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Newspaper Page Text
BASEBALLSSPORTS OF ALL SORTS BOXING SOX PRESENT STRONG FRONT AS TRAINING PERIOD BEGINS. By Mark Shields As the White Sox go into training camp for spring work preparatory to the American league campaign their chances of landing up with the lead ers, if aot copping the flag, are brighter than for many years. Men of ability are on hand for , every position. Not since Hal Chase was a regular has first base been so well protected, and the other posi tions will be as well guarded as last ; year. Strong defense at first base furnises cause for the greatest op timism. Weakness there tossed away a pennant last year. Gandil may have trouble with his legs, but he will be in shape to play the better part of the season. He will probably bit around .265, but that is enough at tacking power for him to furnish. With sluggers present in other posi tions, all that is asked of a first base man with the Sox team isability to field the position and play a thinking part. Eddie Collins will be at second, of course, and Buck Weaver will occupy one of the remaining infield posi tions. If a rookie third baseman shows major league class, Weaver will play short. If no star develops, Terry will continue at short and Weaver will perform at third base, where he is one of the stars of the game. McMullin is always in the offing threatening to cop a regular berth. He is a good third baseman and a .far better hitter than Terry. But he is such a capable utility man that the line-up may remain as it was in 1916. Terry is an unusually fine fielder, with all the flash and daring that arked Weaver when the latter was . ."rtstopping, adding to those quali- I ficaUpns a steadiness and ability to throw true that Buck did not always possess. There is only one barth on the in field that can be cooBdered open. Two positions in the outfield will be filled by Joe Jackson and Hap Felsch. There two .300 hitters are certainties. John Collins, a regulars right fielder last year, is not so sure of his job for the coming campaign. John is a good fielder, he can run a long ways after fly balls and bas a fine arm. But he hit in poor form last year and had mental lapses at v times that were glaring. Collins is a streaky bitter, who can bat any pitcher for a period and then for days is easy for the most mediocre twirler. Eddie Murphy and Nemo Liebold are out after his job and one of them is more than likely to landt. Mur phy is not so good as Collins on de fense, but he is one of the best at tacking units in the American league. No club in the league can boast a beter lead-oil man than the former Mackman. He can bunt, he can wait out the pitcher and be can hit the ball on a line when called upon. He works well with baserun ners. Once on the bases he is a tricky runner, can advance with a minimum of help from his own side and is a constant menace to the op position. Liebold is another good lead-off man and is also a good fielder, some what better than Murphy. His main asset as a lead-off hitter is his dimin utive size, which makes him a diffi cult mark for a pitcher to throw at. Brains are the big need this sea son. There were one or two places that could have been better protected by thinking men in 1916 and itj is thought the lesson has been learned. Ray Schalk will again do the bulk of the catching and the pitching staff will be about as last season, with the increased effectiveness that will corns c