 4-5 In the last lap OF a relay
race in Baltimore four years. ago. The
ease, power and speed which he got into
his running was nlarveled at by every
body WHO saw the race. and II Reidpath,
who Is generally pronounced one OF the
greatest men at the distance the game
has ever produced, were to perform here,