The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1913-04-16
Tiger President Apparently Fa-
vOrable to Clubs Staying
South Until April 4
INSISTS ON GAMES, BUT
DOESN'T CARE WITH WHOM
Tigers This Season Are Umpire
pared to Play Major
League Baseball
BY RALPH l.. YOAkER.

The string of exhibition games III
the spring. compelling the CLUB 20
daily along from the south northward
with the discomforts or two-day
stands. sleeping on trains, shiftlng
from one hotel TO another, playing on
diamonds but little better than sand
lots and against clubs but little better
than Class @, is over for the Tigers,
Judging from the opinions expressed
by both Manager Jennings and Presl-
dent Navin.
Hughie became absolutely disguised
with these games this spring. Ihey
wrecked the club. Starting north in
excellent physical condition injuries
sustained by Gamer and Neach. TO-
gether with the absence OF CooO, SO
broke up the batting order that the
team Ia not as yet anywhere near It's
regular working order.
The club was not prepared 10 open
the season and ii is not yet prepared
TO play big league baseball. IL won
be until its regulars have got back
into the game and the regular working
order of the team Is re-establisneu.
The practice that should have been
obtained against bush leaguers must
be secured at the expense or losing
games during the regular schedule.
OF course, these injuries can hardly
be blamed upon the trip north, Tor
they might have come 10 the CLUB
while playing in the sunny south. But
nevertheless, the trip north had no
benefits to offer the athletes.
There Is no money in this training
trip" said Frank Navin, discussing
prospects for 1914. "Of course we are
losing money every day the club is at
Gulfport, for there is nothing TO come
In there. But even on the trip north
itself. the club doesn't make ex-
penses
II have had the team make the trip
solely for the benefit OF playing
games. | believe that the men play
Ing among themselves cannot detect
their weaknesses as readily as they
can against outside opposition. Men
who play excellently while in their
own crowd will often fall to pieces
when put In opposition TO outside
, clubs.
This has been demonstrated time
and time again. Infielder Stanley is
perhaps the most striking example
this year. He showed up like won
der In the south, but soon fell down
on the trip.
However, I admit that all | want
the trip for Is games. / don't know
what we will do next year, but per-
haps We may arrange 10 play most or
all games In the south and cut out
several Of the stops on the way home
Manager Jennings would favor a
scheme OF this kind. He wants to
have his men report at Gulfport and
stay there until almost time for the
season TO commence, say April IA He
would start games with New Orleans,
Mobile and other cities in the south
just as soon as his men were In shape
and continue them up to the time OF
the Tigers departure for the north.
Then instead of zigzagging through
Mississippi and Alabama he would
come right north. breaking the jump
to the opening city with games al
Chattanooga or Memphis and Louis
vile or Cincinnati
Both Jennings and Navin want
games and plenty OF them But play
ing sandlotters like those at Meridian.
Miss. has no appeal 10 Hughie The
ftelders lose their confidence working
on rough and tumble diamonds after
enjoying the advantages OF the field al
Gulfport, which compares favorably
with any training camp. The htters
lose their confidence while facing
pitchers with poor control. not knay-
Ing whether they are TO be beaned or
not by every ball thrown. They get
into the habit OF pulling away from
the plate, which is demoralizing The
soft grounds do not permit of accnr.
etc judgment in the matter of taking
legitimate distance on batted balls or
In the matter of stealing bases.
IL was not until the Tigers reached
Louisville that they began to have the
real kind Of work they needed this
spring. The games at Cincinnati
would have helped had not the foods
prevented them
number OF the magnateg have
come To the conclusion that this long
exhibition game trip is not a success.
The latest OF these is President Brit
ton OF the st Louis Cardinals
britton has swung over TO the iden
oil an extra-long training season TIE
plans To have the Cardinals eo as FAR
south as they can Just as soon As thew
can. That means that they will 20
down into Florida. probably: Rritton
announces that they will start for rho
: SCUM the lhtter part OF January. This
looks hardly probable. however for
the middle or latter part OF February
In surely early enough for the clubs
to report In the south.
Much OF the beneficial results ~ the
south trips by all the clubs in both
major leagues has been lost through
Indictment weather In the north and
through floods.
m nUC NJZE CHruInv