The Washington herald., 1913-03-30
Training Trip to Bermuda Has
Put New Yorkers IN the
Pink Of Condition.
CHANCE WORKS WONDERS
Peerless Leader Switches Chase to
Second Sack and Fills
he Gap.


put on the finishing touches for the
opening Of the long campaign. Games in
Brooklyn week from today. and the
following Monday should furnish some
real line on the outlook for the Peer
less Leader.
So far as training is concerned there
Is nothing to it. The boys are all In
the very pink of condition. Far more
has been accomplished on this island
in the month that all the players have
been here than could be imagined by
anybody not on hand to see first sight
The weather was ideally delightful. Its
chief charm lay in the fact that IL varied
but little. 1t was all good: the team
was able to practice, and practice hard
every day.
Team shows Improvement.
Chance has done wonders with the
tail-end aggregation since assuming COM
mand. He was his chief worry when he
first reported II was his ambition to
act as playing manager. but the move
involved plenty of risk The great Hal
Chase had to be switched from first IN
second TO make room for the Peerless
Leader. Chase had not played the kew
stone for many years. First base pIay
had become second nature to him. But
he went to bis new task with a right
good will and appears to have re-master-
ed IT, There is just one fault with Chase.
He is dashing blade. reckless to a
degree. and Is consequently inclined to
take too great risks with his own per-
son. He forgets, sometimes, that the
hazards of his new position are far
greater than they are At first base. Hal
is so fast and shifty, however, that he
can protect himself in situations that
would be next to fatal to a less agile
he iS
go through the season without serious
harm he Is bound to prove as great a
revelation at the midway as he has
always been on the initial cushion.
Chance Looks Good.
OF Chance there is no need Of WORRY.
He will play as great a game as he ever
played in his life. That is saying a lot.
but It Is not putting It too strongly
Chances whole soul and ambition is 10
make 1913 his most fruitful year. II for
no other reason than revenge on c. W.
Murphy. The big fellows legs are sound
as a dollar for the first time In five
years. He il no longer troubled with
the aggravated headaches which handi-
capped him during his last three years
In Chicago. His eve Is clear. and he is
hitting and running as never in half a
decade.
The presence of the Peerless Leader fr
the infield should do much to make tha.
combination very effective Being or the
field he can school and advise his pitch
crs and consult with his disciples when
ever embarrassing situations arise.
Chance has not yet announced his Iine-Ip
for the opening day. Either Young or
Derrick will be at short. with HartzeIl
on third A young shortstop is the only
cause of worry. and either of the candi-
dates is likely to give the very best ac-
Fuv,A - ~
by two very steady veterans. Any COM
bination of outfielders will compare IA
vorably with anything in the league. II
is altogether probable that Daniels will
be sent to left field instead of LeliveIt
when southpaws are encountered. Bert
bats right-handed: Jack. left-handea.
Lelivelt. however, hits a southpaw almost
as well as he does a right-hand to.ser.
Wolter and Cree are both sound again.
They need no introduction.
Depends on Twirlers.
1t may take some time for Chance to
smooth out the rough edges of his ag-
gregation- But he banks on the fine
condition of his men to get away to
a very advantageous start He pins
great faith to the pitching department.
He believes his corps of fingers, the
very finest he ever commanded. He
boasts not only quantity. but quality
of the highest order. In Schultz he eS-
poets a southpaw phenom before the
season is ended. Chester HofY, too. has
shown wonderful possibilities. OF right
handers Chance has so many apparently
good ones that one could almost imagine
they would be in each others way. Rus
sell Ford Is performing just as he did
when setting his brilliant record of 1910.
Ipa.- Nal Ill
time In the knowledge of man. Fisher.
and warhop all declare that
they are better now than they ever were
Two months later any other season. Pad
1y Green and Ray Keat:ng are mex
perienced, II Is true. but they are the
kind that is dear to the
heart of the p. L. They are young Big,
strong. and willing, possessed of worlds
of stun. Chance Is not likely to turn
this pair loose at once. unless some
epidemic puts all his veterans on the
blink. He will nurse them along.
giving them lots of work to do in the
matter oS pitching in batting practice
md IN the morning exercises He thinks
that before the end of the year, II oc-
,asion demands trial. that they will be
able to turn things upside down.
To q Disadvantage.
Sh0hSc - puiifuS IOE a favorable
start. He realizes that on this greatly
depends this show Of bettering Ameri-
,an League conditions in New York. His
'ledding will be extremely tough for
!. few weeks, because the company will
Ill be strange to him. Other clubs have
\ good line on what the Peerless Leader
,acks In the way OF material He knows
nothing about his rivals. II he is able
% stick around the top until after he
akes the first swing through the West.
hen all well and good. He has the
cam playing Chance baseball-the kind
hat characterized the play Of the cele-
,rated Cubs OF worlds championship
lays. II Is not playing as good base
,ali as the Cubs by any means, for
he has not had time to weld the boys
ogether properly and to drill them thor
,ughly In his methods. That will take
lime. much time. But he has the satis-
action of knowing that the further the
reason progresses the better his men
,hould play. On the fine condition of
his athletes and the cunning Of his bat
cry men he will rely until the boys have
lad time to get together properly.
It's fnny thing that Joe jackson of
Cleveland has all kinds cf speed. still
res slow In running bases. Manager
'ce Birmingham Is going to Try sAd fsm-
6y this. ~