The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-04-12

ago-its battery positions The mighty
BENDER and the great Plank may be on
! the decline. But Mack has built up in
/ their place not two but Ave young box
! Shawkey, Wyckon. Pennock and Brown
| all gave evidence last year OF being mar
wells this campaign. Then they lacked
| only experience. which has been gained
! since.
! Furthermore, the teams which proved
most fitting to n. considered rivals of the
/ Athletics last year appear 10 have suffered
! heavily during the intervening span.
Cleveland, that crowded Mack close for
( many weeks in 1913. must start without
! Cy Falkenbere. a pitcher who kept Biz
| mingham's people 10 the fore the first half
OF the way. Chapman. the clever little
shortstop, who figured prominently
throughout the fight OF the Maps IS nurs-
| ing n broken leg. He will not be able TO
play before m!dseason. iIo may never
regain his former skill.
Boston's Red Sux too have suffered
much from adversely. Joe Wood the
champion pitcher. cannot work for some
time He Is recovering from an opera
ton for append citis. Moscley, who as a
colt pitched the club into fourth place. IL
gone. Heinie Wagner, for ten years a
| most efficient shortstop. In nursing IA lame
knee. A veteran with bad legs Is usually
just about through. Wagner's loss viii
be a severe blow no doubt to a club that
Is weak at first in Engle and only
moderately fair with Yerkcs on second
Carrigan. however with couple OF able
assistants, will assure great receiving
power Few outhelds compare with
Speaker. Lewis and Hooper.
| Washington has lost Bob Groom. one ~
Grinith's three great pitchers OF last year
Otherwise the team il very much the
same as that which finished the past cam
paign. From this angle Griffith should
furnish Connie Mack the strongest argu-
msnt. He has q wonderfully we'll balanced
club and one that plays smart baseball
Much can be done with such n brilliant
pitcher as Walter johnson. Besides the
last year, when Eddie Foster, hts crack
third baseman. suffered early an attack
of typhoid fever
No Pennant Contest Here.
In the American League tho real fight
should be for first division honors rather
than for tho pennant which appears
such an open and shut formallty. The
independents won away Edgar Willett
who for years was one of Hugh Jen-
nings's pitching mainstays. But Hugh
is said to have likely looking lot OF
young box candidates as we'll AZ several
reputed inield phenoms. II only few
OF these pan out well to help those terrific
sluggers Crawford and Cobb the popu-
| lar IL llktlS TO inquire
once more as "a real contender
Frank Chance has gone long way to-
ward reconstructing the hopeless tail end
crew which he found awaiting him. lie
has team which is bound to improve
with tho season. 1t IL inexperienced every
where but in the battery positions and
bound to play more or less erIGtic ball.
Chances opportunities for Improvement
apear most bright at this time,
The heights TO which he may AS
pire rest largely with the decline or i'm
provement of Boston. Chicago and De-
trOit Ed Walsh apparently must come
back to make the White Sox dangerous,
Collins was the only real outnelder with
Callahan last year Chase and Lord. AT
first and third respectively. seemed slip
ping fast at the close OF 1913. ST. Louis
is going to enter the field with the 1913
lineup intact save for n new first base
man. II finished eighth then. That Is Its
customary berth and Branch Hickey is not
likely to reverse custom.
II has been explained how ono stun
bling block was removed from McGraw's
pathway to a fourth straight champion
ship. Unless the days OF miracles are
stll with us Dooin's Phillies seem des-
tined to "A big tumble, II remains to be
! ! seen whether Fred Clarke benefited his
, Pirates by the gigantic swap with st
Louis that gave him Konetchy. Mowrey
and Hob Harmon. 1t would appear that
his career to make the Pirate pitching
stan formidable Certainly the Cardinal
acquisitions have added nothing to the
. speed OF the Buccaneers. II anything the,
have slowed an already too slow colec'
= ton, Speed these days counts too much
to be ignored totally.
Cubs VIII Miss Johnny Ev~rs.
u The Chicago Cubs are bound 90 mis-
a Evers. No managerial wixardry OF Hani
q O'Day Is likely to Offset the playing valu'
Q OF the Keystone King. But BIZ Sweene,