Omaha daily bee., 1918-03-25
CHICAGO CUBS
MUCH IMPROVED
BASE BALL CLUB
But Strength Is All Defensive
and Team Is, Therefore, a
Problem, Declares Full
lerton.
By HUGH S. FULLERTON.
N military service, 2.
Liable TO service. S.

Liable to service, S.
Chicago's Cubs are one OF the in
terrogatien marks OF base ball. 1t is
a team very strong in pitchers, much
strengthened in catching, which was
the weakest department OF last sea-
son, much better in the outfeld and
with problematic inheld, which GER
tainly will not be worse than it was
last season.
The team has one OF the best man
ayers in the business. 1t is small
club. 1t has great defensive strength.
1t is team that could average lit
tie above three runs game, and one
that has the pitchers who should be
able to restrict the activities OF their
opponents to even less.
The team is defensive ball club
par excellence, without much drive,
without the punch and relying strictly
upon pitching and defensive work TO
win. ss-
Further, IL is a team that has been
rather cunningly constructed by. Fred
Mitchell, past master in the art OF
defensive play. He has pointed his
ball club to beat two teams--New
York and Cincinnati, both teams that
can outhit his own. He has framed
defense that can or should hold the
two leaders. and which will have a
hard time beating clubs much weaker
than Cincinnati and New York.
Too Many Owners.
But the ball-playing end OF the Chi
cago club is one of The least OF the
worries. Here is team with almost
as many Owners" as il has players.
1t is owned by men who are base ball
cranks. 1t is owned by men who. in
the main, know base ball from the
box seats. The contest is not between
the Cubs and the other clubs OF the
league, but between Manager Mitchell
and his men and the owners.
II some one can persuade Messrs,
Lasker, Walker. Schuettler. Weegh-
man ct al. to go fishing up in north.
ern Canada out OF reach OF the tele-
graph and stay until October. this
team will run one two three with a
corlsing chance of winning a cham
pionship. II they stay in Chicago the
Cubs will be lucky to finish fifth and
may make ii sixth or seventh for
good measure.
The playing strength OF the team
really counts very little unless Other
conditions are adjusted. There is a
fesid on between the owners and the
players on the part Of the PLAYERS a
least. The players openly resent thu
interference with their affairs by mer
they know do not know much abou
the game. Last season stockholder'
stood in the area way and "bawlet
OUT players for their mistakes. Th'
result was bitter feeling. In fact
twice was called upon to act a
intermediary to prevent one playe
from busting an owner on the nose.
Scorched in Pocket.
The stockholders, having beel
scorched in pocket and burned il
print, may be less likely TO interfer
this season than last, but the owner
ship is big problem. During tn
winter the club has indulged in dis
gusting line OF cheap publicity whie
has soured many of the fans. The ad
vertising that the club was willing t
spend a quarter OF a million dollar
for new players did not fit well wit
the fact that half or more OF the play
ers received contracts calling for n
dnced salaries. Ball players are quee
animals. They figure in odd way
But when a fellow drawing $500
year reads in the paper that the clu
IS willing TO pay fortune for a ne
player and then gets notice that h
salary is cut to $500, it is drille
into his head that the managemei
thinks he is second-rater and NJ
worth half as much as is some fello
he can beat playing, but who haI
pens to be on another club.
Besides that, ii is reported that Il
contracts were sent out without eve
"salve" letter accompanying ther
simply a contract with cold hgur
and no explanation.
These things all have effect upc
teams and will have on the Chicat
team beyond any doubt.
Please don't get the idea from tt
that the Chicago owners are ter
BILE bunch. Fact is they are CROW
Of good fellows, who have been ia
for years, some OF them have be
wild eyed fans. The point is: Won
bunch OF half a dozen front re
fans at any game make suecessi
managers? No one disputes th'
right to run the club they own al
in spite OF critics, owners have sor
rights. The thing they do not appe
TO realize is that ball player wot
take advice or orders or CRITICS
from a strange in the left he
bleachers rather than from an own
Besides that the Chicago owners de
with all earnestness any interferen
with or dictation to Mitchell Sor
of them are indignant when accuse
Last summer one bawled me out I
saying he was hampering Mitchs