New Britain herald., 1927-02-04
HUGG|NS RESENTS
 PRESEASON DOPE
Experts Are Wrong in Placing
 Yankees as Sure Repeaters

New York, Feb. 4 (UP)-Miller Higgins no more superstitious than any other baseball manager, resents strongly the disposition of the ex- perts to count his New York Yankees as sure repeater in the American league pennant race.
 Huggins is not easy to satisfy. Last spring in the St. Petersburg training camp he became furious because some of the experts travel ing from camp to camp made all kinds of fun about his Yankees and predicted that only the Boston Red Sox would be able to beat out his club for last place.
 "They were wrong last year in placing my ball club" he said, "and they are wrong this year in figuring that we have the pennant in a | walk"
 Huggins admitted that he has a good ball club-that is, he will have if they all sign and in spreading his gloom the little manager may have the idea that 1t Is good business to tell the athletes that they are not so good.
 we didn't have any cinch last season." he said. Cleveland gave us an awful fight at the finish and even if Speaker will not be with the Indians this year the club ought to be as strong as 1t was last season. The Athletics have been strengthen ed since the close of the season and Washington certainly will be an im- proved ball club with Speaker in the outfield. The Browns also will be a better ball club If they get Ty Cobb"
 The Yankees apparently are not interested in Cobb and from some remarks dropped they would like to see the Browns get the former De- troit star, as they feel they might be able to coax Ken Williams from St. Louis.
 Figuring on the wear and tear that a year works on ball players the Yankees will not be any stronger this season than they were last year and the club Is really in need of young pitching strength.
 The Athletics with Eddie Collins, Zach Wheat and Joe Boley will be an improved club in more ways than one. Collins and Wheat may be just the experienced veterans need ed to balance the team and put some real fighting spirit into it.
 The Senators also are certain to be stronger. Speaker is still great ball player and circumstances no doubt will encourage him to play his head off.
 The Yankees owed their success last season to a flying start that gave the club enough of a lead to withstand the terrible slump that came in the final dash to the wire. If the club should not happen 70 have the same speed at the start this season, they certainly are no clnch.
 The addition of Rogers Hornsby and there isn't the slightest chance that he will not play with the Giants has put John McGraw's club in the talk as a prospective champion.
 McGraw. like Huggins. doesn't like to have his athletes told that they are so good. The Giants pro- bably will start as an even money bet for the pennant but they are not worth long odds or any kind of odds.
 The Cardinals may not be as strong as they were last year and the Pittsburgh Pirates ought 10 have more fight and better spirit than they had in the 1926 campaign. The Cincinnati Reds will be just as strong as they were.
 The Giants will be stronger with Hornsby at second base and with Grimes on the pitching staff but they have three good clubs to beat and the three will take lot of beat