The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1926-03-24
TVS TIGERS
PRESENT
PUZZLE

AUGUSTA, Ca, March "a
Basing his faith on 8 hunch. plus
. better ball club than he had in
finishing fourth last year, Ty
Cobb maintains an attitude OF
quiet confidence In the ability of
his Detroit Tigers to finish right
up with the leaders IN the 1926
American League campaign.
Tvs bunch is born of the fact
that critics, generally, have read
the Tigers out of the party this
year. Last season, 3 large
plurality of the sharps named
the Detroit Club to cop the PEN
nant. But Tiger pitchers fell
down early, to the utter confu-
sion of the experts.
Now that the same sharps do not
concede the Cobbmen a place IN
the first division, Ty is hopeful that
their predictions will work out with
.heir customary amount OF reverse
English.
However, he is not relying upon
q hunch alone. He is convinced
that. in every department, his club
win be stronger. The outfield viii
be the same, which means opposing
outfielders will not lack for daily
exercise. It embraces Cobb, He'll
mann. Wingo, Manush and Fother-
gill, 800 hitters all.
Cobb played in 100 games last
year and says he win appear just
as frequently in 1925. He has Just
been successfully operated upon Tor
his eye ailment and believes that
his vision has been vastly improved
and his hitting viii benefit II
this be true, 1t may be said with
ant fear OF successful contradiction
that Cobb will develop into some
thing OF 4 hitter this year.
The infield, according to Ty.
win be the best that has repre-
scented Detroit I'm the history Of
the American League, and he has
played with nearly AL the Tiger
combinations. nc win be composed
Of blue, at first; Gehringer. at sec
end: TavenOr, at short, and either
Warner or Mullen, at third.
Gelafinger has replaced Burke and
O'RourIxe and looks the part Of .
real second baseman. the best, In
fact, Detroit has had In years.
Cobb figures that II his pitchers
can rank as high as fourth In Ell
9ecfiveness, he can jockey the Tigers
down TO the wire In front. In 1925.
the pitchers ranked seventh, but the
rest OF the club was so strong that
It finished fourth. so Ty's reckoning
Is not mere bubble water.
It is too early yet to estimate the
worth OF his new pitchers, but he
has six who starred IN the minor
leagues last year. Left Johns. who
cessfve pennants; Clyde BAREFOOT, ex-
Cardinal. who was touted as one of
the best in the Coast League, and
Carl Hubbell, big southpaw from
Oklahoma City, are the most prom
ising of the sextette. Sam Gibson
and George Smith, 1926 mainstays
at Toronto, and Fred Watt, a right
handler from San Antonio. are the
other candidates.
II three Of the six make the
grade. Cobb win be more than sat
lsffed.
OF the veterans, he is relying
most on Ken Holloway, Earle
WhftehiIl, George Dauss and LII
Stoner. He also reposes consider
able faith in big Ed Wells, the
Bethany College southpaw. who
lacked experience last year but,
nevertheless, pitched a few excel
lent games.
There are thirty-fiye men now in
camp and Cobb has let it be known
that every one Of them may con-
slider himself in the running for
a job. In fact, there isn't a man
In camp who has not had suffic-
lent fast league" experience to
justify the belief that he cannot
qualify.
But, when all is said and done,
Il is the pitching that will tell
all. The club, as everyone knows,
has a remarkable punch; its infield
weaknesses seem to be no more
and it win get the best Of catching
from Bassler. Woodall and Manion.
Give them even second rate
pitching and the Tigers wiz be
hard to stoD.