The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-12
AMERICAN LEAGUE MANAGERS PREDICT !. OUTCOME FOR 1876 Eight American League Pilots Present Views of
 Coming Race FIVE TEAMS ARE UNIVERSALLY PICKED Detroit, Boston and Chicago Are Re- garded as Strongest-Expected
 to Set Pace-Will Athletics
 Stage Comeback?

has made that organization feared around the American league circuit.
 While of course preseason pennant winners rarely develop according to form, it Is interesting to know what each man. ager thinks of the teams and The Age Herald presents herewith the views of the eight American league pilots on the coming race:
 Hugh Jennings, Detroit Detroit Bos- ton, New York, Chicago St. Louis and Washington-these are the teams I pick to fight it out for the 1916 American league peEnant.
 Detroit, Boston and Chicago should be the pace-setters with the other teams Keeping close enough to the front as to be able to slip in any time one of the leaders stumbles. Detroit, with a poor pitching staff, finished three games behind Boston in the 1915 race. The Tigers will have better staff of hurlers in 1916 and if Dauss and Covaleskie get some real help we will come mighty close to win ming.
 The race should be one of the greatest In the history of the American circuit perhaps the greatest. There are five well balanced teams and the addition of Frank Baker has made the New York club the dark horse" of the race
 CHICAGO TO SET PACE
 Nidfeiice hoWlanu, ChlcagO: believe Chicago is going to set the pace for American league clubs this season. [ think, however that stubborn opposition will be furnished by Detroit, Boston. St, Louis and New York
 The Chicago team will be much stronger than it was last year. We have a great hitting team, a fine fielding organization and the best catcher in the American league. The pitching staff is strong and ali I am asking for is an even break in the luck
 The Sox set the pace for the other teams through the early part of the 1915 season and they slipped when injuries put out scme of the regulars. Jim Scott, Eddie C1cotte and Joe Benz were out at diff ferent times; these men will be ill shape r-ght from the start this year.
 Fielder Jones, St. Louis: I have been away from tie American league so long that it is impossible for me to figure the probable finish of any team. I do, how ever, believe that St Louis will be in the running right from the start.
 BROWNS ARE FAST
 l have one of the fastest and best balanced aggregations in the circuit. but l cannot tell in advance how it will shape up with the other teams on the ball field. As matter of fact. the only place to get results is out there on the diamond. But you can count on Fielder Jones and his Browns being in the battle from the start to the finish
 From what I have heard the Boston, Detroit, Chicago, Washington and New York teams are all strong. This being fact, expect to see one of the great est races in baseball history. And don't lose sight of Mack. for Connie is lia- ble to spring a surprise.
 Clark Griffith, Washington: I see where lot of folks are counting Washington out of the 1916 American league race. All I have to say is that a lot of these wise ones are going to be fooled.
 The Washington team of 1916 will be a much stronger one than that of 1915. Last year Gandil and Morgan were out of the game most of the time, while our catching staff was not al- ways in the best of shape. This year have Judge, wonderful prospect, as a first sacker and my infield will be much more dependable. I have Jamie- son for the outfield and Henri Don deau is liable to make somebody hustle for position in the outfield
 STRONG PITCHING STAFF
 I have the best pitching staff in the American league and I am not doing much worrying over my catching de- partment Boston, Detroit, St. Louis, Chicago and New York are the other teams l DICK LO pc III lio Ai6Al Aloii the start
 Bill Carrigan. Boston: Last winter I predicted that the American league race of 1915 would be between Detroit and Boston. think the same teams will fight 1t out again to the finish this coming season and I expect we will be the ones to cop At least' hope so.
 The New York and St. Louis teams have been strengthened during the off season and these clubs are liable to throw a lot of trouble into the sched- ule. New York, by securing Baker. got slugger note and man who will win lot of games almost single-nanded. St. Louis has team that is hard to done b,1t Jones is a manager who can he denended on to get out the best that is in his men.
 RACE TO BE CLOSE suppose all the managers agree that inc coming season will be one or the best in the history of the game and I expect that the race Will De very tight one
 Lee Fohl. Cleveland: Cleveland is not picked to be In the pennant race tnis season, but I believe the Indians wlil surprise a lot of persons who figure they will be scalped by all the con
 We are starting off with better spirit this season and if I can get the club going right (and l nope 10 uo 1 this) it will win lot or pail games l and will finish up among some oI tne teams that are already being nsureu ] in on the pennant race.
 We have good pitchers, fine young hocraton in Steve O'Neill and an out field of hustlers In fact. am working to get the entire team in a hustling spirlt, and if it gains that 1t will win a lot U. han games from clubs that on paper l have superior talent. ,
 Boston, Detroit and Chicago are real contenders for the pennant put New dope pot. ~-r,~,~,u
 MACK TO EXPERIMENT l Come Mack, Philadelphia: The season or | 1916 is going to be an experimental one | with the Athletics
 l When sold Collins and Baker and Bar ry and the other performers. l declared that the Philadelphia team would be back | in the American league pennant hunt a bit sooner than many persons anticipated.