The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1913-03-02
The Major League Races
brooklyn and the Browns.
By HUGH S. FULLERTON.

me he thinks that with the exception
of Green, secured by the New Yorl
Highlanders, he believes Weilman the
strongest newcomer in the circuit
which is going some.
1t is frightfully hard to figure this
team until StoVall selects it, but one
thing is certain, he has a wealth OF
promising if untried and undevelopeo
talent. Balenti, the Chattanooga In
dian, is highly touted all around amone
to wise baseball men. Johnson, the
heaVy-hitting outfielder from Mont
gomery, is to be reckoned with. Brief
although a first baseman, can make a
bid for a regular outfield job. l hear
that Sloan, from Bristol, is a good
man, and Miller, from Lowell, is high
ly spoken of.
The trouble is that Stovall has so
many youngsters he may make a bad
mistake or two before he gets ac-
quainted with them.
Figuring every position and every
candidate, including a few who are
certain to go and, therefore, are only
figured tentatively, it seems to me
that the Browns are a coming ball
club, commencing to build up after
their long era of defeat. Don't ex-
pect anything sensational from them,
but don't figure to wiz more than two
out of three games in any series, no
matter what club you admire. With
| good pitching they'll beat any one. 1t
isn't Il team as yet dangerous to top
notch clubs or to first-rate pitchers,
but the Browns Will beat second string
pitchers pretty handily with their own
strongest men, and managers who have
been in the habit of saving up their
strong men for other clubs and using
their second raters to e the Browns
are due for a lot of surprises.
II y Il
Brooklyn presents about the same
aspect in baseball that the standpat
republican does in politics. 1t is for
progression backwards, and its aspect
this spring is even more discouraglng
than usual.
Now, naturally this isn't a bad base
ball club. Indeed, it has the France
work Of a near championship club, yet
it is hopeless. 1t a Rucker, the star
l~eft-handed pitcher of the country. 1t
has Jake Daubert, peer of the first
basemen of the game. 1t has Hummel,
a reliable and brainy bal player on
the infield, and Wheat, who, with,
some other club might have been one
of the great stars of the game. 1t has
a pretty fair catching department,
with two men who ought to be much
better thar they are.
Just what is lacking at the other
end of the bridge is hard to say. For
,,>, 41,t,~- lnJI a. ,r Il, ,1t M, ~,
play in Brooklyn, and to ~aggravate
this, other teams, or managers of other
teams, have made a practice of adding
to the ~.discontent of the players by
limiting to them hat they could get
jobs elsewhere. Secondarily, Charlie
Ebbets is a baseball crank besides be-
ing an owner, and he cannot refrain
from "helping' manage the club, with
is the usual detrimental effect on the
manager n his players. Bill Dahlen,
being an e~asy-going fellow, is salts
fled.
Everyone though that, with a mag
nificent ball yard ready to open,
Brooklyn might have a club to put
it, but a study of the draft, pur-
chase and option list makes it hope
less. The only real ray of hope from
list ome from Wagner, the
secured from New Orleans,
who is touted as one of the best the
southern has turned out in several
seasons. Fisher from Toronto, secured
~ draft, also is well spoken of.
The catching staff will consist of O.
Miller, a good man and one who may
develop much further; Erwin, an
,ught-to-have-been who never has
made good the great promise he
showed when he first came UP from
Texas, and Phelps, a corking good
catcher who does not appear to inn
as much with g as he once
to do.
Daubert, the only legitimate 800
hitter IN the team, will play first. He
S about the ranking first baseman off
league on merit. Cutshaw, sad to
'elate, probably will be h second base
nan, unless someone shows strength
enough at short to displace Hummel
send him back. ! believe Hummel
l. 20 per cent better second baseman
han CutshaW. Fischer or Kirkpatrick
nay get regular jobs on the third-base
side of the field.
was a line Dall player
It Newark and showed fairly we'll last
all at third. 1t doesn't require much
or anyone to displace ]. Smith or
rnoley as ball players, and any one
# the recruits has a hance.
The infield chance is Getz, a third
,aseman who clouted over 300 against
he New York state pitchers. and If
'ou don't think the hitting was tough
up in that circuit last season, his
was above Lumley's, and you
'emember how Lum could hit the
pest in the National. Getz is touted as
/ promising ball player, and his side
partner, Callahan, an outfielder who
Viii try for an outfield job with the
Dodgers, is another conner.
Larry Wheat is the only outfielder
of his job, unless it be this
soung Stengle, who showed such a
flash of form at the close of
he National league season. He muir
Tered Southern league pitching when
Montgomery and coming into the