Evening star., 1923-04-13

Confidence, just as. notable as three
years ago, animates the athletes now,
put they welcome reinforcements,
they want to see all possible weak
places patched, and never, in ali the
years of this famous club, has any
one seen its units show such spirit
and such training energy. No haugh-
tlness, no derfsive disregard of man
agerial suggestions or of training
ruies-just an eager cooperation, a
helpful loyalty to each other and to
Fat Moran. and a real belief of COM
plete invincibility.
That Bad Start in 1922.
These fellows argue, and quite just
ly. too, that they got away to the
worst start on record in 1922, and that
despite this start. they played the best
ball in the league as the season
waned. When the finish came, they
were going at terrific speed, finishing g
in second place by magnificent squirt
on the closing day. Now. Nhey intend
10 take up their work just where they
left off. Instead of beginning like a
| new team, just starting on the sched-
ule. the Reds will go ahead from the
delayed by the stoppage of the sched-
ule: That's quite an idea in itself.
and it's likely to give seven other
clubs world of trouble.
When you think back, and think
upset because stars were knocked
out. fine pitchers fiivvered men sud
denly went back" and grew old al
most in day. one salient fact looms
like a pyramid above the desert sand:
You must have second set Of players
who can step right into action and
keep up the good work. where the
regulars let down. AS John McGraw
has often said, ANY ball club is just
as strong as its substitutes" The
n a lfyh 80
want any subs around in 1920, cutting
in upon the easy coin that was SO
sure to come-but the equally con-
fident and far wiser club of 1923
wants the finest line of extra men
| that cash and base ball judgmen,
could provide.
Well Fixed for Subs.
The second line is there. No other
club in either league can show the re-
serve strength Of the Cincinnati team
Pat Moran not only has substitutes
who could step in as regulars on
other clubs. but has interchangeable
stars who can swing from one posi-
ton to another and never interrupt
the progress of the team. Most clubs
have one great catcher, a shaky Sec
ond maskman. and a third catcher
who never gets a chance to show.
The Reds have three men so good that
two of them will alternate according
to whether the other side uses right
or lefthand pitchers. and a third art
| ist who is counted amply good enough
to replace either of the big guns in
the time of need. Hargrave, not only
| a great catcher. but a murderous hit
| ter, is to work against lefthanders
Wingo, as good ever. will play
against regular human beings. and
Sandberg, the tall backstop secured
from Rochester, can take the plac.. o1
either one and do 1t faultlessly.
There is only one Jake Daubert
better by far last season than he was
| four years ago. and Jake's wizardrs
! makes the whole Red infield extreme
| ly good. If Jake is hurt. either Bress-
ler or Fonseca can take up the first
| base work and do 1t to perfection, be-
sides hitting savagely.
Two Fine Secondsackers.
Second base is so strongly held that
Pat Moran doesn't know what to dc
with his overstock of power. Sammy
Bohne, one of the livest propositions
| in the game. and Lew Fonseca, abou,
as hard a hitter as any mans club car
show. both seek to play the bag, and
both can do 1t magnificently. No mat.
ter which one gets 1t for the start OF
, the campaign-what manager would
not give half his fortune to have such
| a second baseman as the defeated
player waiting on his bench?
Babe Pinelli whose comeback was