Imperial Valley press., 1914-02-10
Frank Menke's
Sporting Letter

New York, Feb. 10.-A large num-
Der of things must be considered, both
fore and aft in graphing with the job
of doping" out the 1914 Nationai
league pennant battle.
Many fans are of the belief that the
Giants will repeat, despite the fact
that they are bucking the ancient
hoodoo-that of tryino to grab the
bunting for four successive years, a
feat that no modern team ever has
accomplished.
The Giant supporters declare that
the New Workers are stronger,
through the addition of some likely
looking recruits, than they were in
1913 when they grabbed the fag with
out any real opposition after mid
season.
Quite SO. The Giants, on paper, re-
ally are stronger than last year, but
have they added so much strength in
the interim as have some of their ri
Shakespeare caused Hamlet to re-
mark.
The Giants seem about 10 per cent
stronger than when they finished the
1913 season. But some of the other
National league teams seem anywhere
from 20 to so per cent stronger.
Which means that the Giants aren't
going to have such an easy picking in
this year, 1914 A. D., as they did last
year.
The Boston Braves for years have
been sort of pie counter proposition
for the Giants. Every time the Giants
needed a half dozen games or so they
toured to Boston or lured the Braves
to this community, and annexed said
number of needed games.
The same was true about the Dodg-
ers The way those Giants used to
maltreat the boys from the other side
of the Brooklyn bridge was something
that demanded immediate action by
the humane society.
But it looks like a different story
this year. The Braves stack up strong
this year. Stallings has the makings
of a mighty good ball team. He
showed what his athletes could do
when once the pitchers got to working
right and the team work was perfected
by sending them along toward the
end of the 1913 season at clip that
was thrilling to watch. If Stallings
can get his charges breezing along at
like speed at the beginning of the
1914 reason, his club will bear watch
ing. :.
. Wilbert Robinson fell heir to a good
ball club when he was placed in charge
of the Dodgers. Robinson is shrewd
baseball man. and great developer
of young pitchers. He has some good
pitching material among his recruits,
and if he can bring their talent to
the fore, his team ought to furnish a
lot of trouble for the first division
crowd.
The Cubs just now don't look any
better than fourth-and mighty bat
tie to land there. The pitching staff
is none too good, the outfield isn't
overly strong and the only real
strength the club seems to have both
Extensively and defensively, seems to
be in the infeld.
The Phillies and Pirates are looked
to furnish New York the real fight
for the bunting: The Phillies have
been weakened Somewhat bv the de-
sertion of Knabe, but Doom has few
recruits that seem ripe enough to fill
in at second base.
The Phillies' pitching strength is
something that the other clubs must
constitute a brace of real pitchers.
This pair aided and abetted by half
dozen less seasoned fingers ought to
put the Phillies in the race all the
way.
The trade with the Cardinals has
strengthened the Pirates greatly by
giving them rattling good infeld. If
one or two of the new Pirate twirlers
live up to expectations. and Honus
Wagner, the well known basketball
r, doesn't break few legs, the
Pirates may be counted in the race
from April until October.
The Cardinals and Reds stack up as
uncertain quantities-the uncertainty
being as to whether the Reds or Car
dinals will finish in last place. Hug
gins, the ST. Louis manager, believes
that the swap with the Pirates, which
gave him five good players, has
strengthened his team. Herzog, the
new Red manager. doesn't know just