The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1913-02-16

CONNIE MACK.
showed the best base running of the
circuit. That proves that the pitch
ing was at fault and that the breaks
of the luck We're against the team.
Bender slumped badly, Morgan be-
came a second rater. Undoubtedly
Mack had to shoulder the burden of
the blame. He should have known
early in the season that some of his
men were not going to give their best
efforts to the club. Had he known
Bender and Morgan were not behaving
and that Bris Lord was suffering
from too much prosperity, and that
their work was affecting Others, he
might have done it. But if Mack has
a weakness it is in trusting his men
and he trusted them until it was too
late to apply the remedy and effect a
cure last yea He got out of auaran-
tine late in the year and showed a lot
of baseball.
McInnis, hitting .347 and stealing 40
bases, fast, dangerous and full of ann
bltlon and desire to win, easily ranks
the first baseman of the league,
barring Chase, and he has Chase
beaten on ambition. Collins, hitting
.34S and stealing GO bases, is peer of
the best Of the second basement. This
boy has steadied with age and gained
in reliability more thar he has lost in
brilliancy. Jack Barry, the rains of
the 1nfield and a wonderful ball
player, had a slump last season, and
1t Is evident from both purchase ana
draft that Mack fears his great short
stop is slipping back. Barry slowed
up in his work all round, although he
hit .261. Baker. hitting .347 and steal
ing 40 bases, was at or near his best,
and is the best third baseman on the
circuit. The infield is still easily the
best in the country, steadier than it
ever was, a little less flashy and a lot
more reliable.
The outfield, which rather smashed
up for a time, is still strong. f. and
d. Murphy are hard to beat and nor
mally close to 800 hitters. Danny no
longer has the speed, but he is a great
player, and Eddie is almost as good
and younger. Rube Oldring plugs
along over the 300 mark. He never
was fast, never was ~brilliant-but he
hits, and his hits and long driving
cover a multitude of sins. Amos
Strunk was a disappointment to a lot
of people last season, but not to me.
| did not expect him to flash as bril-
liantly as an outfielder in a regular
job as he did when called in in a
pinch. He is one of the fastest men in
baseball-the rival of Cobb and so close
to Henriksen that a split second watch
has a hard time separating them. He
hit ,2S9, which ought not to be disap-
pointing except that wonders We're ex-
pected. He stole 80 bases, which proves
he has some judgment back of his
great speed. l believe Strunk will
show great improvement during the
coming season.
Lapp was the strength of the catch
ing department. He is improving each
season and still hitting. He hit .292
last season and is a normal 300 hitter.
His catching improved, while Ira
Thomas slumped badly, both back Of
the bat and in hitting. 1t seemed just
an off yea for him rather than any
specific trouble. Things did not break
right, n a couple of injuries ham
pered his work. Egan did not show
strength enough to help out the catch
ing staff.
The pitching was what hurt. Plank
had another of his good years, n for
a fellow who goes along year after
year winning over 600 per cent he
went too we'll. I do not figure him to
win such a large percentage this sea-
son. Morgan exploded and went back,
and Jack Coombs, with q victories
and 10 beatings, was about normal.
Bender did not behave we'll. He won
II and lost 10 games, but in his usual
form ought to have pitched more
games and won a larger percentage.
Mack got Bender back onto the res
ervation before the end of the season
and had him in form. I think the In
dian will come again this season and
win two out of three games, and l am
figuring him to pitch 80 games at least
and help out in others. Mack will let
him earn his forgiveness.
Houck did only fairly we'll, winning
eight and losing eight, but he improved
steadily, n at the close and in the
postseason games he was showing a
lot more and threatening to become a
first-rater. C. Brown is only average
or a bit above it. Evidently Mack
thinks he has enough in the pitching
line, for he is not making extra siren
uous efforts to and pitchers.
In fact, Mack appears satisfied with
everything except shortstop and the
catching department. He landed