Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-04-17
Ball Clubs Break Up Fast Once
They Start to Run Doun the Hill

ers. as 4 rule. do not get into their
best stride as rapidly as those on
some If the other clubs. The Boston
climate. believe. in the early spring
has great deal 10 do with this.
Jimmie" MCAleer boosted. when
the Red SoN returned from their train.
ing trip last spring that he had
brought back the best conditioned
pitching staff and ball club ever pre-
pared in Il training camp. Wood look
I'd a wonder in his practice games in
the warm and sunny south. yet. with
the start Of the regular season. he
got away bad and was never the
Smokey Joe" Woods he was in 1912.
American leaguers tell me he fire.
quently complained OF pain in his
side. and perhaps IL was appendicitis.
for which he was operated on re-
Gently, taking hold there that kept
him back kut | really believe that
the abrupt change OF climate from
Hot Springs and the south to Boston
had as much TO do with ii as any
thing else. | know how a sudden cold
snap affected the New York pitchers
last spring after coming up out Of the
warm south.
Pitchers Feel Climate.
Climate can do a good deal toward
making or breaking a pitcher. in my
estimation. II must be remembered
that a Boston club plays half its
games with long stays at home. white
the visiting teams do not pass more
than four days there. Even in that
short period, notice II If our club
runs into spell of bad weather when
it is scheduled to play there.
Connie" Mack once said that the
st, Louis and Washington teams arc
under a handicap because OF the In
tense heat in those two cities, and that
they need 90 per cent more strength
than any other club to take a pennant
in those towns. That may be true, but
/ believe It is possible for. a man to
pitch better in Washington and ST.
Louis, where the weather gets warm
earlier in the spring and remains mild
in the fall, than in towns further
north. think that the Washington
climate Is we'll suited to Walter John,
son, because heat keeps a man from
getting stiffened up. Let any twirler
work up a good sweat in raw wind
and then lay off between innings, no
matter how much he wraps up his arm,
the heat of his body is bound to BE-
chilled and it affects his whip.
OF course, Johnson would have been
q wonder pitcher anywhere he per.
formed, but it has helped him some,
as it would help any twirler. ito work
in the city where the Thermometer
rides high most OF the baseball season.
IL Tesreau OF the Giants could play on
a team where he would get good, con-
sistent warm weather from the open.
ing Of the season, he would be one OF
the marvels of baseball. Big jeff never
really gets going right until the fans
are in their shirt sleeves.
Keep Machine intact. @@
AS for the rest or the Red Sox dis
sension, as l have said before has
been largely responsible FOR the decay.
The team starts this season with the
same outfield which was on the club
when it won the worlds championship,
but the infield has been altered, The
club is> shy a first and second base
man. There is some talk Of moving
Charlie" Wagner, really the key OF
tho infieId, over to play second, but In
my opinion that would be a mistake,
since he looks like one Of the most
natural shortstops | have ever seen
and is Invaluable to a club in that posi-
ton The catchers remain, but Wood
(who has been laid up on account Of
his operation, and who will be late In
starting, anyway, Bedient and Collins
are the only veteran pitchers left. Car
rigan seems to have a job on his hands.
4 pennant and worlds championship
winner can certainly break up fast.
One or two men ia the right places
will make a club, as 1t did the Wash
ington team when Griffith took hold
and plugged up a couple of cavities.
Also the loss Of two or three players
will ruin a wonderful machine or
the old Cubs of 1910 practically none
is left now with the exception OF
Schultz, Zimmerman and Archer. 1t
takes skilled handling to keep a cham
piOnship team from wearing out and
breaking up. .McGraw and Connie
Mack are the two experts at this, for
they have their clubs up near the top
most every season. Each one Is con-
Stantly testing the various parts OF
his machine to discover II any Of them
Is weakening, because both realize that
Z ball club is only as strong as its
weakest spots.