The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-03-08

Philadelphia. Pa, March s-The
Philadelphia hopes for a pennant
this season. Even the most optimis-
tic fans cannot see themselves stand
ing in line for worlds series ducats
next October. Both teams have had
the severest shake-up this winter in
their history and only a miracle can
bring either of them to the tape
ahead of fourteen other teams.
The disintegration of the Athletics
famous machine is the hardest blow.
Philadelphia fans had come to look
upon a weorld's series as an annual
affair with Philadelphia-one that
was theirs by divine right, or some
thing of that sort-and the crash
that shot the famous aggregation into
history shook them to their toes.
The justly famous 100000 infield"
now looks like thirty cents-some of
the more belligerent even assert the
three should be erased The famous
Parry to Collins to McInnis'' that
gone Quaker fans began to sit up
and take notice when Bender and
Plank, the two men who have
year after year with their sterling
performances were gone. Then came
the Collins 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.
Starting Anew.
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
Lajoie is going to help some, but the
veteran is slowing up; he had bad
is viewed with some skepticism:
kopf, the little utility infielder, will
try to fill Bakers shoes at third, but
is woefully weak. He only batted
1872 in "a games last season.
Mack has his old outfie1d to begin
with again-Strunk, O1dring and
Murphy. He is well fortified behind
the plate with Lapp and Schang, but
some worry. Bush, Pennock, Wyckoff,
Shawkey and Bressler do not stack
up favorably with the Gregg, Wood,
Leonard, Collins and Foster combina
Cfcotte, Scott, Benz, Russell, Faber
contingent upon which White SoX
fans rest their hopes
Another thing is undoubtedly 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 without them-that old
confidence and cock-sureness that
won them many games isn't going to
be there.
The PhiIIies l
The Phillies are about in the same
boat with their Ow-tOwnSme en-.
There, too, is the absence of old stars
going to be felt. Sherwood Magee,
mighty son of Swat, has gone to BOS-
ton, and his old running mate, Honus
Lobert, will be seen in Giant uni
form 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 Gill
more'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 a usual by Laud-
erus, but that about tells the story of
Pat Morans infield. Byrne will be
seen at second, but he was not
bowling 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, Sc
cured from the Giants in the Lobert
deal, and q yOungster from the Pacific
Coast league, who is reputed to be a
conner, he answers to the name of
Dave Bancroft. Stock didn't make a
hit with McGraw last season and for
that reason was let go. Bancroft is
recruit.
Some Good HitterS.
However, Moran is fortunate in
having a fairly heavy hitting outfie1d
in Paskert, Cravath and Becker. They
should be able to drive in a lot of