The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1922-04-05
WRITERS OF SPORTS
PREDICT REMARKABLE
1922 BALL EVENTS
BIZ FRANK G. MENKE


Some very remarkable transpirings
are going to transpire in baseball of
1922-H one trails along with the be-
lief of sport reporters of the training
camps.
They are enumerated as follows:
There1l be no 1922 flag winner in
the American league-and none in the
National.
Not club in either circuit is suffi-
GENTLY gifted-or powerful-to climb
as high as second place.
One of the 16 clubs may land third
but even that is doubtful.
Only about three teams of the 16
can get into first division which in
normal years houses four from each
circuit.
Thirteen-perhaps 14-of the 16
clubs will finish in second division.
At least seven of the 16 clubs will
finish absolutely last.
All those things will happen-if you
care to believe the mournful stories
that have come out of the Southland.
Something's wrong-somewhere
Become Optimists.
In bygone years every sport writer
who galloped South with a team
promptly became champion optimist.
No matter how bad the club looked to
others-no matter how pathetic 1t ap-
peared on paper-it looked like a
world beaten to the particular report
er person who was its pen-wielding
escort.
But in 1922-horrors, etc.!
Seems as if every reporter gent has
become afflicted with the melancholy
9th inc n m
| they. are writing not the golden, glor-
ious, glittering tales of hope and pen
nant chances. Nay-nay. They have
written on typewriters apparently
STEPPED in gloom.
Whenever a club wins pennant
one year, it's customary for writer's
| especially the home towners-to pre-
dict almost boisterously from their
training camp base, that the team will
| repeat-easily, amazingly.
But in the particular case Of the
| Yanks all is woe.
Doesn't Look Good.
Although the club has been greatly
strengthened by the acquisition OF
Scott, Bush and Jones, it doesn't look
good-to the writers. And when they
remember that Ruth and Meusel, the
sluggers, can't get into the frolic until
late in May they weep so conpiously
that the tears splash off their type.
writers onto the printed newspapers
land the result is despair for 1922.
| The Giants won worlds champion
ship in 1921. They haven't lost power
through the winter. Rather, they've
| gained it. Yet if you take it from the
writer's accompanying the team, the
Giants look sad-so sad that they'll be
| lucky to land in first division.
Boston writers, lamping the Braves
and Red Sox, have tossed their hands
into the air. The Quaker City report
ers who accompanied the Athletics
and Phillies long since have succumb
ed to grief. Fourth place is the stout
est hope entertained for the Tigers
No pennant Notwithstanding bu
dreary cellar conclusions-flutter into
Cincinnati minds. The Dodger report
ers are certain that the men of WILDER
Robinson never will grow SCARED o.
marred in any 1922 pennant fight.
Prospects Not Inviting.
The Indian shouters do not like theil
prospects. Iris Speaker the axis o
the team, has bad leg which ma,
end his playing days. The club, in the
main, is made up of veterans. 1
seems slow-lacks the hoped for wal
Hoping power-say the writers.
A hundred doctors couldnlinjec
hope into Chicago-not with the Whit
Sox and Cubs made up as at present
So it goes!
Pittsburg looks to have "a fai
chance" according to some. But tn
chance is based on eff" st. Louis i
fairly hopeful-perhaps more so thai
J any other town in either league. Blu
baseball hope in st. Louis is a chroni
! condition. They just can't help hopin
out there. They'd hope with two ba
boys, Nick Altrock, Adrian Arson an
Kitty Gordon as team regulars.
Yes, 1922 will be a year of surprise
and pleasant ones for change.
! the past the surprise has been tn
, other way. Writers, in their youthful
! enthusiasm, painted glowing picture
) Of their teams for the home town fan:
AS a result, Is groups each antic
: oated a flag.
And IA are disappointed.
This year, with almost every clu
fipJlrpd ont of the rare before IL h,