Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-04-10

pitched more games. tina, he pitched
VIZ nara games, and that his efficiency
has decreased almost 20 per cent from,
last spring
Tho weakening OF Alexander affects
'he fhiiiics perhaps more than II
would the average club. You see.
Alex has been carrying the pitching
stan of the champions. lie has worked
so as to permit Chalmers and Mayer TO
use what strength they have TO The
best advantage. Neither of these men
~ strong pitcher. Thcv arc good
against certain clubs and under Ger
peiied 10 take regular turns aud pitch
against teams as thcv come-.'run Of
the mine" pitchers, as il were-.hcv
would he second ratcrs. |. Moran can
use Alex against any one ar amy time.
and ut the other two into places where
th"S are effective, they are good
pitchers. Moran won ii peuuant last
year by doing just this thing. hut his
hirh-speed pitcher is disa blcd, and with
every one compelled to run in second
the team looks weak The sign OF
nope is Adams, secures. .:Ii,, :hc Cubs
This younEstcr is likely to develop into
q great pitcher. and. remember. Moran
is great developer. Rixey, like most
left-handerS, is unrcliable
Tinker must RELY upon Ucndriy aud
| Seaton. with Jim Vaughan and Gene
. Packard, secured from Kansas City, as
his lcft-ha ndcd best bets. lie hns n
corking pitching staff. and Packard
rounds IL out. MamauX is the strength
OF Pittsburgh. He can go perhaps
thirty games. but beyond that every
hf
tNcnesS. figure Anderson. from the
Feds. as FAR the strongest single asset
McGraw has picked up. lie was the
best pitcher in Tie Federal League last
year. and that with n weak team Hc
Will be unknown to the National
League battcrS, ana that will helm con
Silcrably.
Boston's great prohlcm is whether
James can come back OF not. This fell
low threw away the championship for
the Braves last year because lie was
. too much hcroi2ed after winning the
pennant the preceding year. There is
nothing the matter with him if he
wants to get into condition and work.
and IL he will steady down. pay atten-
ton to business and pitch, he will max e
the Braves figure higher than | have
been able TO figure them. In other
words. he VIII make the Braves GER
tainty rather than a question. Nchf is
last year. Fat Raglan is the strongest
single pitcher in the league. a man who
can pitch sixty games or parts OF them
and not feel il. He has a style all his
own--a style which. by the way. was
wonderfully effective ten years ago. but
which has gone out of fashion, and as
he alone uses it, his work Is helped.
st. Louis cannot go far with it's
pitching STAFF. IT needs to discover one
man who can win twenty-five out OF
forty games to make IT effective. And
he must win with IL low average OF
runs per game. meaning that he must
lie better than To per cent pitcher
with championship team.
The big problems OF the league are
Alexander, Mathewson, James, of Bos-
ton. and Bender. Don't forget tho
chief. He is Il great money pitcher"
and he may come back and show a lot
Of form for the Phlllies, because his
pride has been stung. Physically. he IL
about as good as he ever was. and his
Indian character counts much.
Tomorrow we will size up tho prob
Items Of the American League. and then
reduce the pitching strongths OF the
two leagues to figures.
Copyright, 1915. by the Wheeler Syn.
dictate. Inc.)