Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-04-14
Sporting Gossip OF the Day
National and American Leagues Open 1914
Season OF Great American Sport Today

/ been the case for several years. With
| Wilbert Robinson as manager the
| team will have the benefit of a sea-
soned and capable baseball general in
! charge and material for a fast, clever
| playing combination. If Robinson can
spur the players to sustained effort the
team should prove a formidable op
ponent for every club in the National
| League circuit.
The team is particularly strong in
battery material and on the infeld. In
Rucl1er, Reulbach, Raglan, Wagner,
Brown and Aitchison the Brooklyn
club has six twirlers who should work
successfully all season, with the pos
sibility Of one of several others earn
ing a place among the regulars. Be
hind the plate the Superbas are also
we'll fortified with McCarty, Fischer,
Miller and Erwin, all dependable
| catchers.
The inffeld combination, consisting
| of Daubert, Cutshaw, Egan and Smith,
with Hummel and Elberfeld in re-
serve, presents a lineup strong in both
offensive and defensive play. While
Egan is not quite the calibre of Think
er, the former Cincinnati player has
| strengthened the infield and Brooklyn
presents a strong barrier around the
diamond on the eve of pennant play.
| The outfie1d is not so impressive, but
| in Dalton, Stengel and Wheat, the
! Superbas have excellent players and
Manager Robinson will undoubtedly
| weld together a satisfactory combina-
| ton before the present season closes.
Cincinnati.
| Baseball fans will note many changes
in the personnel of the Cincinnati Ma
! tional League team this season. First
| anG probably foremost, the team will
/ have a new leader in the person of
/ Charles Herzog, formerly of the New
| York Giants who succeeds Joe Tinker,
now manager of the Chicago Federal
! League club. There are also changes
in both the outficld and infield and a
| large squad of recruits for the pitch
ers' positions.
| In the outfield Herb Moran will fill
/ the vacancy created by the trade of
Bob Bescher to the New York Ma
! tionals, Manager Herzog will play
shortstop while another change in the
infield will be the appearance of ME-
| hoff at third base in place of Johnny
| Dodge. Niehoff was obtained by draft
from the Louisville American Associ-
| alton club last fall. Tom Clarke will
undoubtedly be the first string catcher
Earl Yingling, one of the players
| involved in the trade with Brooklyn
which was indirectly the cause of
Tinker leaving the National League,
is depended upon to be one of the
teams mainstays in the box. He will
| be assisted by Rube Benton. Johnson,
the Indian. and Jack Rowan, while
| Herzog will choose several from his
SQUAD of pitching recruits, all of whom
| he says, look good.
The probable lineup during the
early DAYS of the season will be: Hob
| litzell. 1st base; Groh, End base; Her
zog. shortstop. captain and manager;
| Niehoff, 3rd base; Marsans, left field;
Bates center field: Moran. right field:
Yingling. Johnson and Benton. pitch
ers. and Clarke, catcher.
ST. Louis.
The strength of the st. Louis Club,
| which finished last in the National
League race of 1913, is an uncertain
/ quantity on the eve of the new sea-
| son. Manager Higgins has consider
able new material, secured in the
trade with Pittsburgh and from other
sources, but no definite idea of the
playing ability of the new combination
will be available until the team has
faced several rival clubs during the
cary days of the pennant play.
The trade with Pittsburgh, whereby
the Cardinals secured four players,
strengthened the team in several posi-
tions, particularly behind the bat and
the infield. During the ante-season
games with the St. Louis Browns
Miller at first and Butler at short de-
veloped heavy hitting AFFINITY, and with
| Dolan and Manager Huggins proved
a fast fielding combination Two new
players, Wilson, center, and Cruise,
right, have shown we'll in the outheld.
With Lee Magee at left the trio APP
pears stronger than in past seasons
and ohould work we'll with the inner
line of defense.
The battery squad was also strength
ened by the trade with Pittsburgh,
for Robinson is expected to take his
regular turn on the mound and prove
effective Steele, Perritt, Griner, Hop
per and Hagerman are counted on to
work in regular order with Robinson.
The acquisition of O'Connor, of the
American Association. will prove a
benefit to the catching department.
With Wingo and OConnor taking
turns with mask and NIT, the club will
be we'll equipped, since Roche is avail
able as a relief catcher should an
emergency arise.
American League