The Cordova daily times., 1918-02-15
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 ]: SPORTS: : } Gossip About Events of National ( Importance and the Persons '. } Who Are In the Head. ( Liner Glasses. '
Staff Correspondent

NEW YORK. Feb. 14.-With young Chuck Ward at second base. the Dodg- CTS will enter the 1918 season with just that much of jump on their prospects at the beginning of the 1917 pennant campaign.
 Champions when the last season opened, the Dodgers, nevertheless, did not look like pennant winners. For one thing, the Giants had been strengthened to such an extent that they were practically certain winners. Again, there was no color in the Brook lyn clubs makeup
 There is no color now to the Dodg- CTS. They form just good baseball machine, a first division team this year, the chances are, but not pennant possibilities in any sense of the phrase. In Al Mamaux the Dodgers have acquired one of the acknowledged young stars of the game, but who is there who can say that Mamaux really laying off last year because he wanted to, and not because his arm had lost it's cunning? Further, in the loss of Galore, Sherrod Smith and Edward Pfeffer to the army. the pitching staff | has been hit so hard as to make Mamauxs acquisition practically neg ligible. It will fall upon Mamauy, Rube Marquard and Clarence Mitchell to carry the brunt of the seasons work among the pitchers. They are capa. ble, but not fit for the duty of pitching club to pennant
 Jake Daubert is a weak point in the Dodger infield. Daubert has been cred. ited with being a star for so long that it is a generally accepted fact that he is just that. He Is nothing of the isort now. He's just a fair ball player and little overrated at that Tn the deal which brought Ward to the Dodg- i CTS and sent Cutshaw to Pittsburgh the Dodgers profited, for they obtained a fine young player in exchange for a NCtCI dll NilOoC uoGtuiHCSS dS pGtOlll- ing practically nil. The infeld, then probably will be made up as it was last year, with Olson at shortstop and O'Rourke at third base.
 The Dodger outfeld was weakened some by the loss of Casey Stengel, but the Dodgers still have in Hickman, Myers and Wheat one of the ffre out fields of baseball. Jimmy Johnson also is present for substitute duty
 Chances of the Tigers
 There will be no weakening of the Tigers next season if Ty Cobb returns to the team instead of taking part in the war on Germany.
 Some departures appear to have struck the club in the midriff. but as a matter of fact the Tigers actually will be stronger in some parts than when they gave up the battle for a pennant last fall For instance, the l infield will have some added strength in the person of Leo Dressen, first class first baseman, and in the hurling corps Hughie Jennings really should get some American league material out of his youngsters.
 Ray Kallio is the most promising of the youths who will wear the Tiger spangles next season. He comes from the Pacific Coast league with a long record of effectiveness. His acquisi- tion is fully expected to offset the loss in the enlistment of Howard Ehmke. another coast graduate who had proved a real find.
 The heavy Detroit attack will re- main. Ty Cobb, Bob Veach and Harry Heilman, as doughty trio of sluggers as baseball can b0ast, will be back provided. of course, the army or navy doesn't appeal too strongly to them. The inf1eld will he intact, with the probable exception of George Burns, and if Dressen is capable of putting the defense of first base himself the the skids under Burns and taking over Tigers are certain to be stronger in the inner works.
 The Tiger infield never has been as heavy gang of artillery as could be desired. Fielding has been a heavy point with the club, however and a little punch shot in there will work wonders. In Witt the Tigers have a third baseman who is generally rated on a par with Butch Weaver. Donie Bush is one of the very best shortstops in the big leagues. Pep Young is a passing fair second baseman. If Burns can keep in health and play regular baseball, or if Dressen proves up tc advance notices, the Tigers will be we'll set.
 Pitchers always have been a sof spot in Detroit since the days of Wild