The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1918-03-13
SPORTS
Nv HIGH s. FULLERTON

Aeons and aeons ago Can aeon, chill
dren, is two years longer than Dave
Altizer has been playing bald the Gin
cinnati club won a pennant. That was
! short time before any other clubs
were in the league, and sometime before
the Cincinnati idea that it took eight di-
| rectors to run a team went into ell
| feet. Since then no Cincinnati club has
ever seriously threatened to win any
| thing after April H.
4 This year new situation arises. The
/ Cincinnati club has chance-has more
than a chance. to be in the National
league pennant race all the way-and
fighting chance to win the pennant and
team is good. 1t has a real manager,
who has proved that he can manage,
mot only ball players, but owners, and
, Il has a pitching staff, which, under
! the careful tutelage of this manager,
ranks we'll up with the best. and it has
a consistent fair-hitting. fine fielding
and speedy team, we'll fortified against
accidents and which, last season, learned
to play together.
handled by Mathewson team that IS
commencing to play smart baseball and
team with all the equipment to beat
the strong teams. 1t has something on
the New York Giants it has the equip
nent to beat the Chicago Cubs and
those are the teams it must fear most.
But-when we dope Cincinnati club,
there always is a but and usually that
1 I1,.&i l. all fba
But--as we remarked-there is some
thing else again, already anyone in
Cincinnati will understand that lang
uage) that something else consists of
tae consumption laws.
The Cincinnati clubs must base its
reaL~chance to win a championship upon
pitching. 1t is a fair hitting ball club
and, in fact, was the best team hitting
club in the National league last year.
: 1t has punch and power, a trifle broken
up. it is true, for consecutive hitting
all down the batting order but still
powerful. Even if you admit that some
of the batters went ahead of their gait
last year, you must concede that it is a
powerful hitting aggregation and that II
made almost as many runs per hit as
did the champion Giants.
Even So the team to be a serious con-
tastant for championship honors must
rely upon it's pitching. Matthewson
showed last season that he is master
not Only of the art of pitching but of
teaching pitchers. He developed
pitching staff which at the finish was
one of the most consistent and trouble
some in the league, and one which was
pointed especially to beat the Giants
Thu basis of this staff was Fred Toney,
one of the really great pitchers of the
county; Hold Elier, youngster who
under Matty's tuition, developed into
one of the most effective pitchers in
the league, and a man who promised
this season to rank among the first.
There was Pete Schneider who, directed
and encouraged by Matty, became what
he should have been years ago a cork
ing pitching machine. Schneider's one
big fault has been lack OF confidence in
himself. Mike Regain and Dutch Reu-
ther are the other survivors of last year
and Ed Corner was recalled for another
trial. Besides these, Matty has Bress-
Ter. Conley and Jacobus, all drafted men,
Jacobus being well touted.
But the backbone of the staff is
Toney and Eller.
And Toney and Eller are in class la
of the CONSUMPTION. and the chances
are that both will be taken in the army.