The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1920-04-29
CINCINNATI AND
PIRATES SHOWIhGS
STRONG ON START
tBy Universal Service.

New York, April 26--The base
bail season IS gone Tar enough to
give good idea as 10 the relative
strength of the clubs. A week or
two OF baseball play does not make
a season any more than one robin
makes summer. But the expert
eye can get a pretty close line on the
playing of the individual clubs after
they have crossed bats a few times.
Each Of the national league four
eastern clubs has now engaged each
Oh It's three eastern rivals in at least
one game.
The ensuing results appear To indi-
cate a nicer balance and q more even
distribution of strength than has been
the case in several seasons. For the
present, at least, no Eastern club
outclasses its neighbor SO far as to
dominate the field and none OF them
is SO weak that any Of the others
can afford 10 toy with IL.
The Giants thus far have proved
a disappointment In no sense have
they measured up TO the standard of
preseason press notices,
The Brooklyn Robins, the Phiiiies
and the Boston Braves, on the other
hand have all exceeded the fond ex-
pectations of their supporters. While
the Braves and the Philiies may be
travelling bit beyond their speed
at present they showed unexpected
strength, with promise OF its CON
tinuance All three have been
strengthened where they most re-
Quired ii and are playing better ball
this spring than at corresponding
period last year because they have
better material with which to play
it.
,nrr,2 ,l,a Giants 3,~vta ea;714 - ,,, -
prove. or rather have failed to show
Improvement, for expert opinion is
still unanimous that the New York
Club McGraw now runs is potential
ly 20 per cent stronger than the one
with which he began last season.
Once the Giants get under way they
will make life difficult for all oppon-
ents.
In the West Cincinnati Reds and the
Pittsburgh Pirates are showing the
way. The Reds apparently have begun
again where they left of last fall.
The Pirates are showing striking i'm
provement over their uneven early
spring form. Under George Gibson
they are playing well together and in
the series with the league champions
last week they looked good enough
to make a distinctly favorable impress
sion on the critics of PoTkopolis, The
Chicago Cubs and the St Louit Car
dinaIs have not done SO well. The
latter have good hitting power and
some speed, but their pitching staff
is uncertain and shows little promise
of Improvement. The Cubs are in
even worse plight. for they have linn
tied batting power to offset the weak
ness of their hurting staff
1t would. appear, therefore that the
Eastern clubs will find the going
hardest at Pittsburgh and Cincinnati
when they invade the West in May,
Cincinnati rarely fails to start well.
but Pittsburg has been accustomed to
getting away on the wrong foot. This
year. however, team play has been APP
parent from the start.
Despite the reyerses suffered by the
| Giants, Eastern critics are practically
unanimous IN selecting them as the
class of the East. The only dissenting
opinion comes from Brooklyn. The
going is usually easy for the Giants
while playing in the East, but they
usually strike some kind OF n snag
in the West. This year, however, they
will have to reverse their record in
the West to climb within IL striking
distance of the top. When they do
that they can be considered worthy
opponents of the three other clubs
which look to be in the fight for the
pennant-that Is, Cincinnati Pitts
burg and Brooklyn.