The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-04-03
He Believes Giants Have Best
Team in National League.
Another Tight Race Predicted
in johnson Circuit.
BY JACK VEIOCK.


days more and the bell rings in the
major leagues.
There is something in the thought
that sends a pleasant shock up Ind
down ones spinal column, and there
is an additional thrill to it his year,
for the baseball folk are looking for
ward to a great season.
From April IL until the Ides of
october, sixteen major league clubs
will fight it out for the honor of COM
pet1ng in the worlds series next fall
and while the fan awaits the outcome
Of the first games he pauses to ponder
on the chances Of the sixteen clubs.
Chances at the National leaguers
from all angles favor the Giants as
pennant winners. They look like the
most capable all-around ball club in
their league, and John McGraw is due
for comeback. The wonderful
showing of the Giants last fall was
hardly flash in the pan. They were
too consistent. The club has been re-
modelled and it stands out today as
a club with a terrific punch. All of
the exporting persons will tell you
that McGraw needs only consistent
pitching to beat all rivals to the wire.
Five players have made the Giants.
They are Zimmerman, Herzog, Holke,
McCarty and Middleton.
Braves Contenders.
A second dive into the well-known
view as McGraw's most dangerous
rivals. A revival of hitting among the
Braves will make them no. contend
ers. And George Stallings believes he
has the combination set for a tri-
umphal season. Johnny Evers, if he
plays regularly, will be a big help.
The Phillies and Dodgers are a
toss-up for third place from this early
angle. Pat Moran will have the same
club in the field again this year with
which he finished second last fall.
The Dodgers will be strengthened by
Laverne Fabrique at short, which
was their weakest spot in 1916.
The Reds however, must not be rat
ed too cheaply this year. Christy
Mathewson deserves consideration. He
has a pretty fair looking ball club.
His influence as manager may lift
the Reds from the rut, and they do
not look like tailenders, by any means.
This leaves the Cardinals and Pirates
to fight it out for seventh place, as
the dope stands now, and the Pirates
and Cardinals will probably do that
very thing.
Tight Race in A. l..
Four clubs stand out prominently
in the American league. They are
the White Sox, Red Sox, Tigers and
Yankees.
They stood out prominently in 1916,
and they monopolized the first divi-
sion. That they will be the first four
again this year seems a certainty, but
the order of their finish is a deep
puzzle.
Among the remaining clubs, Cleve-
land and the Browns stand out as
dark horses. Lee FohPs team ranks
as a dangerous opponent for all COM
ers with first division aspirations, and
it appears that the answer lies in Joe
Wood, Guy Morton and Iris Speaker
The Browns are 'in-and-outers."
| The silence of Connie Mack this
spring indicates that there is a storm
brewing in tail-end company, in which
the tail-enders are liable to climb over
the shoulders of somebody. An6
Washington is the somebody. CLARK
Griffith will experiment with his club
but Mack has his team moulded. Al
any rate, the dope book classes the
Macks and the Griffiths as the weak
est clubs in the league.
No one can foretell with any amount
of certainty what will happen in 6
| long season. Injuries to players may
wreck the chances of any team a
any time, but we have set forth oul
little lunches here and, like the res
of the prognosticators, we will nov
sit back and watch the fates shuttle
| them.