New Britain herald., 1914-04-13


 they lacked only experience, which has been gained since.
 Furthermore, the teams which proved most fitting to be considered rivals of the Athletics last year ap- pear to have suffered heavily during the intervening span. Cleveland that crowded Mack close for many weeks ill 1913, must start without Cy Falkenberg, d pitcher, who kept Birmingham people to the fore the first half of the way. Chapman, the clever little shortstop, who figured prominently throughout the fight cf the Maps is nursing a broken leg. He will not be able to play. before mid- season. He may never regain his former skill.
 Bostons Red Sox, too. have suf- fered much from adversity. Joe Wood, the champion pitcher, can not work for some time. He is re- covering from an operation for ap- pendicitis. Moseley. who as 8 colt pitched the club into fourth place, is gone Heinie Wagner. for ten years a most efficient shortstop, Is nursing a lame knee. A veteran with bad legs is usually just about through. Wagner's loss will be a severe blow, no doubt, to club that is weak at first in Engle and only moderately fair with Yerkes on second. Carri- gan, however, with a couple of able assistants, will assure great receiving power. Few outf1elds compare with Speaker, Lewis and Hooper.
 Washington has lost Bob Groom one of Griffith g three great pitchers last year Otherwise the team is. very much the same as that which finished the past campaign. From this angle Griffith should furnish Connie Mack the strongest argument. He has a wonderfully we'll balanced club and one that plays smart base ball. Much can be done with such a brilliant pitcher as Walter John son. Besides, the Old Fox should get better start than last year, when Eddie Foster, his crack third base man. suffered early an attack of ty- phoid fever.
 Yankees Don't Expect Pennant.
 In the American league the real fight should be for first division hon. ors rather than for the pennant. which appears such an open and shut forma,ity. Tho independents won away Edgar Willett, who for years was one of Hugh Jennings pitching mainstays. But Hugh Is said to have likely looking lot of young box can didates as we'll as several reputed lntield phenoms. If only a few of these pan out we'll to help those ter rife sluggers Crawford and Cobb the popular Detroit manager is likely to figure once more as real contender.
 Frank Chance has gone long way toward reconstructing the hopeless tail end crew which he found await ing him. He has a team which Is bound to improve with hn season. It is inexperienced everywhere but in the battery positions and bound to play more or less cratic ball. Chances opportunities for improve ment appear most bright at this time. The heights to which he may aspire rest largely with the decline or inn provement of Boston, Chicago and Detroit. Ed Walsh apparently must come back to make the White Sox dangerous. Collins was the only real outfielder with Callahan last year. Chase and Lord, at first and third respectively, seemed slipping fast at the close of 1913. St. Louis is going to enter the field with the 1913 lineup intact save for a new first baseman. It finished eighth then. That is it's customary berth and Branch Hickey is not likely to re- verse custom.
 1t has been explained how one stumbling block was removed from McGraws pathway to a fourth straight championship. Unless the days of miracles are still with us Dooin's Phillies seem destined to a big tumble. It remains to be seen whether Fred Clark benefited his Pirates by the gigantic swap with st LOUIS mat gave him Konetchy, Now rey ana Bob Harmon. It would ap- pear that the latter must have the pest season or his career to make the Flrate pitching staff formidable. Ger talniy the Cardinal acquisitions have aooeu notn1ng to the speed of the Buccaneers. If anything they have slowed an already too slow collection. Speed these days counts too much to Ee ignored totally
 Cubs Will Miss Johnny Eyers.
 The Chicago Cubs are hound r., miss Evers. No managerial wizar rdrv of Hank O'Day is likely to offset tha playing value of the Keystone King But Bill Sweeney is fair man. He may come back again. If he does and O'Day proves as good a leader as was Trojan Johnny, the Cubs are likely still to figure in National league affairs. With Evers at second Stall lings' Boston Braves have a show to beat out lot of clubs. The Big Chief finished fifth last year. It looked as if he might have nosed out the Pirates but for outside worries. Ger tainly he should be figured quite as formidable as last October There is absolutely no way to figure the Cin- cinnati directors and the St. Louis