Evening star., 1915-01-15

Aftar if was discovered in the big
league that some of the pltchers were
using the emery ball tl.ere was rule
passed against it, and its use ceased.
But the pitchers in the Federal League
were not affected thereby, which no
doubt accounts for the good showing
made by Falkenberg and Ford. neither
of whom would be able to hold their
own if they were not allowed to use
the delivery in question.
1t is questionable if any league in
the history of base ball was ever bet
ter fortified at shortfeld than is the
American circuit at this time. Nearly
every club has competent man for
that important position, and several
of them rank with the greatest per
formers the game has ever seen.
Jack Barry. owen Bush, Buck Wea-
Yer and George Mcbride are fn.shed
artists - short. Chapman of the
Clevelands. did not have good year.
yet he is a grand ball player, and
Peck inpaugh of the Yankees played at
a high standard last season, and is
pretty sure to shoy rs vel lif not bet
ter in the coming campaign.
The most promising of the new com
ers undoubtedly is Scott of the Red
SoX. That young man not only hlled
Heinie Wagner's shoes, but he showed
Il
preston that in due time he viii be in
a class by himself.
Iavan of the Browns has lot OF
ability and is coming, fast with every
season, his most marked Improvement
being in his hitting.
Battling Nelson is going to law to
protect his name. The Durable Dane
declares he is sick and tired OF an
kinds of fighters hooking the name
Battling onto themselves and he pro-
poses to hold for himself the name nc
made famous by eighteen years OF the
ha rdest work ever accorded any cha III /:
pion.
"Battling'' is Nelson's real name. pc
ing handed him at the altar, and being
a favorte name among the Danes ne
believes he has an exclusive right 10 II
and that the other ringmen of more or
less repute who have appropriated Il
should be enjoined and either prevent
ed from using it or made to pay a
royalty on the Nelson copyright he
threatens to bring his first action
against Battling" Levinsky.
According to some critics who are
doping the pennant races in the two
big leagues next season. Boston VIII
win both. The Braves are believed 20
be invincible by these authorities,
while the Red SoX in the American
League will be SO far out in front by
July that there will be little interest IN
the race.
But there are apt to be some ma
terial upsets of these predictions. The
chances are the races in both leagues
will be much harder fought than they
were last year. The fact that the Sox
fnished second to the Athletics last
season and the Mackmen are supposed
to have been weakened is taken to
give the Carrigan team cinch. But
who can tell what Mack will do with
his team: Don't figure his aggregation
out of it by any means, and. incidental
ly, don't overlook the fact that Chicago
and Detroit are not going to be easy
picking, while the Nationals, as usual.
will be contenders.
In the National League the Braves
| truly look best, and yet, like any other
good team, must have the breaks, and
these can never be assured.
For a man who has been in base ball
hardly a year, Robert Ward. the presi-
dent of the Brookfeds, apparently is
! doing a lot of talking. But the facts