The Washington herald., 1913-03-16
ATHLETICS HAVE
perfect INF|ELD
Connie Mack's Indoor Defense
Looks to Be Best in the Pro-
fessional Baseball Span.
McGRAWHAS HIS WORRIES
MerNe and Fletcher Are on the De.
cline and Giants Manager Care
fully Watches Recruits.

ANSSAasess
Connie Mack, of the Athletics. is the
only major league manager VINO mas
been able to plunge into spring training
with no worry over his inner defense-
Philadelphias infeld Is close to per-
fection as anything that has been flashed
across the professional baseball span
Even McGraw is bit uncertain a to the
final array of the champion Giants, whtle
a couple of the Red Sox inielders are
questionable quantities.
McGraw's infield did not just suit him
last season. despite the runaway race he
made in the National League. The team
staggered through the campaign well
enough but in the celebrated world 5
series-the real tesla few things trans
pired that set the fans to thinking any
how In the worlds series, and, indeed,
in the final stages of the spring. both
Merkle and Fletcher fell down badly
Merkle played very erraucally the last SIX
weeks, and then gummed the series by
failing to try for an easy pop foul from
Iris Speaker in the eighth and concluding
contest of the annual classic.
McGraw may be forced to employ both
these men through lack of better material.
1t is not likely that he Will judge them
by worlds series performances Had he
been a manager OF this stamp. Jack Muir
ray would have been excused after his
dismal failure in the 1911 clash with the
Athletics. McGraw braved public senti-
ment chung to Murray. and gave this
sterling gardener a chance to vlndlcate
his ability McGraw also stuck by Merkle
after that incident of 1898 when failure TO
touch second base cost New York a PEN
nant. That MerkIe is a good game fellow
there is no denying; he proved it by
braving the wrath of the multitudes and
the criticisms of the scribes. He may
come back this year. as Murray did last,
and prove MCGraw's judgment the most
sound after all.
MerkIe in n slump.
Ii must be confessed however that
MerlIle slumped so perceptibly during the
closing stages of the last campaign that
the Little Napoleon is thinking seriously
about the question. McGraw has been
schooling his great Indian recruit. Jim
Thorpe. for first base duty. He may not
he apprehersive of Merkle. but it is
certainty that he appears none too GER
tain of him. Fletcher. too. will have 10
hustle as he never hustled before to hold
the shortstop position safe from Tile
Siafer's clutches. McGraw himself says
that Fletcher might never have gained
regular berth in 1872 but for the death
of Shafer's mother. which called that
sterling performer away at a time when
he was playing in superb form.
The infield of the Boston Red SoX was
all that could be desired in 1872, but il is
questionable if it can hold together an
other year. NerkeS was carried along
by Henie Wagner, who had his best
major league season. Wagner has been
playing for many years and cannot pos
shly improve. Indeed it will be surpris-
ing if he does not start TO go back. How
he has ever escaped injury So far is a
mystery for he blocks in way that is
decidedly dangerous to him. Once let
him get cut down badly and it may ruin
him. for he is no longer yOungster who
can recupeTate quickly. Jake Stahl is
rafting good first baseman. but he. too,
is beginning to feel the jOust with Time.
The double responsibilities of manager
and player took lot out of him last
year This spring he is schooling an un-
derstudy in the hope OF retiring to the
bench. Larry Gardner. at third, is one
jewel About the best third saCker in the
league, this fellow. and there are some
mighty good third basemen in Home
Run Baker, Eddie Foster. and Harry
Lord-thouEh Lord must now be consid
cred an Uutfielder.
Many Gnps 10 FIJI.
Let US briefly size up the two major
league situations. The Cubs have to fill
the gap caused by the loss of Joe Tinker.
The latter will have to prove his value
Reds Brooklyn has to build up about
the keystone. while the Phillcs so
heset ti1at they are thinking of yankinC
Sherwood Magee in to first base. The
QuakeTs are a bit up in the air at third.
too. where there is considerable uncer-
tainty about Hans Lobert regaining his
old-time form. The Pirates have been
looking for a first baseman for years.
Boston has only infeld surety.
Sweeney at second. while the Cardinals
have to do lot of strengthening to fig
ure in the hunt
Hal Chase is the only approved infieldcr
on the New York Americans. unless Frank
Chance is able to play. In that case
Chase will have to be remade into a
second saCker. Detroit has nobody
hut Bush at shortstOp. and the Ma
tionals lack a competent second baseman.
The White SOX have not solved the wing
problems. while Cleveland seems totter-
ing generally all along the innerline. The
Browns are decidedly experimental save
for Jimmy Austin. the very weak hitting
third sacker.
Mack's Wonderful Quartet.
Under these circumstances it is rather
delightful to turn back to Connie Mack's
wonderful quartet. There have been
some wonderful four-ply combina tons
notably the old Orioles and Cubs-but
none surpassed in all round perfection
the present Athletic array. Speed agil-
ity, consistency, and strategy are all TO
be found in defense as well as offense
Collective, the four bat far above the 800
mark. Barry, the weakest swatter. is one
of the most dangerous in a pinch, and
he pounded at a .261 clip in 1872 "Stuffy''
McInnes, who supplanted the veteran
Harry Davis, swatted .327 last year. As
a fielder, none surpasses him save Hal
Chase.
Eddie Collins. at second, is the real
speed marvel of the bunch. In 1909 he
surprised the country by pilfering eighty
one sacks, the greatest number of steals
since the days of Bill Lange, when the
balk rule was not so rigidly enforced.
Last year Collins grabbed sixty-three
cushions, twice stealing six bases in
single game. He walloped the horse hide
for -3is. just one point better than Home
Run Baker.
His wonderful infeld makes Connie
Mack's Athletics one of the most highly
esteemed aggregations that ever started
a campaign. In Murphy and Walsh he
picked up wonderful pair of outfielders
from Baltimore. 1t is simply case of
pitching with him. Let the old boys,
Bender, Plank, and Coombs, show aver
age effectiveness, and Connie Mack will
give all rivals tie fight of their lives
Walsh and Lohert of the PhilIy team,