Imperial Valley press., 1913-05-08
BASEBALL MATTERS VIEWED
FROM EASTERN G|AM0NOS
tBY UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATIONS

| lBY UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATIONS
NEW YORK, May S.-Charley Muir
ply, no doubt, is saying. 81 told you
So" and Windy City fans Of snap judS-
ment may agree that he Of the brilliant
vests didn't go so far wrong in letting
the Peerless Leader go. However
Chubby Charley and others of his lk
have the dope all wrong. Baseball teams
are not made In day, especially when
the task is complicated by the builder
he'ng forced to tear down the totter-
ing walls before he can start on new
foundation.
Frank Chance took charge OF the New
York Americans this season under ter
rible handicaps. The Yanks were about
as badly disorganized and demoralized
as any jinx-ridden crew that ever repre-
sented a major league tOWn-no. not
even excepting the decrepit machine
which represents Boston in the Nation
al league. Esprit de corps among the
Ianks in 1912 was about as noticeable
as it was among the Moslems who
We're goose -egged by the Bulgars at
the Chatalja fortif; cations. The Yanks
had so deteriorated that they had less
real fighting spirit as team than a
docile doe which has been trapped by
hungry tiger, in spite Of the pres
ence of several grand masters of the
game in their midst. Their pep" was
not.
These were the conditions which
confronted Frank Chance when he ac-
cepted charge Of the Yankees and S25,
900 yearly stipend. Because OF his
record as a player-leader, it was not
strange that some of the Yankee fans
sat themselves down and waited for
Chance to lead his 1913 team through
the American league second division
clubs like a i3-inch shell through the
sides of tiny torpedo boat. And when
that impossible thing didn't happen.
these snap judgment fans and even
some Of the baseball writers, who
should know better, began to hint that
the Peerless Leader had stacked up
against an insoluble problem. However
the fairminded are giving Chance his
chance. And it is no more than fair that
he should be given the entire year in
which to show. He has said all along
that if he finishes better than sixth
this season he would feel he had ac
cOmplshed wonders. II he does, and it
is possible. Chance is the one to do it
it will mean that the Yankees will
be a team to be reckoned with serious
ly in 1914, not as probable conten-
der for the pennant, but as team that
may prevent an easy march to that
goal over its shambling form as was
the case last year.
Give Chance time. He's up against
stiff proposition, and the matter of
finding logical berths for himself and
Hal Chase on the same outfit, isn't the
worst Of his many difficulties. There
is a roOmful of others. Charley Murphy
and those inclined to reason like him
had best wait and not laugh too soon.
J. !.
Ray keating, youthful tWirler, has
so far made good the prophecies Of
Frank Chance and other wise ones that
he will develop into a great pitcher.
Heating is young and his recent feat
Of holding the slugging Athletics to
three hits which gave the Yanks a four
to nothing victory was not merely the
spurt Of day. Ray has pulled as good
stunts before and he continues to pull
them with greater and greater fire.
quency. Backed up by q stronger team
as he undoubtedly will be next year,
keating's name will be seen more and
more in the headlines.