New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-03-24
Giants Picked to Win National
LEAGUE Pennant for Third
Year in a Row.
A BOASTFUL CHALLENGE
New York Is the Place for the
Army Navy Football Game,
and 1t Looks as if
Time Had Come.
BY Herbert.


BY Herbert
Most Of the baseball teams in the msior
leagues have broken camp and are work
ing their way toward the North for the
opening of the pennant races on April
10. The Giants left Marlin Springs on
Friday for d long string of exhibition
games. ma which John J. McGraw will put
on the finishing touches to the team with
which ne hopes to win his third National
League championship in succession. From
all accounts most of the regulars are IN
excellent condition and will be ready 10
set the same furious pace which marked
their play year ago. when they earned
a commanding lead which stood them in
good stead before the fight was over.
McGraw takes few persons into his con-
dcncc, but it is quite possible that Two
changes will be made in the lineup this
season. with Shafer replacing Fletcher at
short and Burns in one of the outield
positions. This is only a surmisc. but IN
any case the little Napoleon is quite as
We'll intrcnchcd as year aSo, II not
more SO. Fletcher and Shafcr arc 80
close together i'm most respects that both
viii be keyed up from beginning 10 end L"
hold d regular place. Further than that,
Burns has slowly but surely been getting
the needed experience TO make him
valuable man i'm the outiield and to Keep
the veterans working al top speed.
In answer to a number of queries. II
HAY lust as well bee said at this time as
any other that ia my opinion the Giants
will repeat. There is no telling, of course
what the Phillics may Do. if most of the
players can keep out of the hospital. rs
there is much latent strength in jhat
team. The Cubs too are an uncertain
quantity as what amounts 60 almost Il
reconstruction of the team may or may
not have the desired effect. or rather the
effect desired by Charles Webb Murphy.
1t strikes mo. however. that they will
sadly miss the inspiration OF Frank
Chance The Pirates look stronS-in fact,
they appear TO bc the chief contenders
OF paper-but the Pirates are still hunt
ing for capable first baseman and,
everything else being equal. arc behind
the Giants i'm speed. Hans Wagner is
rghtfully ranked among the greatest in
ielders Of all time. but even Wagner will
not 20 on forever like Tennysou's brook.
and it must he remembered that hc is
close to forty years of age. Wagner is
the mainsai of the Pirate craft.
The Giants can hardly be any weaker
defensively than they were last year In
fact. an Improvement can be looked fOr,
while there is the same strength in hit
ting. base running and run getting. Fur
ther than that tho pitching staff is like
~ to bc more effective. if anything. as
big JEFF Tesreau has had his baptism Of
fire and should be- valuable all through
the season this year. as ne was at the
tail end of last. Matty insists that his
arm is as strong as ever: RUDE Marquard
can he depended upon. or so it seems:
Red Ames has acquired a puzzing spit
ball and better control. if news from the
front can be accepted. while great things
arc promised of Demaree. who looks like
another find" "Old Doctor" CrandaIl
and George Wiltsc must not be forgot
ten. either. Baseball is uncertain. mighty
uncertain. but Oh paper there seems TO
be no good reason why the Giants should
not win another ponnant
In comparing Big Ed" Sweeney,
catcher of the Yankees. to Jimmy Archer
and johnny King in bis prime, Frank
Chance could give no higher Endorsement
Training season promises do not make
pennant winning teams. but New York $
representative i'm the American League
VIII bear watching this year.
Rain and flooded diamonds have driven
Bill Dahlcn close to the point of distrac-
ton. lie is beginning to despair of bring
Ing his Superbas "to the post in the con-
dition so necessary for flying start
Captain Durand. OF the Chicago Athletic
Association water polo team was perfectly
safe i'm issuing his boastful challenge to
the New York Athletic Club "to a match
for the national title under the rules
which were in force when we played our
disputed game in Pittsburgh" As a mat
ter of fact. the rules under which that
disgraceful match were played were abro-
gated by the Amateur Athletic Union and
new ones substituted. while. needless to
say. game for the national title could
governing body. Captain Durand is the
man who not so long ago expressed sur
prise that the fruits of victory (never
won, in the way Of medals had not been
received by the members of his team for
that game I'm Pittsburgh. Apparently he
lad never read nor heard Of the action Of
the Amateur Athletic Union in declaring
that game no contest, in refunding the
money to the Pittsburgh Athletic Club
which had been expended FOR prizes and
in substituting soccer for so-called Rugby
water polo Now he boastfully offers 10
give the New York Athletic Club ham
dicap oe five goals for a match which
could not possibly be arranged for no
other reason apparently than TO add in
suit to injury. Such a challenge can be
answered only by the silence of contempt.
1t does not seem TO be altogether fair
TO lay most OF the blame on the literary
baseball PLAYER for buncoing the fans
with stories which they never wrote. The
newspapers and magazines which buy the
names and assign somebody else 10 do the
work should bear a full share of the re-
sponsibillty. In any case. the practice
should be checked. and it is hoped that
the efforts OF Ban Johnson. president OF
tho American League; Tom Lynch, presi-