The Washington herald., 1917-01-05
LITTLE CHANCE FOR
NATIONALS in 1917
Hushey Jennings Believes Four Teams
Are in Running for Flag.

Scranton, Pa, Jan. 4-Four teams will
go to the post for the start of the 1917
American League season. each with
equal chance Of capturing the race when
the flag falls next October. says Hugh
Jennings, manager of the Detroit Tigers.
who has been spending the winter here
+, assisting the practice of the law firm
prised Of the red-topped chieftain. and hts
brother, William A.
Hughie Is to go to Cuba the last of
this month with John McGraw, Of the
Giants to remain in the tropical land
until time to shift to the Tigers
training camp. He Is now getting things
| in shape for the getaway.
| At his office today he, said II looks
like Boston, Detroit, Chicago and New
York again In 1917, these four teams
| to make the first division, finishing
according to the best staying quail
| ties displayed by any of the four, that
team to cop the ribbon.
| Jennings, of course, picked his own
| team to land the bunting. He bases
| this prophecy on expected added
strength to his tribe from youngsters
picked up by his scouts. He expects
big things from Howard Empke, the
! of the New York State League. at the
he looks for much from Couch and Jones,
| two youngsters from the West.
Hughie was asked what he thinks of
the Athletics prospects for 1917.
Mack doesn't have to do a lot to whip
his youngsters into a winning aggrega-
tion," he conhded.
THE Athletics will certainly not be the
toy of the league they were last sea-
| son. II Mack can give little help to
( Rms Va 10 wi
start out with a first class staff.
II think he has found a wonder in
[ young Grover. / liked his work last
season. Lajole's going will not handi-
cap Mack. He'll find a second baseman
to take his place, and also expect to
see Bodie being a big assistance to the
| team. You can never tell what Connie
now about as long as he'd be expected.
and Is about due to turn out another
| winner.
! with Strunk, Thrasher and Bodie for
an outfeld, and McInnis, Grover and two
other infielders OF their caliber back of
pitchers like Meyers, Nabors. and Bush, /
look for Mack to be heard from again.
Jennings does not think that the retir-
ing Of Bill Carrgan will seriously inter
fere with the work OF the Red SoX. for
the coming year at least.
| Cleveland is out OF it, Jennings thinks.
| The blowing up Of the Indians pitching
staff after the middle of last season has
left Cleveland hopelessly weakened, he
says, and he can't figure on a come
back"
As for Chicago. Jennings says. Coms-
key has the individual stars. but they
have never got the knack OF working to-
gether and never got cured OF erratic
spells that have been fatal to their for
tunes year after year. The Yanks. he
says, ought to have better luck than
last season. With an even split Dono-
vans clan, he says. should be dangerous
from the crack of the pistol. He sees
! little chance for Washington or st. Louis,
though each team has its quota of star
performers.
It'll be a fight among Detroit. Boston,
New York and Chicago" said Hughie.
They'll finish one. two. three. four. and
are almost certain to finish with any one
of the four first.
1T ought to be a great season for
everybody. as virtually every team has
been strengthened. The tightening up of
the Athletics alone will serve of itself to
tighten up the race"