The Washington herald., 1913-04-06
MAILER DECIDES
| ON Team MAKEUP
Red Sox Pitching Staff to Be
Larger Than that Of =
Last Season.
|STAHL TO STAND PAT
Team Which Won 1912 Pennant viii
Open Coming Season in Boston
Next Thursday.

| AS too many cooks often spoil the
broth, so also may top-heavy playing
list adversely affect the chances of a con-
tender of the championship. This Is the
ibelief entertained by President McAleer
and the Red Sox management, at least,
and. with economy as their watchword,
the directing powers of the Boston outfit
have already begun to prune the extra
| items from the annual expense HIST.
| According to the rules promulgated by
the controlling powers in baseball no club
is allowed to carry more than twenty-five
players after given period in the season.
In nine cases out of ten the big league
clubs struggle heroically to keep within
the limit and nova and then have to resort
to various subterfuges in order to avoid
Itransgressng this rule, but with the Bos-
ton Red Sox things are entirely different.
! Where some clubs carried as many as
eight and nine pitchers last year the
Red Sox numbered but six, and only five
of these were worked in rotation. There
were two infields. for the club was at all
times able to put Yannigan four into
the game but il was not the manage
ments original intention 10 keep so many
| utility men upon the list StahPs sickness
during the early part of the season and
the inability of the club to get waivers
upon Bradley alone accounting for the
continued retention of the Worcester lad
upon the pay roll.
! But four outfielders were included in
the roster, Henrikson being the only
man avilable in case of injury to
| Lewis, Hooper, or Speaker. Engle, of
course could fill in as an outf1eIder, but
his status was that of an extra infielder
Behind the bat alone, with their four
catchers, did the Red Sox compare nu-
merically with any of their American
4 League rivals.
| And Yet, with no more than twenty
two men in the lineup. the Sox managed
to wade through the championship sea-
son with almost ridiculous ease and cop
thu bunting without struggle during
the last two months and more Of the
| season Through this successful CAM
paign President McAleer learned the les
\ son that too many men on a ball club
render il almost as helpless as when
, there are too few. The easy victory of
the Red Sox convinced him that twenty
men upon a clubs pay roll are easily
enough. provided that there twenty are
| of the right sort. work in harmony. and
are capable of doing the work intrust-
| ed to them.
\ Therefore. while other managers will
be struggling to get within the pre-
scribed limit one month from now Nc
Aleer has already begun his policy of
reduction. and when the Red Sox reach
Boston on April :, his team will in
/ Guide only the men who are scheduled
to stick the season through with him.
| This statement admits OF one slight
qualification. There may be an extra
pitcher or two III the list, for not I'M
J til the young twirlers are showed right
into the breach and their real merits
| determined can final Judgment be passed
upon them. and in the Boston party will
be one or more extra players who were
| brought South.
| The pitching staff will be larger one.
however, than that which worked with
such consistent success last season. In
| addition to the veterans Wood. Bedient.
| Hall. O'Brien, and Collins. the Red Sox
are prepared to carry two others and ,
possibly a third extra pitcher will be-
taken home to Boston for future farming
| out. Were the five veterans of last sea-
son of the same age and anywhere
| nearly the same caliber. Stahl and Nc
Aleer might easily be persuaded to folf
low the policy of 1872 But this cam
not be.
Two of the quintet are not exactly
youngsters and their pitching at times
las been so uncertain that the manage
nent realizes the stern necessity of
guarding against any contingency. Hall
may not pitch as often or as success
fully as either Wood or Bedient, but he
is the greatest pinch pitcher in the Ameri-
can League. and, when in shape I'M
donDtedly the best man to finish I'D q
hard game. 1t takes Charlie longer to
round into shape than it does any Of
the others and for that reason Stahl Is
not worrying over what the Californian
does at the training camp.
But he must have five pitchers at any
rate who can go the limit. and he needs
a couple OF youngsters who can show
signs of ability to fill veterans's shoes
Foster, Moseley. and Brant will battle
for the remaining BERTH
The regular infielc at the start Will in
clude Stahl. Yerkes, Wagner. and Gard
ner, but in Janvrin and Engle Stahl
will look for relief in case of sickness.
Janvrin has come with rush. and
hereafter the minors viii know him no
more. His fielding is really remarkable,
he shows wonderful Improvement as a
hitter, and his ability to play almost
any position in the infeId has convinced
Stahi that he has one of the greatest
young players that ever broke into the
game. Indeed. should anything happen
to Stahl, 1t is easy to see where he
could 60, In and fill the shoes of the
big first sacker.