The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-03-25
talking
IT OVER
NEW YORK, March 2
By JOE WILLIAMS

Il column, under pressure, went
completely oracular on the subject
OF baseball and forecast the result
Of the coming season, for better or
worse. II does not seem to me that
a person, expert or otherwise, IS TAX
ing any great chance in forecastlng
that the two teams which proved
themselves the best in last year S
races will repeat their success.
Certainly the Athletics on pa
per. and what Is more substan-
tiaI, on the field, appear to be the
class of the baseball world, and
II they do not again win in the
American League for one do
not know who is going to beat
them.
In a somewhat less restrained
mood 1t Is possible TO write the same
thing about the Cubs in the Ma
tionsl League.
Nothing has developed in the spring
.roxress OF either Of the clubs TO indicate
that there has been any iessening OF team
nover. nor has there been any Illustration
Of extraordinary improvement in any oil
the contending clubs that would make II
advisable to alter the prophetic picture OF
a return meeting between the Athieucs
and the Cubs.
II has always seemed 10 me that
reasonably safe method in treating such
a matter as coming baseball race IS to
remember what happened In the preceding
season.
WITH this in mind there Is an
w element of Importance in the
fact that the Athletics were strong
enough to lead their field at the
fnish by eighteen full games and
the Cubs by ten and d half games.
Teams that can win by such margins
are scarcely oue-year champions
and IL seems reasonable to assume
that only an extraordinary develop
ment, such as an epidemic OF IN
juries, can keep them from re-
peating.
In the very recent broadcast TINS
column nominated the Athletics as win
ners In the American League with either
tbe Yankees or Cleveland second and the
detroit team winning the fourth position.
The Browns. White Sox. Senators and Red
Soy generally were consigned to the sec
ond division.
In the National League the Cubs
were nominated with the Giants
driving second, the Pirates third
and the Phillies fourth. The Dodg-
ers Cardinals, Reds and Braves
graciously were permitted to flghC
it out for whatever glory and cash
there is in finishing in the second
division.
An unusual feature IN connection WIN
the selections is that no guarantee is
made that the teams will finish in this
order in either league and no refunds
will be made to the customers In the
event the world series happens to feature
the Boston Red Sox and the Philadelphia
Nationals.
T THINK the teams that have the
Il best chance to go after the lead
in the two leagues are the Giants in
me National and Cleveland in the
american. OF the two, the Giants
seem to be in the more advan-
tageous position because the super
iority of the Cubs is not as pro-
nounced as that Of the Athletics.
q
At that there is no reason to look with
beannins optimism on the chances Of the
Giants because. as. John J. McGraw says,
his team TO win must get improved pitch
ing. Lindstrom must be an improved play
er and his second base problem must be
satisfactorily solved.
This is almost like saving that IL your
horse comes down in front and the book
maker is still there TO pay you of and If
his check is good you will have some
money.
The Cleveland situation is lust a. profile
m aticai. This team came from nowhere in
particular a year ago to third place in a
top heavy league race and did so mainly
on the unlocked for batting exploits of
Lou Fonssca. the first baseman. and the
splendid pitching Of young Wesley Fer
rslI. FIRST year man who turned in TWEEN
ty-one victories. Since there is no way TO
be sure that Fonseca will hit as well this
season or that Terrell will be as success
fui IN the box the Cleveland team as a
dark horse must remain precisely that.
And for the beneht Of the lady and the
tive children who Just came In. a dark
horse Is nothing more nor less than a
forIoru hope that has chance to get
lucky.
DOB SHAWKEY, the new man
ID ager Of the Yankees. has been
quoted as saying that his team has
an even chance with the Athletics
and for the sake of Shawkey, who is
an affable enough person. this
column hopes that he is correct. But
Just on what basis Shawkey can
figure his Yankees even up with the
champions is hard to understand.
The fact Is. as see II. the Yankees are
in a ver~ tough spot and i sm not at all
sure that thew are going to be table 20
muster sufficient slI-a-round ability TO re-
main dangerous contender. let alone win
the pennant