The Washington times., 1929-02-07
CINCINNATI
HAS MOST
VETERANS

If experience is a prime es-
sential in a baseball fight, the
Reds of the Cincinnati Rhine
land appear to be well equipped
and fortified for the 1929 Ma
tional League flag scramble.
For experience is one thing they
haven't anything else but. Look
'em over. those Cincinnati regu-
lars and nainstays-George Kelly.
Wally Pipp, Horace Ford, Curt
Walker. Adolphe Luque. Eppa
Rixey, Pete Donohue, jake May,
Val Picinich and Leo Dixon. All Of
them have been hanging around
for more years than they care to
remember-and all have the base.
ball knowledge with which expert
ence manifests itself.
Thus if it's experience that
counts the Rhinelanders are set
Man for man they can outmatch
in experience any club in the Heyd
Ter circuit. No club has more vet
erans who have been through the
grilling to which the Redland regu-
lars have been subjected over the
years.
Unfortunately for the Reds.
though. Old Man. Experience has
a rival in Father Time. Like the
two crabby old gents that they are.
they can't seem to get along with
each other. What one does the
other tries to undo-and often sue.
ceeds.
And at Cincinnati Father Time
is doing his best to nullify the ad-
vantages Old Man Experience has
granted them. He's adding weight
to those Cincy players, robbing them
of their speed and stiffening their
throwing arms. Several of them ex-
perienced difficulty in maintaining
the pace last year, and more of them
may fold up under the strain of the
coming season.
In fact, it would not be at all sur
prising IL Father Time registers
complete victory. He has the weight
of the advancing years on his side,
and that ally has never failed. Ex-
perience, the knowledge of what TO
DO and how to do it. is great in its
place-but what is that knowledge
worth when the player finds it inn
possible to do the things he wants
to do? Be the spirit and the mind
ever so willing, nothing can be gained
il the flesh is weak.
It is true that Jack Hendricks
has infused measure of new and
young blood. He's brought Ernie
Swanson, a new and touted out
fielder from the coast: purchased
couple of young infielders and
pitcher Or two. Youth will not be
entirely without representation at
the Orlando training camp next
month.
Yet. in the main, the burden will
have to be carried by the veteran
holdovers. Those 4o-year-olders,
Luque, Rixey and Jake May, to-
gether. with the veterans Lucas and
Donohue. will have to do the bulk
of the pitching; only third base is
open to a newcomer in the infield
and only one outfield job.
Val Picinich, who was . big
league catcher before the war,
will unquestiOnabIy continue as
the teams first string catcher.
Yes, sir, the old-timers win do
most of the work. or at least try
to. The team win rise or fall with
them. Not enough newcomers viii
be in the lineup to make a differ.
ence. The veterans see the real
strength Of the club. Ii is their
battle-wtih the other National
League clubs and with the advanc.
ing years.
Success in one will insure two
fold victory. Failure in that battle
with the years win drop the club
deep among the also-rans An in.
teresting test and one that win be
watched with deep interest.
Among observers the odds are
quoted ag-inst sue ess. They feel
that the Re IS have been slippin.s
for the last two years and that the
third drop viii be the finish.
They made q grand bid for the
flag IN 1925 and wound up two
games behind the champion Cardi.
nails. They played good ball that
year. every an rendering yeoman
service. But they haven't played
back to that form since. It is the
impression that it was the last shot