The Washington times., 1925-05-12

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Last season the Reds presented
a well balanced lineup, with plenty
OF punch at bat and plenty Of class
In the box, AS the 1924 campaign
got under way, the team looked
like a redhot contender for the
flag.
!. Then things began to happen.
Injuries and illness came so thick
and fast at the Cincinnati athletics
that the team was forced way down
the ladder. J Eventually, far into
the season. the jinx relaxed and
the Reds recovered sufficiently to
finish In the first division.
This year the club got away
Co . running start and then ran
into q flock of injuries. 1t looked
like . case of an exceedingly
sOrdid chapter of history repeat
ing Itself.
Through 1t all, Hendricks keeps
smiling, keeps looking forward with
bpuadless optimism for a better
day.
Cincinnati manager continued. AT
any rate. / hope so. Our most
conspicuous absentee right now is
Bubbles HargraYe. Bubbles has
a broken finger, and he will be out
for at least month. That means
that Ivy Wingo will have to do
practically all the catching. Ivy is
q real veteran. He has been in the
majors for almost fifteen seasons,
and being in there every day Is
going to be terrific strain on him.
Two more Of our athletes are
not quite ready. One is Elmer
Smith. who win be back in few
days Smith has bad leg, which
is not very serious. Dresser, VINO
has been playing second base for
as, has been sent to Rochester to
be looked over by Doc Knight,
one of the best ,bonesetters extant.
Hughey Critz is back on the job,
30 Dresser can be spared for a
Few days.
80 About this fellow, Critz. Here
a. a great young ball player. Take
It from me, Hughey or Cowboy"
a. the boys call him, is going to
prove that he is one of the very
best infielders in the league.
1--WE have had anything but
easy sailing during the first
three weeks Of the season, but
I'm very well satisfied with the
way that the team has played to-
date. We won ten out of sixteen
games with the other western
teams Of the league, and that is.
not half bad under the circum-
stances.
With the injured back in the
lineup, It is logical to assume that
We will go as well, If not better.
LAS look at the club / see no
G1aring weakness anywhere. I've
already said what i think Of Critz.
"Rube" Bressler is playing first
better than ever. I think Pinelli
was the best third baseman in the
league last season, and he's playing
&s well now as he did then. Caveney.
ct shortstop, seems to have taken
a new lease on life. He's playing as
consistently well as he did two years
ago.
s'BilI Zitzmann strikes me as be-
ing a find: He can bat and he is
finished fielder. He is as fast as i
0treak-one Of the fastest men on
me team and quite a few of the
Reds are not exactly ice wagons.
AZ believe that the Red pitch
ing staff is very generally under.
rated. So far this season we've
had good pitching right along and
the quality should improve rather
than diminish as the season grows
elder.
LGGue, Rixey, Donohue and the
rest-all winners, and from the
form they've shown to date they're
going TO be big winners. Carl MAYS
IS ready to pitch He has had a
sore arm since the early days of
the spring training trip and the
acre arm hung on for a long time.
Mays was one Of our biggest win
ners last year and when he gets
started he's going to help quite
q bit.
Summing it up, I'd say that the
Reds are going to get somewhere
IL the pennant race. They're the
goods, the real goods"
Off the ball field. Hendricks
wears horn trimmed spectacles. His
eyes twinkled through them as he
fired a parting shot.
Remember what I said. I'm not
claiming any pennants, but we're
going 10 fool a good many OF the
boys this year. The Cincinnati
Club 10 not going to finish in the