Evening star., 1915-10-16

formidable and that White Sox ae-
gresat1on Is sure to be one of the best
hitting teams in the league, though it
may not do as we'll as it did in the
last campaign, for 1t is questionable
whether its pitching staff will recover
from the hardships it underwent in the
1915 race. II the Sox change their
system of training. which heretofore
has called for the playing of fifty
games or more before the season
opened. and give their star pitchers
ample time to rest between games,
there may be hope for them to win
next year.
The absence of Red Killifer from the
Phillies' lineup did not make as much
d1nerence in that teams chances in the
world series as was generally believed
when it became apparent that Killifer
would be unable to perform.
Manager Moran was mighty lucky to
nave SO competent a catcher as Burns
on his staff, for no one could have done
better work than he. The Red Sox@a
team which has a lot of speed-found
Burns their master, for in the five
games but one base was stolen on him,
and that was due to the fact that the
off first.
killifer, of course. may have been
aple to get more out of the pitchers
that is doubtful. for it is matter of
fact that Manager Moran gave the sig
nails whenever pitcher was in tight
place. not leaving 1t to the twirler's
own judgment or to that of Burns.
Branch Rickey's Browns have gained
much prestige in St. Louis because of
the easy victory they scored over the
Cardinals in the post-season series.
Base ball enthusiasts in the Mound
| city were very much impressed with
the Hickey team. and they see a chanc.
| for 1t to be prominent in the next race.
| Connie Mack expects to have a team
| next season which will finish far above
| last place. Had the Mackmen had good
pitching in the last race they would
| have finished much higher. The entire
squad of young twirlers carried over
| from the year before fell down to a
man, and, of course, the team was not
strong enough to overcome this sort
| of a handicap.
But Mack believes he has greatly i'm
proved his pitching department, and
that next season his team will prove
the surprise of the race.
If Mack has any more recruits like
that chap Myers, whom he pitched here
In the final game of the season, he will
have a mighty powerful pitching staff.
Myers not only shut out the Ma
tionals with two hits, but he famed
eleven of them, which was as good a
performance as any youngster has
ever been credited with.
John McGraw probably will follow in
the wake of George Stallings and make
a cleanup of last years Giants, and
have a lot of new faces on his lineup
when the next season opens. The
Giants were lamentably weak this
year and finished in last place, the
lowest berth that team which Nc
Graw has ever managed has ever oc-
cupied.
Stallings had good reason for not
being satisfied with his team, though
it finished second. Had his team been
up to the standard it showed the year
before he would again have finished
in front. The absence of Bill James,
the big pitcher, made a difference. and
he Braves manager realizes that he
must strengthen in various positions in
order to be prominent in the future
races.
A story comes from Chicago that a
deal was on last season whereby Frank
Baker was to join the White Sox in ex-
change for $1,000 in cash and players
Weaver and Leibold. 1t is said that
the other club owners howled about
such a deal because it was feared it
would make the White Sox too strong,
so 1t was called off.
The chances are this story is not
based on facts, for Connie Mack, in
speaking of Baker last summer, told
the writer that, while Comiskey had
made him good offer for his slugger,
he had turned the proposition Gown,
and had told Comiskey he would not
sell him any more players: that he had
let him have Murphy and Collins, and
that was as far as he was going.