The Washington herald., 1920-02-29
PICKS GRIFFS
IN FIRST FOUR
Moreland Believes Nation
ais Have Grand Chance
For First Division.
ny GEORGE L. MoRELAND.

by GEORGE L. MORELAND.
Jacksonville, Fla, Feb, 2S-Who
10 going to win the pennant in the
American League? That Is the first
thing the fans hand to you these
days. There are more bugs right
now than there have been for a few
years. From all appearances this
will be the banner year of baseball.
Not only in the majors, but in every
league.
More minor leagues are being or
ganized, or, to be exact, reorganiZed
than have been in the past four
years. All this proves an increased
interest, irrespective of the advance
OF prices. But getting back to the
first question. who will win the PEN
nant in the American League?
I wish I knew. You can bet
would retire from hard work. But
as I don't know any more about
who will win than you do, 1 will
have to keep on grinding out dope
for the fans.
First Division Club.
But I am going to make a predic-
tion. The last time 1 did this was
back in 1912. was fortunate
enough to select the correct posi-
tAOhS VI bhC Ch6 NJ SluOo NhoN
ed in this organization that year,
I retired on that reputation. So
! am not going that far for fear my
average of 1000 will suffer.
But. in my opinion. the Washing
ton club will be among the four
clubs that will finish in the first di-
vision.
No Great Improvement.
kao
nothing to do with the following.
But we won't take up all your valu-
able time to dwell upon that, for
you, as fans know baseball is
mighty uncertain companion.
But we will take the present
year.
What clubs have strengthened
their lineup so noticeably that they
will walk home? None that 1 can
recall. You may say that with, Ruth
added to the Yankees his presence
will about cIinch the flag. If you
think that way, you and 1 differ. 1
have never in my experience seen
any one man who is an individual
player like Ruth win a pennant.
Such players as Eddie Collins and
Jimmy Sheckard, the former from
the Athletics and the latter from
Brooklyn, which the White Socks
and Cubs secured, were instrumen-
tai in helping win a pennant for
the clubs they joined. But a play
er like Ruth, who depends on his
hard hitting, will not win a PEN
nant. for the reason that instead of
being a help to the club proves a
detriment for the reason that the
other players are all jealous of the
notoriety the former receives. Ball
nlaVRrS rula than
,ct of prima donnas.
White Sox Slump.
The four clubs 1 select to finish
in the first division are:
Cleveland,
Detroit,
New York,
Washington.
Not necessarily in that order. but
il they do play to form that is the
way they should finish. But make
the prediction that the above will
be one. two, three and four.
What about the Chicago Sox?
Fact is can not see them. They
were a lucky team to finish in the
first division last season. not alone
winning the flag. OF course 1 will
have fault finders in that statement,
but it goes.
Cleveland. New York, Detroit and
st. Louis were all better clubs than
the flag winners.
st. Louis. Boston and Athletics
will not be improved enough TO
make more than a noise at the start
but once when the clubs get in
running shape the four 1 mention
will be up there.
Nationals Chances.
We will take the local team and
tell you why in our judgment they
will be at least fourth or better
The pitching staff, now that we
will not have the spitters, shine ball
and other outlandish style of twirl-
crs, will win far more games than
they did last year.
1t is a known fact that three OF
the best hitters on the locals were
weak against the spit ball pitch
ers. But as each club will be re-
stricted to two who use any other
means but straight pitching the Ma
tionals' batters will do considerable.
With Johnson, Shaw, Erickson
and Courtney, for four regulars. and
Schact. Zachary and a couple of the
kid pitchers, Griffith is better fixed
than any club outside of New York
His twirlers are better right now
than Detroit and as good as Cleve-
land.
Then Milan is back in shape,
and from all accounts he has fully
recovered from his old complaint
1t Is true that Jesse Clyde. is not as
young as he was but he is still a
valuable player to. the club. Then
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