Evening star., 1925-05-31


The interest increases next week
when the conditions shift. The Ma
tional League Fasteners go west
while the American League Western
ers come east. Ballplayers always
look forward to the first western trip
as their big test. BY the end of
that trip the races will be pretty we'll
sifted down. You can be pretty sure
that the clubs surviving, or holding
their own, will be the ultimate con-
tenders.
Personally, expect to see the Pitts
burg club rise rapidly in our league
and better things are certainly to be
expected of Detroit in the American.
The Pirates made better showing
than any National League western
club. winning eight games to six. The
White Sox had the same record in
the American League.
Boston Clubs Both Trail.
They were the only western clubs
to win ma ajority of their games. The
two Boston clubs were the only east
ern clubs to lose a majority of their
games. The Red Sox were worse
than the Braves, losing 10 out of 15.
'The Braves were just nosed out, losing
Z out of 13.
The Braves, by the way, are i'm
proving rapidly. They have developed
good team spirit and 1 look to see
Bancroft have a winning ball club
in the next year or two. l was i'm
pressed by what I heard about young
Jimmy Welsh, which will illustrate
how the players of the Braves are
working together.
Welsh. who has to play the sun
field, found that he could get no prac-
tice in the morning because the sun
was in the other direction. Instead
of racing home after practice he got
one of the batters to stay with him
at the park. AS soon as the sun got
far enough around he worked for an
hour catching balls out of the sun,
after trying several kinds of smoked
glasses. That is much like the spirit
of the old days. Hughey Jennings
and myself, for instance, used to go
out alone and work together for an
hour to correct some fault in han
ding ground balls. Pie Taylor, of
the Pirates, is of that nature. He
won't attend the movies because he
thinks 1t might hurt his batting eye.
Pirates Have Stifest Punch.
OF all the western clubs that came
to the Polo Grounds recently the
Pirates showed the stiffest punch.
Their record was no better against us,
but that club has the strength.
I only hope they don't get over
their slump until we get through with
them," one of our players said the
other day.
The Brooklyn club is playing about
as L expected. 1 still am confident
that our final opposition will be the
Pirates and the Robins. The Pirates
have had hard time filing the shoes
of Grimm at first base, Grantham be-
ing second baseman originally, but
they will work out of that.
Now that Maranville is about ready,
the Cubs ought to get d fresh start
His experience and winning spirit will
be an inspiration to them. 1t soften
Is said that any baIlplayer can be re-
placed, but it is very difficult, some
times impossible, to replace a ball
players spirit. Babe Ruth's return
to the Yanks will mean a lot to the
club through inspiration even though
his weakness holds down his hitting
for a while. The Yanks won't stay
down there. 1t is too good ball club,
Expects No Runaway Victory.
So far the Giants have stood out as
a powerful machine and hope they
VIII continue to do so. We want 10
win all the games we can now for, YOU
may be sure. something will hapnen
to prevent the race being a runaway.
1t Is much better to be prepared for
slump than to have to overcome
one. / want the fans to know how
much 1 appreciate the work of our
whole Club during my absence. and
especially that of George Kelly and
Hughey Jennings.
Some one asked me the other night
If L expected the Phillies to continue
their success. / do. don't EXPECT
them to be a pennant contender, but
Arthur Fletcher's outfit is bound ia
be trouble maker for all opposition
during the season. They can hit and
they certainly have the fighting
RADIATOR. FENnERS