Omaha daily bee., 1918-03-11

we'll fortified. Very little depends
upon Huggns' selection of the team
that will start the season because
Higgins shifts his teams fast to meet
emergencies. His big problem will
be in handling the pitching staff, and
in sthis Eddie Plank, even if he never
pitches, would earn his salary.
THE ST. LOUIS CARDINALS.
In Military Service, 8.
Liable to Call, 3.
Jack Hendricks has come into his
own at last. A major league manager
who, for years has been managing in
the minors, has finally been given his
chance.
Upon Jack Hendricks depends the
success or failure OF the st Louis
Cardinals. Last season, under Miller
Higgins, this team did a lot of SEN
sational work. At one time they scared
the entire league and threatened to
slip through to pennant And they
did that with a team that rated Just
high enough to have a chance to
break into the first division, which
lacked consistent pitching strength
which was weak in several positions,
and which required lot of managing
to keep it going at all.
The unexpected hitting strength OF
Hornsby, Cruise and Smith, Of course,
gave il punch that was not suspected
at the start of the season, but it got
a lot more pitching than anyone ex-
pected it to get.
Remember that the National league
is not strong-was not strong last
season, and that, although it is gain
ing in strength, it is not yet up to
standard. 1t is league that is re-
covering from a lot OF afflictions, a
league in which some teams have
realized that many supposed assets
have proved liabilities, and that are
rebuilding on sounder basis. St.
Louis is one Of them. 1t has dis
carded the old and is making a new,
virile ball club.
Doak Fails.
Last season we naturally expected
Doak to be the burden bearer of the
team and Doak failed TO come
through. On the other hand, Pack
ard, Horstman, Meadows and the
veteran Ames proved consistent
averages. Doak pitched a great
number OF games and was used in the
tough" games. He worked in seven
against New York and registered six
losses with one win to the Giants.
The pitching staff did all that could
have been expected, and it is cork
ing staff to start this season. The
team has catching strength, has big
punch, has fair outfeid and a rather
uncertain infeld, with Hornsby a big
factor.
During the winter Weeghman. of
Chicago, playing grandstand with
huge bankroll, pulled a lot of C.
Webb Murphy brand of cheap pub
licity which may have helped Chi
cago. but which certainly hurt ST.
Louis. He advertised that he was
out to buy Hornsby. That million
dollar talk caused Hornsby to be dis
satisfied. He evidently took himself
at something near Weeghman's stage
money estimate. He became discon-
tented Even worse, some of the
other Cards who know just how good
Hornsby is, seeing him over-adver-
tised. became triae jealous. Beyond
doubt Weeghman's publicity CAM
paign in Chicago hurt the Cards and
gave Hendricks another situation to
smooth over. This may affect the
Cards for time, but the seriousness
of it has, in my opinion, been over
estimated.
Rockies Promise Little.
The team lines up today stronger
than it did a year ago. Higgins ex-
perimented and discovered almost
everything excepting a first baseman
Miller, never. quite satisfactory, is
in military service. With little re-
arranging the club will do. The re-
ciuits did not promise much
Hendricks is the. big problem. /
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