The Washington times., 1931-03-09

"AnybOdy who knows any
thing about the National League
realizes that the 1881 sea-
SON will see a five-team race.
There are five mighty good
clubs in the old league-the
Cubs, Brooklyn, Pirates, Car
dinaIs and Giants. We believe
we have added sufficient
strength to be a contender all
the way"
It appears at this writing as Il
the Cubs will enjoy the services
Of Hornsby himself in the i'm
pending campaign. He has not
spared himself in the training
exercises and his bum ankles
have held up. He always could
hit, the only question being If he
could resume fielding. The
ankle he broke last spring Is re
paired fully and the heel from
which a horn-like substance was
removed is in working order.
Hornsby is a normal $50 hit
ter. He did not play last season
and Charley Root, a 2O-game
winner, folded up in August. Root
was repaired by a muscle doctor
during the winter, and says he is
fit. If these men hold up, the
Cubs will be formidable. If not
one may erase them from the
pennant possibility and nope fol
a place in the first division.
The Bruins have added two
pitchers expected to be worth
while. They are Bob Smith,
obtained from the Braves, and
Ed Baecht, bought from Los
Angeles. Smith is a transplanted
ShOrtstOp, author Of 10 victories
and IA defeats in 1880.
He is a general all-around ball
player and should produce with
a team that scores as frequently
as the Cubs.
Baecht, a rather green-pea
giant, 6 feet 3 inches in length
won 26 and lost IL with Los An
geles last season. However, he is
intelligent and ambitious.
Maybe he will be Of assistance
One never can tell until a rookie
is under championship fire. Lester
Sweetland, left handler. was &C
Quired from the Phillies, and
jake May was fetched up from
Cincinnati.
The pitching staff now rates
Malone, Root, Bush, Blake, Smith
and Teachout. Some doubts may
be entertained about the others
includ in g Richard Montague,
lately Of the University Of Michi
gan.
Gabby Hartnett will be the
catcher-in-chief, with Zach Tay'
lor first assistant. Earl Grace,
1923 in Reading, and Bill Camp.
bell, .304 at Memphis, will fight
It out for the third backstop
job. One of them will go to
Los Angeles. Campbell is the
faster and Grace the more ex'
perienced.
Little has been done in be-
half of the infieId. Vincent Bar
ton, reading like a crOss-sec-
tiOn Of a Laura Jean Libby
novel, batted .342 for Balti-
more. He doubles in the out
field and first base, the lat
ter premise being a hope.
Charley Grimm is growing old.
There is nothing to indicate
that HornSby will not play sec
ond base. He has "Foots" Blair
for substitute. Woody English
continues at short and Lester Bell
at third. Bell went pretty good
in the hind end of the 1880 sea-
son, after a distressing start. The
Cubs also have Jurgas, q young
man whose batting average was
.280 in Reading. He can field
well but apparently he does not
WELD a wicked fail.
Of course, Clyde Beck will be
utility infielder.
The infield is the weak spot of
the Bruins defense and attack.
It does not appear that much boil
Stering has been done here.
Grimm will be on first, English
at short and Bell on third.
Johnny Moore, .342 for Los
Angeles last season, is a most able
flychaser and should hit big league
pitching. To get a regular job
all he has to do is displace Hack
Wilson, author If many records,
Kiki Cuyler or Riggs Stephenson.
Danny Taylor also is on hand.
He hit only .2S3 last season,
not enough for an Outfielder
in these days. Cliff HeathcOte
still is around. He can play
wonderful ball for about two
weeks and then flattenS, but
ne is valuable substitute. "
There you have the Cubs, un-
less some unheralded rookie should
pop up and deliver Unexpectedly.
It appears as if the team will
try and gothrough with Hornsby
at second base. Bob Smith and
Baecht pitching regularly. That
constitutes the improvement over
1880, when the team flattened in
September to skid out of a com.
Portable lead in the final weeks
Of the last campaign.