Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1917-02-24
FANS HOPE 'MATTY'
WILL COP PENNANT
PILOT OF CINCY REDS WILL HAVE
THE WELL WISHES OF ALL
FANpOM-GREAT TWiRLER IS
lDolIlED.


iDolIZED.
Now Iork.-If the well wishes of
tandem count or anything Christy
Matthewson should start the season
of 1917 at Cincinnati with the cards
stacked in his favor r t.a
Idolized for years by baseball fans
all over the country. from the small
est urchin to the busiest of business
men. Christy Mathewson stepped
down and out as a National League
pitcher and then leaped into the band
wagon with the managers while fan.
dom want to see Matty make good
and they will watch his fortunes at
Redville with genuine interest,
Last Fall, when Mathewson took
the reins at Cincinnati he injected
new spirit into the Reds. He took
hold Of team that was playing in
different baseball team that WAS
following in the footsteps of Cincin.
natl teams of other years. But Mat
tvs presence on the bench as man
ager instilled new life into those
much abused Red Stockings, and they
got out on the greensward and tried
their best to win for him.
But Mathewson has not been thor
oughly tried out as pilot. His ex-
pericnce late last season only served
to give him an insight into what he
has to work with. The real test will
come with the opening of the playing
season this year. viii Matty sue.
coed in making good, as some other
great ball players have done? Or
will he prove failure as a manager?
During the years that Matty played
with the Giants years in which
he was classed by baseball men and
writer's throughout the country MS
McGraw's right hand bower he had
the opportunity to learn all that Nc
Graw can teach to any player about
the art of bossfng ball club. Matty
was often ,given share of the credit
I for successes scored by the Giants.
Did he deserve this credit?
OF course. the fact that the Giants
of the past few years have been a
much better looking ball club than
Cincinnati has had may be pointed to
as one of the reasons for their sue
cesses, and for Matty's share In them
But Matty personally believes that he
has a good club at Cincinnati and
that he will be able to spring some
big surprise with his Redville team
this year.
The Reds. In so far as can he learn
ed, expect little or no trouble from
anything the Baseball Players Fra
ternity may do in regard to strike.
Fact Is, the Reds have already an.
nounced the names OF the players
who are to 60 to the training camp
and the list includes all OF the vet
Grams
Up to the time the season opens
Mathewson will keep his eyes open
for several trades. He is after a
right handed Outfelder and left.
handed pitcher. If he can secure two
such players who are capable of hold
ing their own in the National League
he will be satisfied with his prospects
and the chances of the Reds to slip
one over
In Emil HUM, his youngest catcher.
Matty believes that he has player
OF great value HUM did not look
like world.beator last Summer. and
often he was caught mapping while
other clubs ran the bases on him
But Matty likes his looks and be
lieyes in him Another player who
could not be priod loose from the
Cincinnati payroll is Eddie Rousch
the young outfelder. who went to the
Reds in the deal with Mathewson.
'Rousch Is one of the speedlest players
In the National League. He has nat.
ural batting talent and with a regu-
lar berth. which will give him a
chance to show what he can do. he
should give the best fielders in Gov.
ernor Tenor's circuit run for their
money.
In Chase, Grob, McKechnie, Kopf.
Esmond, Louden and Hobbs. Mathew
son has nifty looking bunch of
fielders and IL he gets one more good
pitcher and the outfielder he Is after
he will bear watching
Regardless of what the Reds &C
complish this year, Mathewson will
start the National League season with
fandom boosting for him, and II he
Is permitted to do as he, sees fit he
may give Cincinnati fans the first
all-season winner they have had In
many years rM fa