The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-01-08
GIANTS ALREADY
 PICKED TO LAND
 PENNANT IN 1922
Both Worlds Series Teams Are Making Efforts to
 Strengthen Line Ups
By GEORGE CHADWICK Special Correspondent of The Age-Herald (Copyright. 1921. by The Age -Herald)

New York, January 7.-The new year has brought conditions in base ball which have never been seen be- fore. Before a game Is played In 1922 there may be more upsets which will cause the fans to wonder where the lightning will strike next, but 1 today the gentlemen who make bus mess of betting are making the Giants top-heavy favorite In the National league and are laying odds of five to three against the Tanks if Ruth stays out of the game until May 90. If the homerun kings ban ishment Is remitted, even money Is the best they will offer against the American league pennant winners. The defiance of Babe Ruth to Com missioner Landis comes first in sum- ming up these extraordinary condi tlons. Ruth thought he was in the right and that a rule which permit ted others to play while he was bar red was unjust. Some managers who have gone on that assumption have gotten away with it luckier than Ruth.
 Strengthening Tenms
 Second, there is the unusual sight of the world series teams running pell-mell to strengthen. They threw money right and left to get in line for 1922 with never a thought for the weaker clubs. which must necessari- ly drag their anchors if the races get top-heavy.
 Third. there is the process Of re- building top-side down by which some teams already listed among those who can only scramble to keep out of the way of the leaders are tossing over everything in the hope of picking up some flotsam later.
 Further is the fact that the races reverse this year so that the Giants finish the season at home and the Tanks on foreign fields
 Fifth is the fact that weak spots are known to exist on both New York teams and that these will be assaiied to the limit by the otfsr olubs. It Is tde only salvation of the others.
 In the National league, clubs can do much assailing. If the champion ship in 1922 is to be won by 95 games it Will take liberal use of high ex- plosives to keep the Giants out of first place The American race Is bet ter balanced.
 Iris Claims to Be Wise
 Iris Speaker say he knows enough about the Nanks to be quite compc- tent to prevent them from getting better than third place. Lee Fohl of the St. Louis Americans believes he can circumvent Huggins in 1922 be- cause he has team that will be contender. Washington always gives the Tanks more or less trouble. In the National league there is no such demonstration of defiance. In fact, there are managers who have given up the fight before a game has been played.
 There Is no instance prior to the Ruth case in which a player has been prnished to last into the beginning of the next season. To prevent player from starting championship race until q certain time is equiva- lent to putting handicap on the race. The better the player the more severe the handicap.
 Clubs to He Improved
 The changes that have been made in the two championship teams are expected to make each a better club. Everyone knows the Giants in 1921 had an infield that might show lot, or might crumple.
 There were indications in the worlds series that it might be well to throw out feelers for other play CTS and when Pat Moran came along
  to be had if the ante was raised, the Giants took a gamble on putting to- gether q better infield.
 The Yankees were forced to make a move to strengthen their pitchers and possibly to change their -intieid even before the Ruth decision was announced. which hit them four or 1 five times as hard as it did Ruth. 1 In the interim between the close O. one season and the start of the next the weak clubs usually scram- ble to get better players. The weak clubs have done lot of talking since 1921. but so far not one Of them mas strengthened and one 1T two of them are weaker Three or four are hope Hess so far as a penant is concerned | 1t would be far better for hoth leagues if they were four good fight CTS in the west.