The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1920-04-05
Backs Detroit to
Lead American
League Teams
BY FOUNDER
tBy Universal Service.

Jacksonville. Fla. April 3.-Base-
ball is a mighty 'onsartin' sport. The
fellows who look like wonders IN
The spring frequently blow before
the real midsummer fight begins The
teams that stack up Ike champions
In the spring training are often tran
ers when the leaves begin To turn in
he fall.
But form does count. You cant
get away from the strength of class in
baseball any more than you can in
horse racing. Glass will have its ups
and downs but when the finish
GENES Ii Is invariably close to the
lead II 1t is mot actually out in front,
SO, in sizing up the prospects OF
baseball league race, one can al
ways depend on finding the class of
the various teams and then banking
soltdly on that. There have been ex-
captions OF course, notably the year
when Miracle Man" Stalliags led the
Boston Braves to unexpected triumph.
but they are few and far between.
So far as the American league is con
cerned. there appears no chance for
anything but the real class OF the
league teams to carry or the bunt-
ing.
Having looked the eight teams
over with care, having studied their
personnel and their past achieve
ments, | think I'm qualified to ven
ture mighty good guess as TO how
they will finish I've looked at stel-
lar ball clubs in action for fifteen
years ] think I'm an expert. Anyway
clip out this list and paste it up until
The middle OF next October. Here's
the way they ought To finish in the
American league:
Detroit, Cleveland. New York.
chicago, Boston. Washington, st.
Louis, Philadelphia.
No serious judge of the game will
dispute the fact that the race will lie
between the first four clubs named
Ming ball club and there has been
proved by their work in the last few
wears. IT takes time to build "A win
ming bal club and there has been
no building by any one Of the last
hour clubs To warrant in CHASING
them with the first four
LIZ course the Clevelands look to be
IN the hunt from the start this wear
they have both batting and pitching
strength or a superlattve quality and
these two qualities will turn the trick
IL. any team. But while you're sizing
up the Cleveland team, take IA sauint
at the Detroit bunch. They have un-
questionably the greatest smuggling out
field IN the game. II this outfeld can
get good pitching to hold down oppo.
sition runs. 1t can be counted on to
lana the team close to II not at the
Top.
TIGER HURLERs.
And the Tigers will get the pitching
THIS year. Hughey Jennings has looked
to that. Heretofore that has been tho
red-topped managers weak spot--he
has not been an adept at traiuinr or
picking pitchers. But this year he has
turned that job over to the best ex-
pert In the game at coaching pitchers
the veteran Jack Coombs. The latter
has already done wonders in tuning
up the bevy Of Tiger hurlers And
It's n formidable bunch---Boland, Dausx
Ehmke, Leonard. Ayers Love and n
likely collection OF youngsters. They
are all getting better under Coomhs'
direction. They are taking kindly to
his coaching and profiting from MS
pointers.
So that with the hurIers going well
Veach, Flagstead. Shotten and further
helped by smooth working ana
nearly brilliant infiald. it looks to me
that We ought to paste the Tigers up
as favorites.
But. Cleveland must not be over
looked The infield here is the bright
sRaFSs@ufar- sf<at ~e~hs fast sfs}aers aTsi
unusual hitters. Speaker also has
splendid outneld. but It hardly matches
the Tigers. Moreover with Speaker az
tts pivot Il may lose some of Its Ell
cheney should managerial worries
handicap the, play OF the brilliant Iris.
Tne' bunch 10 strong In the box. too,
with bA9by. Covaleskie. Morton. Cald-
Me1s aayess and seversi. other corners. !
out there are one or two OF these stars
VINO sometimes get seriously Off form
In which case the team 10 likely to have
temporary hard shedding. But they'll
Be NJ there All thei'way. fighting hard
under the leadership OF an inspiring
1ss ~ York team : month 40