The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1913-02-25

The chances of three safe hits COM
ing in succession are vastly fewer
han for a hit, a sacrifice, and a hit
to come in sequence. With a team
last in bases on balls and far down
in sacrifice hitting Boston was almost
hopeless. Yet it was compelled to
play according to his system in the
hope of getting half a dozen runs in
one inning by sheer smuggling, which
brings us back to the pitching weak
ness.
There is a pitcher on the team for
whom any major league club would
give much. That man is Tyler, and
his record, oddly enough, shows that
in figures he was the worst pitcher
Boston had. This is partly becaue he
was given most of the hard games to
pitch and partly because he eased up
when his own team either was WIN
ning by a large score or losing the
same way
The next pitcher was Otto Hess, Il
remarkable case of come back. Hess
is a good pitcher, and after being
tried and found wanting four times
by major league clubs he returned to
Boston and worked Well, considering
the handicap. He needs a lot better
support than he was accorded last
season to do much winning, and is
likely to get it through the change of
system Stallings undoubtedly will
make,
Hub Pcrdue, who once was a prom
Using find with the Chicago Cubs, aft
er going back to the Southern, dis
covered a spit bail and he made the
National league clubs fear him last
season. His spit ball worked effect
lively at times, and according to the
new system of scoring the pitchers
standing, not by games won and lost,
but by the number Of runs the OPP
ponents scored, he led the Boston
pitchers. Perdue, properly supported
and encouraged, ought to win about
$50 per cent of the games he pitches.
Tyler ought to win 500 per cent, and
Hess almost break even. Donnelly
and Dickson Of last years staff
scarcely are of class worth keeping.
The infield does not promise much.
Houser, the probable first baseman,
is not a good ball player, nor even one
who is improving. He can hit fairly
we'll and is awkward and uncouth
around first base, nor worth much in
other departments. / rather think
that after he sees them in action Stall
lings will send Arthur Devlin, the
veteran formerly with New York, to
first and get a lot of sence and OK
perience over there. Sweeney of
course will play SECOND and captain
the team.
The shortstop, it seems, will be eth
err Mckechnie from st. Paul, touted
as the fastest and best shortstop of
the association, or Maranville, who
was secured from New Bedford last
fall and given a good tryout. Maran-
vile evidently is the better hitter, and
Mckechnie the better fielder, although
they say down in New England that
MaranVille is another Freddie Parent,
lacking the experience.
The infield looks fair on the first
base side n a mere guess on the
other side. The outfield is even worse.
Vim Campbell, it is announced, is
LIN Stliit " Socd Dt1dISt he
is getting married, and wants to set
tie down. kirke is a joke. He is a
bad fielder and a wild hitter. who
looks a star n day and a freak the
next at bat. 1t is hard to guess the
other positions. Honest John Titus
seems certain Of a job and there is
nothing as Yet developed strong
enough to take it away from him.
jackson is another erratic genius, who
hits h1l pitching hard and good pitch
ing hardly at all. Properly coached
this fellow may make a corking out
fielder and hitter. Some players
think he has bene spoiled by minor
league managers letting him hit any
thing he wanted to at n time be
cause he could hit.
The team was recruited mostly from
the northwest, and outside of Stroud
from Seattle doesn't seem to have
found much, although Gervais from
Vancouver is we'll spoken of. I'M
derstand this One is not to be brought
east. Schultz from Akron looks fair,
and Cooper, an outtielder from Fort
worth, looks most promising among
the others. Cooper hit .267 and stole
"A bases in the Texas, yet | am told
he is a better ballplayer than Metz,
who led the league in hitting, swat
ting 1928 and made 81 homeruns.
Boston owns Metz, who is a first
paSeman, and he may get the job if he
can hit that a in the big circuit.
| nave had to figure on him along
with Houscr and Devlin, and the re-
ports on him are SO conflicting tha
it is hard to tell anything about him.
one scout classes him as a big boob"
ahd another writes me Metz is a dis
coVery-so take your choice until you
see him.
| am basing a lot of hope in the
come back of Orlie Weaver, who is
reclaimed by Boston from New Or
leans. This boy is a good pitcher. and
1t IS a question whether or not Stall
lngs knows it. He was with the Chi
cago Cubs, but the bright lights daz-
zled him a bit, and after a run in with
nance he was sent to Boston in a
trade. This discouraged him. and he
did not work with enthusiasm, and
tried to make life a long round of low.
iipti1 ha uta, n,,,y,1 t.,1 49,