Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1916-02-26
FIVE.CORNERED PENNANT RACE
 IS PROMISED
By Frank G. Menke.


 6rs in the American league is prom sed by study Of the "dape" from this mid-winter angle.
 The Red Sox, Yankees, White Sox, Tigers and Browns all seem to have wonderful chance to grab off the bunting. The Senators do n9t size up as powerful as any one of the quintet, yet they ray spring sur. prise. The Athletics and Indians look no better than they did last sea son. when they staged thrilling battle for the cellar champi 9nship.
 The world champions probably will take the field as they lined up in 1915 There have been a numbe, of additions to the Lannin crew since th'S Fast championship battle was fought, but none of the newcomers looks good enough to oust any of the regulars. Bill Carrgan the man agerial perscn. is hopeful, however, of building up powerful secondary defense with his new talent.
 Yankees Wonderfully Improved.
 No team in the Johnson circu'' las such wealth of fine material as the Yankees. Reckless eXpendi lure of money has added D the roster of the once joke ball club. some of ;he brightest stars that shone last year in the Federal league, American association and international league.
 The Yankee infield and outfield promise to rank among the greatest ill the country. They have speed, fielding brilliancc and batting pow CT. Behind the bat, the Tanks have been fortified. while their pitchins, staff shows greater promise than any other club in the league To aug ment the regulars cf last year. Caldwell, Heating and Fischer there are Nick Gullop, the southpaw star of the Feds: Allen Russell. who was a sensation in the International; Dan ripple, who made grea rec ord in the American association: Hob Shawkey. once-time Athletic; George Mogridge who won 2l out of 35 combats in the Western league, and dozen cthers.
 The White Sox surely will be in the fight. They have besne strengthened where they need it--in secondary de iensc-by the purchase of some req stars from the bushes. The SoX look ed like world beaters last year and for time they d:a beat every thing in sight. Then they dropped t,ehind. That was because they lacked real wallop-because their reserve force was not up to stanG- ard. This year it's different-anil White 'Sox rooters are dreaming pen- nant dreams.
 Watch Those Tigers.
 Hughie. Jennings hopes to find ! among his rockies" at least two pitchers who can stand the major 1 league gaff. If hs hopes are realiz- ed. those Tigers will be the team tha. must be beaten by the club tha. wins the pennant. No outfit in the coun- try has, greater offensive strength. | Lack of air-tight pitching lost tEe 1915 pennant for the. iungle-boys. Give Jennings two young pitchers of Of veterans-and then watch these Tigers go.
 The Browns size up as the greatest | comblnation that ever r. presented tho Missouri metropolis The merging of the<Browns Of 1915 with the Slou- feds has placed under tho manage ment of Fielder Jones the grandest l collection of ball players that any St. Louis team has owned. Jones has enough gocd ball players to form tw great clubs. His problem is to build the most powerful machine pos sible from the many cogs at his dis rosal. If he builds right-and Jcnes | $ wizard in that line-the Browns | will be up ia the fight all the way.
 Clark GriffAh. a.s over, is emit ting pennant predictions. His club doe not look much better than it did | last year, when it never was in the running. but Grif nurses the hopes that some of his men will begin hit ting and that a few of his twirlers Will improve a point where they can be of material assistance 10 the "Hu- man Bullet.n
 The "Hopeless Twins"
 Connie Mack asks you all not io confine his club to last place "be- cause we may surprise you Buy Connle's timber is so green that 'tl seems unlikely that he can build al machine within the next two or three years that will have even fair chance fer the pennant. The ath- ietlcs in other words, ought to fin isf seventh-if they don't finish eighth
 And now as for the Indians. On the roster are a dozen or mere like ly looking youngsters. But if two of them develep into real major leaguers the Indians will be lucky because the ratio of bushers success in the big leagues is smaller than one in six. The Indians have not been strengthened by the purchase of fmajor league talent. The regular team of 1915 was. at best q mediocre outfit. It's pitching power was d minus quality. it's batting strength. after Joe Jackson was sold. skidded off. In fielding the Maps were only ordinary
 Barring a miracle, the Indians won't finish better than sixth-and most likely they'll finish eighth.