Evening star., 1913-02-18
BY j. ED GRILLO.

While there are an unusually large
number of players holding out in the two
| major leagues this spring. the chance.
are that by the time the season opens al
| hands will be in line To bring thi:
| about. both sides may have to make con
| cessions. to be sure, but there are few in
stances on record where a player has
stayed out of the game very long because
| of salary difference.
McAleer at Boston is gradually getting
his players into line. though there are
still four or five out of the fold. No
doubt his team will be complete by the
time he starts for his training grounds at
! Hot Springs. for it is hard to see where
members Of that team have any kick
coming after sharing in the last worlds
series. The Detroit situation, however,
looks a bit more serious. Owner Navin
is determined not to accede to any of his
players. barring Cobb. to whom he would
give an increase, though he would not
meet his figures. Navin cannot figure
why he should increase the pay of Craw-
ford, Stanage or Dubuc when his team
finished far down in the race last sea son
These players. however. pretend to be
just as much in earnest as their employer
so that 1t may be some time before their
differences are Strengthened out.
Though Eddie Plank was one of the
most successful pitchers in the league
last season, there was one club which he
always found troublesome. and was fire.
quent1y beaten by. Against the White
Sox Plank did not look like a star. When
he happened to win game from the Sox
1t was only after a long struggle. and
most of the time he lost his games
against tie clan of Callahan. Most every
nit 1,,c yet
son. for instance. ST. Louis gave Walter
Johnson more trouble than any of the
others. 1t was the Browns which broke
his winning streak, and almost every time
that he faced them he would have to
work his hardest. This, of course, was
due largely to the fact that the Browns
pitchers were seldom to the liking of the
local batters. so that the scores were
usually very close and any sort of a slip
Mp put Walter in jeopardy.
Before the White Sox open the regular
season they are scheduled to play sixty
eight exhibition games. The squad Will
be divided into two teams and between
them this number of games will be play
ed. Just how advisable it Is to give a lot
of players SO strenuous a month before
they go into a campaign Is ques-
tion. There would seem to be great
danger Of the players going stale long
before the season is over, not to speak of
tD6lT DelnE tlTeu VI the SpOIt DcIOIC TIC
season opens. Many of the most sue
cessful teams play only one or two eX-
hibition games before the opening game
and yet appear to be in perfect condi-
ton. The trip which the White Sox are
making will prove a most expensive one.
There are rinety people in the party,
which leaves Chicago for the coast Thurs
day night
Though two clubs beat the Athletics out
in the race last year, it is almost assured
that the Mackmen will be the public
choices in the coming campaign. When
ever any one has dared to pick the next
winner the Athletics have been chosen for
the honor. This is because it seems to be
generally realized that Mack's team is
stronger than BoSton-at least 1t proved
itself so IN its showing against the Cubs
and Giants in two world series. Further
more, it is believed that Mack has added
strength to his team in that he will have