Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-04-15
ALL Is MAJOR LEAGUE CLUBS
START ON LONG GRIND; YANKS
AND GIANTS PICKED FOR FLAG

New York, April 14-(By A. Pr
The forces Of major league baseball
oiled, geared and imbued with the
hope that springs eternal at the bar
rier, even among those clubs that
must inevitably find their own level
in second division depths-inaugurate
their 1924 pennant campaign tomor-
row.
Fandom east and west IL keenly
awaiting the opening shout of play
BALL" that will marke the close of
the long "off-season," the end Of the
spring training grind and send the
Is American and National league
outfits off on a battle for supremacy
that will not close, until the last week
in September.
Fair weather Is promised for the
inaugural games and indications
point to record outpourings of the
faithful to compare preseason rat
ings of their favorites with actual
performances.
Lineups, a ma jority of them show
ing decided shake-ups since the last
out was called in the 1928 races,
have been picked for the initial skir-
mishes. The highly touted rookie
products of spring trcining, nearly
earned regular berths, will be put to
the acid test for the first time under
/ fandom's appraising scrutiny. But
for the most part, veterans, seasoned
by many hard battle. will be back
at their OLD posts. and to them to-
morrow is just another campaign.
The chief figh: in both major
leagues this year is -cut-a
combined attack by seven clubs in
each circuit to dislodge the mighty
New York Giants and Yankees, pen =
nant victors in their respective Or
ganiZa tions for the past three years
who will seek to shatter National
and American league precedent by
capturing their fourth straight en-
blems of triumph.
The worlds champion Yankees.
with the tear, that led its nearest
rival by IL games last season intact.
are overwhelming favorites to set
dia mond history with another Amer
lean league pennant. Detroit. with
| improved pitching, a heavy attack,
but weaknesses around second base.
and Cleveland. a hard hitting outfit
with only a fair defense and mound
corps loom as the chief rivals of the
Yankees, who bank upon their bril-
| liant hurting corps and an offensive
leo by bdDe huLu 10 DIdTe Tie pain "
another triumph.
The Athletics and Red Sox, two
greatly improved clubs, and the ST
Louis Browns, providing George Sis
| Ter regains his old form, promise to
| be formidable factors. but Washing
ton and the White Sox, both under
new managers, have not shown
enough to rank them among the con-
tenders.
The Giants are also generally pick
ed to i4nish again in front and full
! fill an ambition John McGraw once
! before failed TO gain after winning
three straight pennants. But the
National league champions, forced
to rebuild their pitching staff after
! its collapse last fall and to recon :
struct partially their infield and out
:, fed. face Il more formidable task
than the Yankees.
| The Cincinnati Reds, buttressed by
| the best twirling staff but lacking
some in attack. and Pittsburgh. with
, strong offensive and good twlrllns
prospects, stand out as contenders-
in chief. Behind them the Chicago
J Cubs, an aggressive outfit that has
| climbed upward steadily the last
three years and the heavy hitting St
Louis Cardinals loom as trouble
makers. while the Boston Braves
| rejuvenated under Dave Bancroft
and boasting a fine young hurlins
corps, are the dark horse of. the
race. Brooklyn and Philadelphia dc
. not figure to escape the second divi-
sion.