Evening star., 1927-04-11


les of woe and lamentation along
10 big league front. Professional
4se hall is filed with disappointments
we'll as Joys, for only one team can
in and for each championship aggre.
alton there must be lowly and
aspised tailender.
The game is erected on the cruel
nd relentless law of the survival OF
ne fittcst Tailenders occasionally
nay trip over top notchers, but over
ne long 154-gsme stretch the team
ith the heaviest artillery, the best
aneralship and a superior defense
SuaIlv etnerees on top. For that rea-
IN the base ball dope stands up sur
risingly we'll over tho course OF
lonths. and when it Is upset it is by
ono outside factor like the Pirate
autiny Of last Summer.
With 10 out Of - champions TO my
>redit since 1921. ] again have deived
nto the dope and the world series
-onrenders for next October should be
ne Pittsburgh Pirates Of the National
league and the Philadelphia Athletics
If the American. Were | TO play
,uncb. 7 would saw the Cubs in the
National and the Tigers in the Ameri-
ran. but my system OF analytical fiS-
-pres favors the Pirates strongly and
he Athletics TO lesser degree.
Selection Is General.
The selection of the Pirates and
Athletics appears to be rather general
n the East. especially in the metro
-1olitan district. there is a strong tend
sncy TO favor the Giants. However,
,nU taken among several hundred ball
9layers indicated that their pennant
selections were the two Pennsylvania
clubs | regret that / can make no
startling prediction such as / did last
--ear. when / selected Yankees to win
n the American. Babe Ruth and
were a rather small minority who
came right out and picked the Yanks
20 jump from seventh to first.
A lot of fans and critics gave us the
laugh. but we had our laugh later.
though there were several days IN
September, 1926, when that Yankee
PREDICTION had a hard struggle for
existence.
I have personally seen II Of the
6 big league clubs and have had
l. chance to study the other through
Information given me by managers
nd others closely affiliated with these
lubs.
AS usual the two leagues will be
livided into four groups. the groups
aking in clubs which are matched
n general strength. In each circuit
find group most numerous. three
clubs being placed in this group in
he American and four in the Ma
1ional
How Teams Are Grouped.
The teams in the two leagues split
Up as follows:
NATIONAL LEAGUE.
Group Pittsburgh
Group Chicago, New York, st.
Louis and Cincinnati.
Group 3--Bro0lSlyn and Boston.
Group 4-Philadelphia.
AMERICAN LEAGUE.
Group 1-PhiIadeIphia and New
York.
Group 2-Detroit. Washington
and Cleveland.
Group 3-St. Louis and Chicago.
Group 4-Boston.
The teams are picked tor finish in
he order in which they appear in
he different groups.
The Athletics are picked TO win in
the American League. not because
Of the addition of Cobb. Collins and
Wheat, but because Comic Mack will
have a big pitching advantage on
the Yankees. Tigers and Senators,
their leading rivals.
Mack has Lefty" Grove. Howard
Ehmke and Eddie Rommel for his
big three. with walberg, Gray,
Quinn Pate and several youngsters
in back Of them. Grove pitched
great ball last season. but got little
encouragement in the way of runs.
Boley BOlsters Team.
Boley bolstered the Athletics at
short and Branom appears to be a
good man al first Collins. Cobb and
Wheat may help the team for a
spell. but l think Macks pennant
chance would he just as good with
Lamar. Simmons and French in the
outheld
Outside of pitchers, Higgins has
better club than he had last sea-
son. koenig. Lazzeri and Gehrig
have the benefit Of their 1928 expert
ence; Higgins has added a good
throwing catcher in Grabowski, while
the acquisition of burst, Morehart
and Vera gives him better reserve
strength The Babe is as good as
ever and the same can be said for
Bob Meusel Gehrig should hit even
harder. Boils have Handicapped
L2zzeri. and he may not be as dan
geraus at bat as he was last year.
Higgins veteran pitching staff,
Pennock. Shocker. Ruether and
Shawkey are men in the 30s
Pennock started training very late
Hoyt again looks good. but pitching
kids taken South by the Yanks have
not shown much promise.
II Moriarty can bring out Rip Col
Hns' latent pitching ability and make
"Ownie' Carroll pitch as he did at
college, he has a good pennant
chance in Detroit. As it is he should
have the most improved club in his
league and one which is dangerous
all the way.
Griffs' Pitching Dubious.
Outside Of the batteries, Washing
ton is the best club / have seen this
wear, but the team cannot regain the
pennant with pitching staff re-
cruiled largely from 1925 Southern
leagues.
Perhaps ] again have placed Cleve-
land toe low. The Indians were the
only club which upset my dope last
year. The team has good pitching,
several hard hitters, Joey Sewen.
the best all-around shortstop in
the game. but II will lose Speakers
enthusiasm.
Even with Johnny Mostil in the
-,
\ The Little