The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1915-03-09
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, Pennant Seems Distant.

The we'll known depths of despair
hold Philadelphia hopes for a pen
nant this season. Even the most op-
timistic fans cannot see themselves
standing in line for worlds series du-
cats next October. Both teams have
had the severest shake-ups this win
ter in their history and only a miracle
can bring either Of them to the tape
ahead of fourteen other teams.
The disintegregation Of the Ath-
letics' famous machine is the hardest
blow. Philadelphia fans had come
to look upon worlds series as an
annual affair with Philadelphia-one
that was theirs by divine right, or
something of that sort-and the crash
that shot the famous aggregation in
to history shook them to their toes.
The justly famous 100000 in
field" now looks like thirty cents
some of the more belligerent even as
sert the three should be erased. The
famous Barry to Collins to McInnis'
that figured daily in the box scores
is gone. Quaker fans began to sit
up and take notice when Bender and
Plank, the two men who have brought
remnants to Philadelphia year after
year with their sterling performan-
ces, were gone. Then came the Col
Inns deal. That left their hopes
stunned bit more. Before they had
time to recover, Frank Baker, king
bee swatter of all worlds series, an
nounced he was through. That was
the proverbial last straw.
Mack is now back where he was
five or six years ago. True, he still
has Barry and McInnis, but the pair
seem like the skeleton of a once solid
structure. The addition of Larry La
joie is going to help some, but the
veteran is slowing up; he had bad
year last season with the Maps and
he is viewed with some skepticisln
Kopf, the little utility infielder, will
try to fill Bakers shoes at third, but
is woefully weak. He only batted
1882 in "a games last season.
Mack has his old outfield to begin
with again-Strunk, Oldring and
Murphy. He is we'll fortified behind
the plate with Lapp and Schang, but
his pitching staff should cause him
some worry. Bush, Pennock, Wyck-
off, Shawkey and Bressler do not
stack up favorably with the Gregg,
Wood, Leonard, Collins and Foster
combination which Bostons boasts of,
nor the Cicotte, Scott, Benz, Russell,
Faber contingent upon which White
Sox fans rest their hopes.
Another thing which is undouJ1-
eddy going to have an effect on the
team. That is the absence of the
four old stars. They are going to
feel strange facing the enemy with
out them-that old confidence and
cock-sureness that won them many
games isn't going to be there.
The Phillies are about in the same
boat with their fellow-townsmen
There, too, is the absence of old stars
going to be felt. Sherwood Magee,
Mighty Son of Swat, has gone to
Boston, and his old running mate,
Honus Lobert, will be seen in a Giant
uniform this season. Charley Doom
has gone to Cincinnati. The Pills
didn't have whole lot to start the
season with last year, thanks to- Jim
Gilmore's raiding cohorts, but they
have less this season.
Killifer behind the bat is all right:
he proved that last season. First base
will be occupied as usual by Laud-
erus, but that about tells the story
of Pat Moran's infeld. Byrne will
be seen at second, but he was not
hoWling success last season; for
short, there is Martin, who played
last year, and is about in the same
class. Then for third, Moran has
Milton Stock, secured from the Giants
in the Lobert deal, and a youngster
from the Pacific Coast league who is
reDuted to be conner