Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-03-04
WHAT Will BARRY DO?
ABSENCE OF BILL CARRIGAN
WEAKENS RED SOX CHANCES
Club Had IInrd Fight Under Expert
cnccd rShips-inrry'R Ability
us Munger AIuHt lie PrONeh.


NEW YORK, March Eff Bill Car
rigan was still at the helm in Boston
the average baseball fan would not
ponder great deal over the Red Sox
In his preseason calculations regard
ing the chances those Bostonese Will
have for another pennant in the
American League.
But Bill Carrigan Is now retired, n
banker at Lewiston, Nc, and Jack
Barry is the guiding spirit OF the
worlds champions SO. instead OF
taking IL for granted that those Red
Hose will be very much In the battle
from start to finish Mr.. a. Bug finds
himself pondering where last year
and the ycaI before he mad the Sox
DOWN as sure contcnders
glance backward To the season OF
1916 brings the remembrance that
Boston had hard fight up TO the last
stage OF the race. One recalls that
the White Sox. Tigers and Browns
were all In the running twenty days
before the season ended. and the fact
that the FIRST seven teams were pretty
well punched on tho first day OF Sep
TENDER. when there were but forty
nine points between the Rcd Sox In
first place, and the Cleveland Indians,
In sixth place. gives us plenty of rca-
sons for specializing against the
chances of Boston this year.
Even though CarriSan was still IN.
pilot of the champions. the dop,st
would be Justified In figuring that Pos
tons chances for 1917 are much weaker
than :hey were last year. AS team
the Red Sox seem due to slip. They
are really on The decline. for. as .hey
stood lust fall when they won from
the Dodgers. they had passed the pin
nccle and were already started on a
backward trend.
Manage Jack Barry is a smart ball
player. but what he can do as a man
In l.
iicves the Red SoX are liable 10 slip
thls year has been proven already by.
ms attempts 10 purchase recruits from
the minor leagues and the talk that lie
might not be avcrSc to several trades.
70 De stalking players At this time of
the year. but Barry. you'n remember.
was not appointed manager Of the Son
until January ..
Barry May Not Take Field.
Barry may and may not play regu-
lhrly with IN. SoN this year 1t all
depends on his ability 10 get into his
into the lineup iIobiitzei. scott Jan.
nrin aha sin,dn.T VIII probably make
s np ,h wn en; niissT MGNaiiy can beat
PPes,sa 70 mn regular bsrshs. win
IT gu, for the, odd position.
In the catching department the Red
Thema fr s Asnex Wdsr sG D csny
are the windpad artists who will have
y out for regular Jobs behind the bat
the last two named are rockies. and
the hrSt trio doesn't figure with the
ranking buckatops Of the major leagues
as sensational, performers. though all
three are good. steady caichcrs.
1t appears that the brunt OF the
pitching this year VIII fail almost en-
tircly upon the shoulders of Babe Ruth.
Dutch Leonard ana Ernie Shorc-three
good hurlcrs. George Foster. after an
nouncing his retirement last fall. has
decided to try out his wing one more
year At least. but his ability TO get the
OLD souper into condition TO do yeo-
man duty is doubtful Last year he
suffered physical torture with ach-
the middle OF July.
The ether Boston pitchers are Mays.
Wyckoff. Jones. Gregg and Pennock.
none of whom Is to be classcd as u
world beater.
The uncertainties every ball club
faces in the course of a playing season
with regard to injuries to players APP
plies TO the Red SoN well az any
other team. Last year those Sox were
fortunate in most ways, while the
Yankees and White Sox, two teams
paper. were handicapped at critical
times.
But every club must take what Dame
the dopes,er has TO figure on is paper
calculations" From such an angle the
Red Sox do not appear destined TO
grab the gonfalon this year. For de-
spite Barrys class player and
his probably virtues As manager. the.
Sos seem due to slip. and don't forged
that they viii miss Bill Carrigan