Evening journal., 1914-04-28
BIC LEAGUE Teams
BEING HANDICAPPED
Bad Weather Gives Weaker
Clubs Good Start for
Pennant
CLUBS SEEM TO
BE STRONG AS EVER

The uncertainty Of baseball is clear
ly demonstrated by the positions the
various clubs occupy in the major
league pennant races at present. Teams
that everyone looked upon as being in
great shape are, losing consistently.
while other clubs, hardly considered in
the dope" have leaped into the lime
light and occupy FIRST division berths.
But the reason for this Is apparent to
student Of the game.
Not enough changes have been made
in the winning teams OF iast season to
warrant an assumption that they have
been materially weakened or strength
ened BY such changes So that in the
case of those clubs, the New York
Giants and the Philadelphia Athletics,
particularly. on which the fans have
pinned faith and which now occupy
lowly berths. IL is case of being unfit
and having to battle with adverse
weather conditions.
There is difference between the
balmy climate of Southern Florida and
that of Philadelphia, New York city or
Boston. The Athletics returned from
their training trip, tanned by the warm
sun and invigorating gulf stream winds.
TO find that spring had not yet put in
its appearance in these parts. Connie
Mnc1's club and the others. also. of the
Eastern contingent, Tor that matter.
have been up against pretty bad wealth
er from the start. The Western teams
have been moro fortunate and have not
had to lay on ON many occasions.
Hence the favorites are, at present,
taking back seats.
The Mackmen and McGraw's clan
have not started their stride yet When
they do Il will require a better brand
of baseball than is being played by
the league leaders now to put them
down. With q staff of twirlera un-
equalled by any other club in the
American League. the Athletics ought
to be leading the race. They would
be II the pitchers were doing their
work and the men behind them up to
their usual ability.
Just now the Chicago White Sox
and Detroit are showing the way in
a the Johnson aggregation, while Pitts
a burg and Boss Dooin's Philiies are
3 liting away toward the National rag
3 New York and Washington are the
r runners-up in the American League
4 and Brooklyn and Chicago occupy
5 similar positions In President Tener's
institution.
E But the season is very young and
e many changes may occur before the
e close OF another week. II Is not al
4 ways the team that gets the hop on
p the other fellow that proves the best
:. Ia the long run. BY the time July
e rolls around with its attending hot
4 weather, the fan can depend upon II
h that the old reliabies will not be last
3 by a long shot.
j a peep at the official averages ol
o each big league for the season thus
r. far is interesting Cincinnati has
made more hits than any other clut
e .n the National League since the sea.
t son began. The sum of bingles col.
G lected by Charley Herzog and his
e men total &C. But one other team
Chicago, had more men left on base
than did the Reds. The latter wit
messed the expiration of AZ runners
.. on the paths and Chicago suffered
/ while "a of her men were stranded
o on the journey around the diamond
1 Pittsburgh in the first four game
n played made 20 runs and 20 hits
Brooklyn, in the first four games
n made the least number of runs. col
n lecting but 13 In all. Chicago had 2
. errors chalked up against her in tn
n first six contests played this season
al The Athletics made more hits thai
any American league club in the fou
p opening contests, the total being 5s
The Mack clan scored "a runs Il
p, those contests, also, and had A mel
=, die on bases. Washington made leas
y number. of hits in the first four con
tests, the Senators meeting the bal
l safely "a times and getting onl
l seven runs. They had fewer error
than any other club, however.
First test of the comparativ
strength of the Federal League team
will come this week, when Eas
0 meets West in the opening of the in
- tersectional battle. Early games be
3 tween clubs in the same half Of tn
re circuit have resulted IN the st. Loui
team not only leading the wester
half, but heading by a comfortabl
z margin the whole league. In tn
6 East, Baltimore has had the best q
y, It, even without having so far playe
e. Pittsburgh, which up to date ha
49, made the poorest showing.