The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1918-03-29

"a tAO hhOol SOhStlcAtlOuS anu VI amy
ball players in the Baugh circuit.
Mac" is always Gin there" doing his
best for the team and is willing to
sacrifice his batting average any time
he can help put over a run. Mac
pulls a lot of inside stuff that the
average fan don't get and his value
to the Barons is really not appreciated
by the general run of rooters, some of
whom saw fit to ride the role boss"
last season. While Eddie has his
faults. it must be conceded that he
has the knaclx of getting on" more
than anybody else and we venture tie
assertion that if everybody will get
behind him this spring he is sure TO
have great year.
--
called out during the season. He is in
the first rank of those to be summoned.
This team has about the best team
spirit of any club in the American
league, the players are more loyal to
the management and to each other, and
they have mutual admiration society
centering around Iris Speaker that is
wonderful, almost like old college days.
Bus it seems to be club that lacks
that final finishing punch-that old fol
low through wrist stroke that adds ~
years to the drive. 1t fails when the
final test comes, not through nerve or
Lack of courage. but simply because IL
can't go any further.
PITCHER NEEDED
1t has weak spots 1t could use a fin
ished first baseman and young, agrees
sive third baseman, and it is in desper-
ate need of one more good pitcher, one
who could work, say, "a games and win
better than half of them. With such A
pitcher to relieve the strain it might
have fighting chance of topping Bos-
ton and Chicago this year in spite of it's
losses and disappointments.
There appears to be something radi-
cally wrong in the system on which this
club operates Lee Foil came into the
major leagues with one great qualifica-
ton for manager; the ability to pick
good pitchers and to condition them. His
reputation largely was based on the fact
that he found and developed Morton
and other pitchers. Since he has been
manager of the team he seems to have
FALLEN down right where he was consid-
cred best, in conditioning pitchers
BAGBY WORKED DOWN
For two seasons the team has flashed
brightly for time, and then slumped
away toward the finish. For two sea-
sons Bagby has finished all pumped out.
Last year the pitching staff w&s so dog
weary by the end of the year that the
Cincinnati Reds trimmed them in the
post series games rather handily. Bag
by was all in, simply through arm weari-
ness. Yet an examination of the rec
ords does not show that the pitchers
worked much above the average, and a
closer investigation seems to indicate
that they We're worked without much
idea of conserving their strength. Pisch-
ers We're worked out and benched, and
then the, next one to show form was
worked until he was done
This seems to have been the deciding
factor for two years. OF course, it is
not always possible for manager to
get three or four pitchers into top con
oltion at the same time, so as to work
them in rotation, and it sometimes be.
comes necessary to work one or, two
men too hard over a period in order to
hold the pace. This does not seem TO
have been the case at Cleveland Cove
leslxie. Bagby and <lopfer need help to
carry the club to victory and they did
not get It, especially from Morton, who
was due to come back.
The team has plenty of young material
and must develop much of it especially
one strong armed pitcher to cut much
figure in the race
This completes the preliminary study
u the major league clubs. / have tried
to show conditions surrounding each
team that may effect its playing to ex-
plain what it needed and to review
briefly what new material 1t has to fiji
The wants. Tomorrow we will taekla
pure dope, and apply the facts to fic.
lres.