Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1916-03-18
tBy FRANK @. MENKE.)

(By FRANK q. MENKE)
A spectacular five.cornered race for
pennant honors in the American
league Is promised by a study of the
dope" from this midwinter angle.
The Red Sox, Yankees, White Sox,
Tigers and Browns oil seem to have
wonderful chance to grab of the hunt.
Ing. The Senators do not size up as
powerful as any one Of the quintet,
yet they may spring surprise. The
Athletics and Indians look no better
than they did last season. when they
staged thrilling battle for the collar
championship.
The worlds champions probably
will take the field as they lined up In
1916. There have been O number of
additions to the Lannin crew since the
last championship battle was fought.
but none OF the newcomers looks good
enough to Gust any Of the regulars.
Bill Carrigan, the managerial person,
10 hopeful. however, of building up q
powerful secondary defense with his
new talent.
Yankees Wonderfully Improved.
No team In the Johnson circuit has
such wealth Of fine material az the
Yankees. Reckless expenditure of
money has added to the roster of the
once joke ball club, some of the bright.
est stars that shone last year In the
Federal league. American Association
and International league.
The Yankee infeld and outfeld
promise to rank among the greatest
In the country. They have speed,
fielding brilliance and batting power.
Behind the bat the Yanks have been
fortified, while their pitching stan
shows greater promise than any other
club in the league. To augment the
regulars OF last year-Caldwell. Keat.
ing and Fischer-there are Nick Cul.
lop. the southpaw star of the Feds;
Allen Russell. who was sensation in
the International; Dan Triple. who
made great record in the American
Association; Bob Shawkey, one.time
Athletic; George Mogridge. who won
"a out Of IS combats in the Western
league. and a dozen others.
The White Sox surely will be in the
fight. They have been strengthened
where they needed tin secondary
defense-by the purchase of some real
stars from the bushes. The Sox looked
like world heaters last year-and for
O time they did beat everything in
sight. Then they dropped behind.
That was because they lacked q real
wallop-because their reserve force
was not up to standard. This year it's
different-and White Sox rooters are
dreaming pennant dreams.
Watch Those Tigers.
Hughie Jennings hopes to find
among his rockies" ut least two
pitchers who can stand the major
gah. II his hopes are realized, those
Tigers will be the team that must be
beaten by the club that wins the pen.
nant. Not outfit in the country has
greater offensive strength. Lack Of
alright pitching lost the 1915 pen.
nant for the jungle boys. Give Jen-
nings two young pitchers of real
worth to add to his collection of vet
6TduS-duu tucu WdtCu tuObo 4I6cTb
60.
The Browns size up as the greatest
combination that ever represented the
Missouri metropolis. The merging of
the Browns of 1915 with the Sl0ufeds
has placed under the management of
Fielder Jones the grandest collection
OF ball players that any st. Louis
team has owned. Jones has enough
good ball players to form two great
clubs. His problem is to build the
most powerful machine possible from
the many coes at his disposal. II he
builds right-and Jones is wizard
In that line-the Browns will be up in
the fight all the way.
Clark Griffith, as ever, IL emitting
pennant predictions. His club does
not look much better than 1t did last
year. when 1t never was in the rum
ming. but Grit nurses the hope that