Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-11
CHAMPIONS likely
TO FIND FIGHT HOT
Both Face Strong Foes at
Start-FeW Clubs Grab
remnants in Row.
BY WALTER TRUMBULL.

THE major league base ball
season promises fair
amount of excitement right
from the jump. The world
champion Athletics open at home
against the Yankees, and the
Chicagos, National League cham
pions, begin the season at st.
Louis. Here should be some good
games.
Base ball is an uncertain game.
When I saw the Athletics in
Florida last Spring, shortly before
they started North, they didn't
look like champions. Bishop
hadn't reported; Foxx was being
shifted from first to third; some
of the men had sore arms, and
things didn't appear too bright.
At the same period the Yankees
looked like q million dollars. I sat
at the ball yard with Miller Higgins
one morning waiting for the players
to come out. and he freely admitted
that physically the Yankees appeared
did would depend upon their mental
This season the Athletics will be
heavy favorites to repeat. Yet, win
ners do not always repeat In base ball.
Since 1900, when the American League
started, the Giants are the only team
in either big league which ever won
four flags in row.. AS q matter OF
fact no other club, from 1875 on, ever
won four straight.
Five Win Three in Row.
The teams which have won three
straight pennants are the Giants, the
Chicago Cubs and the Pittsburgh Pirates,
in the National, and the Detroit Tigers
and New York Yankees in the American
League. The Yanks had two strings of
threeS.
Those winning two successive flags
are the Giants, the Chicago White Sox,
Washington, the Boston Red Eox and
the Athletics. Boston and the Ath-
letics each repeated twice. Neither Of
them ever won three In row.
The Athletics won in 1910, 1911, 1918
and 1914. Connie Mack once told me
that the 1912 team which finished third
to Boston and Washington, looked to
him the strongest Of the lot. Probably
the men thought they couldn't lose,
played accordingly, and thereby did
Connie out of the honor and salts
faction Of five flags In a line.
The Athletics finished first In 1902,
second in 1908, fifth in 1904 and FIRST
again in 1905. In 1905 they were
fourth and didn't win again until 1910.
The White Sox finished FIRST In 1905
and third in 1907. The Red Sox An
ished first In 1912 and fourth in 1918.
The White Sox finished FIRST In 1917,
sixth in 1918 and first again in 1919,
but those we're war years and the year
of the Black Sox. Chicago finished
second in 1920 and has never been .
first division club since.
Some of the National League records
ar, interesting. Brooklyn won in 1900,
finished third in 1901 ard didn't VAN
again until 1916. In 1917 1t finished
seventh. In 1920 Brooklyn won an
other flag and in 1921 finished fifth. In
1924 it almost won, finishing second,
and since then it has been the per-
petual occupant of sixth place.
Cubs Wait Long Time.
The Chicago Cubs won, in the famous
play-off game, in 1908, won next in 1918,
and didn't win again until 1929. They,
TOO, expect to repeat this season. Gin.
cinnati won in 1919, and never before
or since.
1t would not be surprising to see Gin
cinnati play good ball this season. Dan
Howley is an accomplished and inspir-
ing leader and he has made changes In
the team which may help.
Cleveland won its lone pennant in
1920, but has finished second three times
since then. The Indians and Yankees
are about the only teams the dopesters
give real chance against the Athletics.
But the Macknlen are going to be tough
to beat. They have their team intact,
and 1t is a team with pitching, fielding
and hitting Of the highest grade.
Last year the Athletics appeared to
get the confidence which they had
lacked the two previous seasons. The
result of the world series made that
confidence unshakable and secure. Nor
has the team won often enough to lose
the thrill Of winning. It should still be
mentally alert and Of disposition for
victory. 1t looks as If the Chicago
Bears in their league might encounter
tougher opposition, although Chicago
has great team.
(Copyrght, 1890, by North American News.
paper Alliance