The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1918-03-13
Reds to Make Strong Claim
For National League Rag
Fred Toney and Hold Eller Placed in Class Ia by Draft
Officers and May Be Called to Colors in Midseason.
Matthewson Proves Ideal Manager

If they are taken during the season,
bang, go Cincinnati's chances until an
other staff can be built up. Toney is
in bad with the federal authorities and
his local drafting board, because. 1t is
charged, he tried to dodge the draft anu
was caught and placed among the hrst.
If Big Fred goes into the army, IT Will
probably ruin the Cincinnati baseball
club-but my, oh my, if he gets TO
throwing bombs, those Germans viii pc
up against it, for Toney never saw
river he couldn't throw stone across,
and he could heave bombs clear across
No Mans Land at it's widest point.
Eller has little better chance to es-
cape being taken into the army, out
he is rather eager to go.
The team lost only one man to the
army, but that loss was heavy one
The man is Morris Rath, now in the
naval reserve, who, after sailing as
White Sox, came back as one of the
most promising recruits. He was a
much improved ball player and would
have helped the infie1d.
However, the infield needs little help
Chase seems to have settled and gained
ambition to play as he ought to have
played years ago. He is great player
and is working well under Matty, even
helping with the affairs of the team
and working for the team itself. Groh
is one of the greatest players of the
league Kopf is just satisfactory, and
Shean is a good man. although he is q
weak hitter. Sill McKechnie is not up
to his Federal league standard.
But Matty has made another wise
move. He has brought back Russ
Blackburne, who failed so often that
the majority of experts think that he
always was a false alarm. Listen to
this: Even if Blackburne fails again,
will always contend that he is cork
ing ball player. He has had run of
bad luck that has pursued him every
time he has essayed to be a major
Lacquer. Blackburne has everything
that a finished major league infielder
needs. He is not a great hitter, but a
better one than he ever has shown in
the American league. His bad leg, it is
reported, has ceased to bother him, and
a better sign is that he has ceased to
worry and fret. 1t was worrying and
fretting that injured his work, every
time he tried with the Chicago White
Sox. He may take Sheans regular job
if he escapes another attack of hard
luck, and the chances are that he will
hit the National league pitchers much
harder than he did the American league
pitchers. No man can be as great a
player in the minor league as Black
burne has been and fail entirely in
the majors-and besides that, the Ma :
tional isn't so much faster than either
the association or the international was
for years. The Red outfield is a corker,
and one of the best hitting in the coun-
try
Sherry Magee Griffith, Ed Roush and
Earle Neale make a corking quartet.
Magee ought to start hitting again
where Stallings stopped him by max
ing him bat to orders Besides these
four, Matty has Anderson, who was re-
called, and McHenry, purchased.
The catching staff ranks well up
with any in the league. Wingo is the
heavy burden bearer and the ace OF
the squad. Tom Clarke is not quite as
good as he was, and probably would
do better with some other club, where
he would have a chance to do more
work. Nick Allen, who promised fairly
we'll, has been recalled, and a fellow
named Smith, drafted.
There isn't flaw in the team; it is
strong everywhere, consistent, has the
punch, has speed, and everything-but
if Toney and Eller go to war that is
something else. already, yet again.
Cincinnati for foreigners)
Copyright, 1918, by the Bell Syndi-
cate Jnc