The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-04-10
THE WEEK OF
 THE BIG SHOW


 This is Monday, and, if the week runs true to form, the day after to- morrow will be Wednesday, the date set by the grand moguls of baseball, to touch the button that initiates the biggest show on earth. Baseball is just that, in the opinion of the vast multitude of fans, and now that the cruel Fed League war is over the popular interest in the exhibitions pulled off under the big top of ball dom is likely to be. keener than It has been in years.
 At the threshold of the 1916 sea son of the major leagues the dealer in dope finds his prophetic job more diff ficult than ever. The distribution of Fed League talent among the clubs of the old leagues has upset all call culations based on the relative strength of the teams at the close of the 1915 race, and has left the ex- pert we1tering in a sea of uncertainty. Of course, the experts never have been very successful except on. paper, and baseball is not played on paper. / l When the season opens on Wednos- day about half a hundred ex-Feds will be seen cavortfng in the uniform of i big league clubs. When peace was declared many baseball scribes insist ed that not more than twenty or l thirty of the Feds would be taken in | 1 that the Gilmore circuit had more good men than it's O.. B. critics l thought.
 1 It is generally admitted that the two New York clubs have gained 1 most from the blowing up of the Fed I eraI circuit. Benny Kauff may not be another Ty Cobb, but it is a. pretty safe bet that he will add considerable strength to the Giants. Rousch in l also a player. of considerable prom
 
 to help the McGrawites to escape from 1 the cellar. In KonetchY, Allen and Knetzer the Braves have certainly se- cured valuable acquisitions. Owing to the analgamaion of the Cubs and l Whales Joe TInker's club has the tfonal League lineup, including Mann DooIan Flack ZWiIling, Fisch CT l Yerkes, Packard Hendrix, Zeider Seaton, McConnelI and Brown. At I that, the Tinkerites don't loom very I formidable, and they made a n1iser- games. The Cincinnati Reds took l over six ex-Feds, Anderson, Moseley l Louden, 5Huhn, Schulz and Esmond The Pirates have a valuable acquisi- I ton in Wilson, and Smith and Nor I an are also on the Buccaneer payroll Uncle zWi1bert Robinson has Mowrey Hickman. and Jimmy Johnston from I the defunct league. The Phillies have I only one former Fed, Chief Bender who was a failure in the Gilmore cir cult.
 The American League clubs mostly stood pat and refused to patronizt SineIair's s player store. The St. Loui: amalgamation gave the Browns the pick of the strong Fed club built III t by. Fielder Jones, including, Daven i. port, Plank, Crandal1, Groom, Hart , ley, Bortor, Chapman, Vaughn Johnson, Tobin, Walsh, Ward Miller
 IcKechnie and Deal The Browns Hook very good on paper, and Jones il pilot who knows his business. Th' Yankees have Lee Magee, Cullop Gedeon and Schaefer. Wild Bill' Donovan is Justified in hoping tha this infusion of new blood may re 1ieVe the Tanks of the odium of be .I ing a joke club, and. at the worst : Germany Schaefer can at least mak it a good joke. The Tigers have takel Pitcher KaiserIing Otherwise tn the tribes of the clan of Johnson vii pin their faith to the men who stucl , by organized baseball