The Washington herald., 1916-01-18
No Chance for Connie to Pro-
duce Pennant Winner
Within Five Years.
OTHER SPORTING GOSSIP
Clark Griffith Promises New Faces for
1916 Washington ClublCom-
ment and News.
By WILLIAM rEET.

Connie Mack's threat that he will give
Philadelphia winning ball club In 1917.
and will start ripping things up during
the middle of the coming season, is taken
with a grain of salt and a large series of
snorts by almost every manager in the
American League.
When Mack broke up his 1914 combina-
tion he shattered one of the greatest ma
chimes ever put together, on the diamond.
He may possibly be able to develop an
other great team five years from now.
but you can bet all you've got that he
won't do 1t next year. or In 1917, as he
has predicted"-thus spoke well-known
American League manager to the writer
during a tanning bee" last fall while
the worlds series was in progress.
Manager Griffith was asked for an ex-
preston on this subject and was cagey
about replying. The Old Fox finally ad-
mitted that In his opinion Mack had a
hard task ahead of him; further than
that he would not go.
/ The done about the Athletics from those
who are on the inside Is to the effect that
with McInnis and Strunk and schang
as nucleus, Connie cannot produce
enough strength to make the Athletics a
first-division contender for five years or
more.
Mack's raw recruits were watched
closely by every manager in the American
| League last season and the general YER
dict seems to be that the majority of
them will either not do, or else are IN
need OF whole lot of seasoning.
Certain Philadelphia writer's declare
that Mack has under his wing a number
of players who have not as yet been
sprung upon the unsuspecting public;
that these men are sure to set the league
! on fire when once they get started.
Be this as 1t may, the other seven
| managers in the Ban johnson circuit look
for easy picking any time the Athletics
are encountered this coming season. or
for some time to come.
To 4 personal friend yesterday Mana
ger Griffith, of the Nationals made bold
| the announcement that the Washington
public had tired of the same old faces
on the Nationals, and had demanded a
change. Furthermore, the Old Fox made
bold the statement that he would present
a team when the season started ths>
would open the eyes of all the fans. In
| other words, Griff vouchsafed the infor-
| nation that some of the old familiar
faces would be missing when the club
took to the field next April
Confirming a story The Herald printed
last week. the following dispatch from
Chicago is printed:
league seasons open on Wednesday,
| April u. the following games will be
played in the East:
an the National League the Giants
will play Brooklyn at Ebbets Field and
the Boston Braves VIII play the Phillies
| at Philadelphia
TN the American League Washington
will play the Yankees at the Polo
Grounds and the Philadelphia Athletics
will meet the Red Sox at Boston,
When the worlds series was held last
fall Manager Carrigan trotted out three
pitchers who were good enough to beat
the Phillies in four games out of five
The three twirlers were Foster, Shore
and Leonard. Carrigan had other first
| class twirlers in reserve.
Despite the wonderful ability of its
pitching staff the Boston Red Sox are
not satisfied. Carrigan has landed an
other promising youngster in Lore Bsder,
| who was the mainstay on the mound OF
\ the Buffalo International League team
| last season. During part of the In
ternational League race last season,
Bader was called upon to pitch three
times in week.
Griffith Announced last night that he
had received the signed contract of
Pitcher Sam Rice and that Rice would
be with the Nationals in Charlottesville
this spring.
| Griff also added, 81 consider Rice a
fine prospect. The youngster possesses
a lot of stun, has plenty of confidence,
and unless 1 miss my guess will be
heard from before the 1916 season closes.