The day book., March 05, 1917, LAST EDITION, Image 10

About The day book. (Chicago, Ill.) 1911-1917

Image provided by: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library, Urbana, IL

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