Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-02-06

looms TO De most IOrmldaDle pitching
staff.
Hughey Jennings is said to have
picked Washington as one of the con-
tenders in the coming race, but If he
picks his team to finish first it weakens
his prediction. for it is questionable if
he. has the pitchers necessary to win a
flag. Give Hughey's team three good,
consistent twirlers and it would be a
real contender. for it is hustling.
wonderful hitting strength and the
greatest player for doing the unex-
pected in Ty Cobb.
Neither George Mcconnell .of the
Whales. nor Danforth, the left-hander
Louisville club. will be allowed to use
the ball which made them successful
during the last campaign. Mcconnell
is said to have mastered what he call
hit effectively. and Danforth has some
way of polishing one side of the ball
which had an effect similar to that
produced by the use of emery paper.
against the use of these deliveries just
as they have against the use of any
thing put on ball to give it peculiar
shoots, and the chances are that the
two twirlers who are to get trials in
fast company will have a hard time
making good.
Men identified with base ball usually
get more free advertising than men
in most any other walk of life. 1t has
of Harry Sinclair's prominence in the
game. since peace has been declared.
to pay to have a sketch of himself
printed. Yet this Sinclair seems to
have done.
Under the caption of Great Oil Capt.
talist Who Is Famous Base Ball Mag
nate a detailed account of the Okla
homa mans life is given in a New
are used to tell briefly the various
things that Sinclair has been identified
with since he graduated from the Uni
versity of Kansas with degree of
pharmacy. The article winds up with
the ADV" mark attached. which would
Indicate that it was advertising.
A man who had as many ball players
to sell as Sinclair did not need to pay
for publicity. yet he fell for this while
in Gotham.
Ray Morgan Is to have another
chance. The conference which the Ma
tionals' former second baseman had
with Manager Griffith last week led
the latter to believe that Morgan will
make a special effort to get himself in
good condition as early as possible.
and that he will put forth his best eff
forts all during the coming season:
Morgan seems to realize that his days
as a major Lacquer are close to the
finish unless he works his hardest and
takes the best of care Of himself. His
experience last season was such that
he lost quite a lot OF money by being
suspended and fined for failing to be
fifth is going to be even more severe
in the melting out of punishment dur
ing the coming campaign * any OF his
rules are violated Understanding how
h. lea RI
to do his best. and II he shows to ad-
vantage he. no doubt. will have the
undivided support Of the patrons OF
the game here, who realize that when
he plays up to his real form ne is
very capable addition to the team.
1t is a safe prediction that Joe Gedeon
is not going to be the star hitter that
many Of the New York Yankees fol-
lowers expect him to be in the next
campaign The fact that the salt Lake y; !;
much to help give Gedeon many of his
extra base hits, and. what Is more. the
pitching in the Pacific Coast League
is far from .he major league standard.
Both Joe Wood and Christy Mathew
son not so many years ago were the
series when the Giants and Red Sox
clashed Mathewson won but eight
81 mes last season and lost fourteen.
McCraw expects him to come back in
the next campaign. and 1t is hoped that
he will Wood won more games than
he lost, but while he Is given credit for
leading the American League pitchers:
Walter Johnson was the real leader OF
the Johnson circuit.
Wood and Matty are likely to slide
farther down the pitching ladder next
season. Wood needs lots OF rest be-
tween games even now. and he is not
going to improve any with time. This
| also is true of Matty.
Wood never has had a smooth. strain
| less motion. He pitched much with his
elbow. a fact which caused his arm 70
weaken much more easily than would
| "A free arm motion. Matty always had
| to rely great deal on his curve ball
and his fadeaway. The two deliveries
were strenuous. and 1t really is re-
markable that he was star for SC
many years.
The one pitcher in base ball today
who twirls without the slightest
| strain and who IL likely to last as long
as old Cy Young Is Walter Johnson
| There never was more perfect pitch
| ing motion than that Of johnson. What
! is more, Johnson never unnecessarily
strains himself. Give him a two OF
| three run lead and he will rest his arm
and take a chance on his support doing
| the work Only when conditions of the
| game are such that he must put lot
| on the ball does he work at top speed
and II is this fact which is going to
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