Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1914-02-10
HARD TO DOPE
1914 BASEBALL
Federal League Makes the
Guessing on Pennant
Winners Difficult.
SITUATION MUDDLED
Only Real Certainty Seems to Be Con-
ME Mack's Athletics as Team
Remains Same as Last Year.
By Frank G.. Menke.

toughest little tasks that confront
sporting scribblers just now is the
doping" out of the 1914 battles in
the American and National Leagues.
In years gone by it was something
of a cinch. All that was necessary
was to find the combined batting av-
erage of a team, it's combined fielding
and pitching average, make allow
ances for one or two recruits to boil
ster up the team, and then award the
pennant to the team that looked
strongest on paper. Second place was
given to the team that looked second
best, third place to the third best,
etcetera.
But there is a difference this year
Those Federal Leagues constitute the
difference. Ever so often they grab
off one or two players from the ma
jor leagues, and their grabbing bust
as to make doping" a bit hazardous.
Were it not for the Federals one
might say in discussing American
League affairs that the Athletics look
healthy enough to repeat the winning
of the flag, with Washington and
Cleveland acting as runners up. But
the Federals have horned their way
in according to reports, and dealt the
Maps an awful wallop by grabbing off
| Messrs. Falkenberg, Blanding and
Kahler, three seasoned and depenSa-
| BILE fliggers.
| Such happening seems to dim
whatever pennant chances the Maps
had, unless one or two Of their young
| FINGERS come to the fore with a rush
| and perform stunts that will make
grieving Napland forget the faithless
| trio.
| Mack Is Safe.
| 1t is unlikely that the Federals will
be able to snare any of Comics stars,
and such being the case, it is unlikely
that any team will stop Connie front
grabbing off the bunting once again.
His team this season ought to be bet
ter than last. He has some young
twirlers on his roster last year, and
he wasn't sure whether they would
"pan." But they did, and panned al
most pure. Bush Shawkey, Brown
and one or two of his other youthful
moundmen, aided and abetted by
Bender, Plank, and possibly Coombs,
will give Connie a big edge in pitch
ing. AS to what his batting and field
ing strength is-well, ask John Nc
Graw, a New York person.
Washington may furnish the Attn
letics a merry little battle, but it
doesn't look, from this distance, as ii
the Senators carry heavy enough
wallop to beat Comics crowd to the
tape line.
The Red Sox can be figured as
dark horses" Carrigan may be able
to send them breezing along at the
gait that landed them at the top OF
the globe in 1912, and maybe he
can't.
j.. Chicago doesn't look overly strong,
but may spring a surprise by making
a fight for meeting place in first dl-
vision. The White Sox harpooned
few good looking recruits, and these
bushers may develop into real ball
players and give the Comiskeyites
enough driving power to furnish lot
of trouble.
Yankees Are Weak.
The Yankees didn't loom up any too
strong at the end of the 1913 season,
and the fact that several of their best
men have gone over OF the Federals
makes them look much weaker. The
New Workers may show unexpected
strength, but it seems that the best
they'll have happen to them this sea-
son is a merry little battle with the
Browns for last place.
It doesn't look as if Ty Cobb Will
finish better than sixth. OF course
Ty will have the grand mace support
of Old Sam Crawford and he is as
sured that Bush and few others in
his infield will catch most of the balls
swatted or thrown in their direction,
but Ty is a bit shy on pitchers-and
it's said that team is just as strong
as it's pitching staff.
.ofscourse, later events may change
the situation entirely, but the dope
lust now points thusly for the 1914