Douglas daily dispatch., 1928-03-10
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HUGGINS WON'T PREDICT

NllleT f1uSgltlS, UldIldSG1 VI IIlC
worlds champion New York Yankees,
is one of baSeball's tightest-mouthed
conservatives. He never will admit |
that his club is in with the pennant
until the highest mathematical minds
of Columbia assure him that it is I'M
possible for him to lose.
Higgins has known of cases in base
ball where a couple of star pitchers
went wrong between games without
any kind of warning, where sluggers
and fast fielders were put out for a
season with twisted ankle or Ia brok-
en- bone So he has adopted the phil
osophy that it is more comfortable to
prepare for the worst and he surprised /
when it doesn't happen.
His boss, Col. Jake Rupert, who
signs checks for 100000 payroll, is
of just the opposite type, however. Der
colonel will tell anyone who will stop
to listen that the Yankees are in there
now with the 1923 Tag and that they
are going to get some more OF those
pennants before the team breaks up. /
From the various conversations
heard as the 1928 season got away
uncfficially with the opening of the
spring training camps it appears
that eight American league club
owners agree that the Yankees are
a heavy favorite for the pennant,
and that seven managers think the
possibility of beating them only
slight.
CONNIE HAS HOPES
Connie Mack thinks he has good
chance to give the champions hard
fight and maybe. sneak in ahead of
them if he gets the proper kind Of
pitching from Rommel and Grove, and
if Joe Hausers trick knee does not go
back on him again.
The Detroit Tigers think they have
been strengthened by the trade with
the st. Louis Browns and the Browns
think they will be better team Tor
the same reason.
The washington Senators m a y
spruce up with George Sisler helping
out on first base and with the hope
that a promising bunch of young
pitchers will come through.
The other clubs in the league do
not threaten serious competition and
the outlook for tight race is not very
promising.
There probably will be another
hot race in the National league.
The champion Pittsburgh Pirates
no doubt will start as the favOrite,
but there will be money backing
other entries in the race.
PIRATES ARE FAVORITES
The trade with the Chicago Cubs
which brought Sparky Adams for Kiki
Cuyler may turn out as deal that
nk de the Pirates, and certainly it cam
not be blamed as a cause ii they do
not come through. If Adams doesn't
come up to hopes at second base the
team will not be any weaker than it
was, and the loss of Cuyler will not
be serious as he wasn't used last year.
Giving up Adams for Cuyler may
have a serious effect upon the Chicago
Cubs. who threatened to toss the dope
all around last year. The Cubs as a
| result of the addition of Cuyler have
a great outfield. But they still have
! a questionable defense around second
S@AO AA~S~-~~~o~~
think about a second-base frailty.
The Cards ought to be stronger than
they were last year. Lester Bell ought
/ to have a better season that ne hid
last year. Tommy Thevenow, recover.
/ ed from a broken ankle, will GER
tainly make the infield look better at
short, and Bob OFarrell, relieved OF
/ the burden of management and i'm
proved by an operation on his throw
! ing hand, ought to do better than ne
did last year.
/ The Cincinnati Reds may do better
than they did last year. The pitching
staff certainly doesn't rate to do as
badly as it did last ydar and the club
ought to get away to better start.
| Regardless of what Charley
Stoneham may say, the New York
Giants, without HOrnsby, cannot De
as strong as they were last year.
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Phil1in Granville. OF