Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-20


their boss, Connie Mack, is not
optimistic. He has reason.
His team is good--it is much the same
team as that in 1928. Some people may
think that it is a better team. But Is II !!
It is beginning to be conceded that
Ossie Orwell is an ambitious young man
who is not the first baseman that IL was
thought he would be. He does not meas
ure up to the big league specitlcations.
That is hardship number one: II the
Athletics could have made a deal with
Toronto for Dale Alexander, ne woulo
have been taken to play first base Tor
the Athletics. But Detroit hao the N
side track and got him.
The Athletics might have paid as
much as $4,000 for Alexander, ana
Judging by player valuations on what
they are expected to produce, he WOULD
have been worth It. This young giant
can hit as far or farther than BABE
Ruth and is a future prospect worth
$4,000 a season if he natures as ne
should. He may not hit home runs IKE
Ruth. but he has more power IN ms
shoulders and back than Ruth ana ne
is going to play base ball Wnen Ruin
legs have been strapped. 49,
That much for first base on the ATM
letics. The first basemen seems TO pc
Jimmy FoxX, who is no mean player
himself, but who is not playing pase
ball this Spring as he dio in 1928. That
is so evident that nobody is being fooleo.
He cannot get into his stride.
If Foxx plays first base, Dykes is LETT
to play third base. True there is Hale,
but Hale's hands are not big enough LOT
a third baseman and padded gloves 90
not seem to help him.
pitchers of any club are unknown
quantity until they have been tried one
NAV say that team has great pltcn-
ing staff and be quite right IN the use %
words. but sometimes that great staIi
dwindles down to nothing. Wnen pitcan-
ers begin to get old no one ever Is qul0e
s,.Te how they will perform. Jack Quinn,
an Athletic rnoundSman, seems 10 De
egeless. Maybe the bench warming ne
is doing In Florida may endow MIN WIN
some of the qualities claimed tor romeo
de Icons famed spring.
ON form the Athletic pitchers are
cood and Connie Mack, who never
Tiaved A wrong card in his life IN ms
base ball relations. is all fused up
about Wingard, who has been declared q
free agent by Judge Lands.
IT did not do wrong IN making Iiias
deal" said Mack. Il cannot unoer-
stand it,
Success Has Had Effect.
The problem that is facing Mack IS
TO get his team tuned up TO the plecn
that it was last season and When people
saw that the Athletics will run away with
the race in conjunction with the yam
kees they are not conversant with the
fart that this is to be an entirely OIL
ferent race from that of 1928 and that
o,It west there are two base ball clubs
one of hetm being Detroit-Whlcn are
apt to upset all the conditions that pre-
vailed last year.
The Athletics will not have a run
away race with the Yankees. The Atm
letics have their team Of 1928 plus one
wear of age. Perhaps for some OF them
that year has been beneficial. For
Others it may not have been. But the
team, to do as well this year as 1t did
last, must be aroused until 1t is
thoroughly mad, and 1t is not mad to
date.
The success of the team in 1928 has
not exactly gone to the heads OF the
players, but it has changed the mental
attitude of some, The team finished
the season thinking it should have de-
feated the Yankees and the players
went home with exalted opinions as to
their personal base ball worth. Mickey
Cochrane tried to be an actor and folks
who saw him wished they had taken up
a contribution to keep him OF the
stage.
The Athletics are not that kind of a
show team. They are steady, grind
ing team that can wear some other
team down, or two or three teams.
Not always do they realize what the
conservative, steady man who is their
teacher does for them. A less patient
man long ago would have given UP
some Of them, but he has nursed them
along, taught them this and that and
has made stars of three or four players
who would have been canned" by less
persistent managers.
Copyright. 1929