The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-02-12
Worlds Series Play Taught Managers That There Still Is Such a Thing as Good Pitching
By GEORGE CHADwIUK Special Correspondent of The Age Herald Copyright, 1922, by Tho Ags-Heraldl


 New York. February 11-"It looks to mo" said President Heidler of the National league. as If everybody is getting ready for a red-hot cham pionship race More players are to go to Hot Springs next week han have been accustomed To go there prior to the start of the training season.
 Preparations are being made for a season of anticipated warmth but don't take it for moment that the willingness of club owners to pay hotel bills at Hot Springs is all due to a desire to pile coal on the pen nant contest. There are quite a few players who are going to Hot Springs to find out for themselves how much there is left in ths old soup bone that has carried them through ln years past.
 Players Are Totterins
 Many players are tottering this season; the year to come will tell the story of many of the pitchers. The first chapter was written In 1920. when the pitching rules were changed. The second chapter wai written In 1921, when the rules had abundant opportunity to work, and the third and perhaps the last chap ter for some pitchers will be penned in 1g22.
 The world series Of 1921 did more than decide championship. Ii opened the eyes of some club owners to the fact that they had been fooled by their pitchers all summer. They saw there could be real pitching in baseball after all. and the whine about changing rules was found to be the evasion of the ball player who couldn't or wouldn't pitch. There was one National leag gue pitcher who declared last August there wore no pitchers left in baseball. He laid this to the change In rules. This year he will have to bo a pitcher of some success or he will go back to a minor league so fast that he won't know when his ticket was bought. He and other pitchers will have to earn their money.
 Not Signing Contracts
 few extracts from oorrespon- dence from players to club owners were read by the writer today. All had received contracts but none had signed them. Anyone who thinks ball players do not believe the la borer is worthy of his hire. may be interested.
 Sending back contract because I think I should have s2.o00 more," one of them wrote. T earn the money Just as much as other players on the team and 1 am entitled to my share" Another writes. Gents, your con tract is unsatisfactory. No man can live any more in a big city without living in big city ways and 1t takes dough. I'd like to have s2.000 more than you have put on my contract" That player is candid bird. In 1921 he steered an automobile around a | l. l.. Ill | counts on a racer or even two. Wants More Money
 4 third writer was not so importu- nate. T think I should have more" he said T helped do my part to pull l the big crowds through tho gates /. Please add 31,ooo more. On top of ' that. thing the club would do the right thing if 1t sent me to the springs for three or four weeks be- ! fore the season begins. and pay my expenses I'll bot I pay for it by playing better ball. bet. that with good start, I do better than I did last year. and If do better than l did last year, I bet we win the cham plonshfp." He's a modest violet
 One big club Is being held up right and left by it's players and 1t intends to send lot of them to the springs, i too. It does not have to. A player Is supposed to be in condition when he reports. Three of the men who will go to Hot Springs with that squad will be under particular ob- servation If they fall to come around before June l. 1t probably will keep their team out of the 2ennant, i and 1t looks as if she team had a 1 fighting chance to win that major i league glory. If one may take any thing for granted from what the owners say, the coming season will not be one for temporizins. Some how. after what happened last season and the season before in the pitch ing line, after what happened in the world series in the pitching line and the present difficulties in getting their players in line, the hard-headed owners seem to think they have gone l about as far as they intend to go | .1o txrff