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Show I SPOKANE FANS PI FAITH! 115 Foresee Pennant Coming ' Their . Way With Mike Lynch Running Team. The Spolcano Indians, who played several sev-eral exhibition games with Union association asso-ciation teams within the last two weeks, arrived In Spokane last TVcdncsday night to make final preparations for the- opening open-ing of the Northwestern lcafjue on April U. According to reports from Spokane, each member of tho team Is In splendid shape- and the hopes of tho Bpolcano fans arc higher than ever this year for a pennant-winning team. Five or six practice games are serving serv-ing as an Introduction of tho players to tho fans prior to the beginning of the season. It la probable that Spolcano will open at homo with olthor Victoria or Aberdeen. Eighteen players composo tho squad and thc30, with ono or two exceptions, ex-ceptions, are tho men originally signed for tho season and taken on the training trip, Manv veterans, Including Manager Jllko Lynch, Wagner, Powell, McCorry, "Wuffll. Baker, Covcle-kle and others, are with tho team this year. Much is expected ex-pected of tho now material picked up and the team as a whole Is expected to develop de-velop Into a pennant winner. Writer Gives Opinion. One Spokane sporting writer has doped out tho possibilities of tho team as follows: fol-lows: It does look llko n strong team. The paper "dope" Is flattering. To begin with, Lynch didn't have to do any real experimenting, and had no real need to worry over any position when the squad reported at tho California Cali-fornia training camp. Doss Farr wasn't Idle those long fall and winter months, and had an array of talent that the bummcst manager on earth would have little trouble welding together. to-gether. The team was picked before It reported at tho springs. Every position po-sition was cared for by an experienced experi-enced ball player, concerning whom the manager need have no fears. It just so happehed that a few 3'oung-storB 3'oung-storB have shown so brilliantly that there Is n ohanco they may crowd off some veteran, and that served to put tho veteran on his toes and keep up a lively fighting spirit. Analytically, there 1b solid hitting strength In the lineup. Lewis and Ilolke of the regulars aro the only left-hand batsmen, so It will bo tough sledding for the southpaws who try to stop Manager Mike's boys this year. Powell. "Wagner and Lynch, whom we well know, belong to tho "Hlugger" class. Wagner led tho league In three-base hits last season. Powell was ono of tho few Northwestern North-western leaguers to shoot a long ono over the left field fence at Recreation park last year. Lynch is a demon In n small park with his long files, nnd therc aro still a few short fences about the circuit. Smith, MeCorry and Covelcskle aro proven pitchers. Nick "Williums Insisted In-sisted last year that "Covy" was the best right minder In the league, and tried every way to trndc Spokane- out of the big Pole. Willie McCorry is not only a smarr little pitcher, he Is a corking good all-around hull pluyer, and can fill any outfield vacancy that may occur. Smith was ono of Spokane's Spo-kane's surest winners last fall. You don't heed any second string catchers when you have Danny Shea, hut even at that tho peppery veteran may have to husllo to hold his Job. Joo Altman appears due for a revival to his 1J109 form, and young Nelson gives great promise. Shea and Mike Lynch have always worked well together, to-gether, and tho foxy backstop is an able lieutenant to carry out tho chlef'H Ideas of hattory strategy, Mike has led two Northwestern lengue champion cham-pion teams in tho last few years, and It la worthy of notlco that every season sea-son Mike has been at or near the top he has had Danny, nnd every season he has been at or near the bottom ho hasn't had Danny. Those of you who arc looking for something in "omens" or are a bit superstitious may harp on this for a talisman. As a combination combi-nation the Lynch-Shea duet has been a winner. All Kinds of Pepper. You have all sorts of pepper on your bench; the chirping, rimming, good-humored good-humored ginger of Wuffll: the dashing, dash-ing, fighting, nervous energy of Powell; the big, bluff, bluster of Lynch; tho 9harp "crabbing" of Shea (and you need one or two real crabs always), nnd tho faithful, steady, "Lot's go, boys," of Dutch Altman. For emergencies tho Indians aro extremely ex-tremely well fortified. There aro two men for evory Job, Holko or Kelly for first; Wngnor or Wuffll for second; Wuffll or Altman for third; Butler or Altman, or oven Wuffll, for short, nnd McCorry easily able to fill any .outfield .out-field vacancy. It Is a team that should just about lead the league In team batting; should be a vast improvement over the 1913 outfit on the bases, jf It Is not to be compared with that wonderful gang of base thieves of 1912; strong In the battery: a steady, experienced infield and without dispute the best outfield trio In the circuit. It should be "there" or "thereabouts'' "there-abouts'' next September 27. |