The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1918-03-25

derstand. Nor did the players under
stand.
Last year Mitchell took a bunch Of
tripe and made it look like charlotte
rousse for sometime, proving himself a
ca pa BILE and brainy manager by his abil-
ity to keep a weak team hustling. The
Cubs had a weak and spotty ball club
working under a handicap, yet they
played a brainy, resourceful game of
ball.
This season Mitchell has a much bet
ter club His chief weakness last year
was in catching, and his pitching stair,
fairly strong even then, worked under
a handicap all year. This season KILL
fer, who is perhaps the best catcher
in the National, stops the gap through
which many games escaped.
PITCHING GOOD
| His pitching staff will be the best In
the league provided it is not broken by
tho draft OF course, If Alexander IS
taken into the army its strength is much
cut
The outfield will be good enough for
| a. championship team and well forti-
fled against accidents. But the infield
presents big problem. 1t looks as IL
| Mitchell will open with Merkle at first,
| KICuff at second, Hollacher at short,
and Deal at third Merkle is no longer
| a satisfactory first baseman because ne
| is wearing under the strain and cannot
60 the entire route. He is all right II
! given rest intervals. Rollie Zeider. one
| of the best utility men in the business,
can understudy at first very successfully
and, although it is not generally Known
George Tyler, the pitcher, would pc one
| of the best first basemen in the country
| if he could be spared as pitcher. AS
| a first baseman he probably would nit
we'll He always has been dangerous
| hitting pitcher.
Kilduff is a gritty, hustling, fighting
| little fellow with lots of pep and he is
| dangerous as a hitter, although he has
not shown consistency. He is young and
New York blundered when 1T let him go.
Hollacher comes from the coast as the
| highest touted shortstop ever sent east
| If he can hit land they VOW ne cam
Mitchelrs shortstop position Is filled'
Hcllacher was touted even When piayiiis
semi-pro ball around st. Louis as Dig
! league prospect ana ms play III eio IN
nors was wonderful.
Resides these there are Zeider, who
can play any infield position, Pecnous'
| Lear and Workman, a formidable array
| of reserve talent. Workman is a wonder
! full fielder but never has shown more
| than symptoms of hitting.
The success or failure of the team IS
ell. It is stated that President Weegh-
man intends that Mitchell shall have en-
| tire control and that any interference
with the players by others will be stop
| ped.
LACK OFFENSE
Mitchell's big job will be right at the
start to smooth over the III 1eeilns eN-
listing among a large number of players
on the salary cutting question. FROM
what I can learn among the players
| there appears to be more resentment
| against the manner in which things were
done than in the actual cutting. Also
| someone will have to explain why
quarter Of a million dollars is available
| to buy players and none for salaries
One PLAYER writes sarcastically, saying:
HE wants me to contribute about
| $500 of that $250,000 to hire someone to
| try to take my job-and mine isn't stage
money"
| However, the players generally realize
| that a cut is necessary and after the sea-
son starts the Importance of these
| things dwindles.
| The Cubs, briefly, are a team with
attacking power enough to average about
| three runs a game, whereas the league
average is close to four. In other words,
Mitchell must develop a defense almost
a run game better than the average
| to win. His lnfield does not appear
strong enough to do that, so 1T is up to
the pitchers lie has chosen his pitch
ing staff especially to beat New YORK
hit and outscore his club by the heaviest
margins, and, if he can stop them the
handicap will not be so great.