San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1924-04-06
Cincinnati Club Figures
This Year on Who'll Be
Runners-up to Them In
stead Of Who They'll
Have to Beat Out.
BY JOHN r. FOSTER.

Copyright by The San Antonio Light.
Orlando. FLA, April 5.-The great
est Improvement in this years Gin
,cinnati Reds over last years club
is in the matter of confidence. Last
year the Reds thought they had a
chance to win the National League
pennant but they surrounded their
hope with lot of whereas's and
butts. This year they are not afraid
to come out and say that they are
going TO lick the New York Giants
or whoever proves to be the main
contender.
This attitude is reflected in their
work here at the training camp. One
of the chief criticisms of the club last
year was that its players were too
phlegmatic. This year they are up
and hustling.
Maybe it's because of high expec-
tations OF the season. Maybe they
feel they owe it to their new man
ager. Jack Hendricks. Maybe it's
because they think it's the part of
wisdom to hustle for Hendricks-that
nOn-hustlers might get sent home or
reprimanded. But whatever they be
there is no doubt that the Reds have
unusual pusnecity and pep this
spring.
Garry Hermann, who has been
here with the team, figures that st.
Louis has always been sort of
Jonah to the Reds and Pittsburg
hasn't been much better. Everything
points to the Reds going after these
jinxes early in the season, before the
westerners have chance to wake IN.
If they can do that, their chance TO
land ut the top Of the heap will be
much improved, Hermann reasons.
Daubert Is Fit Again.
Jake Daubert is much filter TO
start the season than he was last
year. Then he was just recovering
from Pneumonia and his batting aver
age went down like a sinker in n
Florida lake. His batting, which had
done SO much for the Reds in past
seasons, was sorely missed. His aver
age in 1923 was only .292. Had it
been up around 800, he says-which
would mean about forty more hits
Cincinnati would have made lot of
needed runs. If Daubert and Burns
both can get around 200 where they
normally belong. the Reds will be
much better run-getters than they
were the last three years. Their
weakness has been big saving in
run getting power when runs were
badly needed. Some thought Pat Mo-
ran sacrificed the team to defeat. Pat
was a great believer in the old army
game, as Connie Mack has always
been.
Roush may hit better this year. He
didn't DO as well last year as he had
in some other seasons. He always
has been handicapped by his spring
arguments over salary,> which have
kept him from reporting early. This
year he reported early and has been
working out in q good frame of mind
Rest Will Go Along.
If Roush by any chance should
lead the National League in batting,
and il Daubert and Burns both should
come through around 300, they
would carry the rest of the Reds with
them. And they might win the pm
nant for Cincinnati, for the Giants
are not acting as il they were going
to hit hard.
The i,eds will not leave here until
they are forced to. Some Of them
wouldn't mind staying until time TO
open the season. This is not because
they want TO loaf. but they are feel
ing fight in their veins and figure if
they can carry it along to Cincinnati
they'll go whooping through the sea-
son.
If Hendricks can get them started
that way and can keep them going,
feeding the old Cincinnati cylinders
plenty of gas all the time. the Reds
may turn the corner into August
leading the Giants, instead of having
the New York crowd ~ ahead max
ing derisive gestures at Cincinnati as
the Reds toll behind them. purple in