Evening journal., 1913-11-08
MACKMEN GOOD
ANOTHER YEAR
1t Is Predicted That They
viii Repeat 1913
Triumph
TEAM HAS NO
WEAK SPOTS In 1T


American League fans in Wilmington
are already picking the Athletics to re-
peat their winning of the American
League flag and also the worlds series
in 1914, baspg their predictions ON the
prospects Connie Mack has Tor next year
IN outfeld nhed and batteries the
Mackmen will be as strong, il not
stronger, than this season. The nhcld
will be about the same, with some inn ,
prevcmcnt in the increased experience of
the men probable. The outfcld will be
much improved and the batteries like
wise
During the last season the Athletic
fouthcldors. that is, the regulars, were
Oldring, Strunk and I'd Murphy Next
season these same men viii be with the
Macks, and the chances are that they
will be stronger than ever Rube Old
ring is the only ono who has approached
the zenith Of form, and Ruhe Is by no
means on the backward path.
Amc~ Strunk and Eddie Murphy arc
both scheduled 10 develop great deal.
Strunk could not improve chi hi fielding,
but he will unqucstionably become a
harder hitter although he was tapping
the ball around 800 all during the last
rampaign As for Eddie Murphy, there
is every reason 70 believe that he will
ncNt season be one of the great players
OF the American League. This year was
bis first as q regular on the Athletic
club, yet he played a consistently bril-
liant game az all times, and went
through the worlds series with stream
Ing ooiors. His hitting in the series was
hard aud timely.
Connie Mack will have, next season !
three extra men upon whim he can de-
pend at any time during the season and |
also in a worlds series. They are Danny |
Murphy, Jimmy Walsh and Pete Daley. |
If anything had occurred Immediately |
before or during the worlds series with !
New York which had put one Of the
regular outholders out, his place would
have been filed by any ono Of the three
players mentioned in way which would
have made no difference in the result
Of the games. unless the utility man had
come through in better style than the
man Tor whom he was substituted. In
that there might have been difference
in-the games, but it would have been for
the better.
There is little to say of Mack's in
felders for next season They will be
that same 100000 quartet, unless their
play during the last season has justified |
a raise in their valuation 70 100000 in |
stead Of the former figure.
Mclnnis Barry, Collins and Baker are
.young II is difficult to see how they
could improve in their work next year,
but on the other hand there is even less
reason to think of any one of them
aoinp-lhaek than TO think that there
might be some development.
As for the utility men on the dia-
mond, IL is hard to say whom Mack
will retain from his list. Harry Davis
VIII. in all probability be back, but
he did more coaching than playing
this year and will do the same thing
again. The case of Bill Orr is diff |
ferent. Bill had his first year of
American League ball this last sea-
son. He stood up we'll in all the I
tests. Unfortunately he was suffer-
inx from an injured hand for weeks
before the close of the season, yet he /
gamely played In a number OF games
here, and in the West, when Jack |
Barry was out with an injured |
shoulder.
The new men whom Connie will
look over at Jacksonville for the in
neld are Caruthers, Fritz. Pfeffer and
Lavan. The Last has been with the Ath
letics during a part OF the season, but
his hitting was not up to the stand
ard, and unless he shows improve
ment he may be one OF the men to
20 when the wedding out begins next
season.
Mack's battery this year, particu-
larly in the worlds series. was a
pheasant surprise to Athletic follow
erg The development Of Walter
Echang, the dashing young catcher,
who made such a great hit In the re-
cent clash with the Giants, was the
= =
During the early part OF the season
Walter did not take his regular turn,
but when Mack found that he was the
best receiving performer who ever
broke into the majors, as the Ath-
letics' leader put It, Schang was sent
IN and Ira Thomas relegated TO the
coaching squad.
Jack Lapp had trouble all season
with his throat He was injured in
the spring by being struck just above
the Adams apple. Jack dropped from
4 800 hitter to about .230, but next
season he will be back on top OF the
nittere and playing his former high
grade ball. He will have an oper-
alton on his throat in the near future.
and Il is expected that he WI re-
cover his lost voice and be in per-
feet health by the time the Athletics
leave for the South late in the winter.
In the pitching department the de-
velopment of the young pitchers
should give Mack a better stan than
he has this season. Joe Bush, Bob
Shawkey, Pennock. Wyckoh and
Houck are the young members OF the
Clan who are due 10 do a lot of de-
veloping, although several OF them
came through in good shape this sea-
son. Carroll Brown, Bender and
Plank will be in the pitching case
Brown is young enough TO improve
although he pitched grand ball this
last year. An injury to his knee a
few weeks ago put him out OF the
Yunning in the worlds series
Whether John Coombs will be In
condition to pitch ball next season is
N = matter which nobody knows. His
\friends ana teammates are hoping
&hat he will recover from his second
attack and be able to be his old self
ruFther than that there is no use
speculating on the chances of Coombs.
= BASKETBALL AT MILFORD.
44-.t.r a.. rr1ur p,VENTNC TOIrPNAT