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Show CONNIE MACK OPTIMISTIC OF ATHLETICS 1 'J X Tim? &t May Manager Mack and Some of His Best Players. "Don't consign my team to last place," is the advice of Connie Mack. "Just because the main portion of it will be composed of youngsters doesn't mean that the 1916 Athletics will be easy to beat. I've fjot enough veterans to serve as the foundation for my new machine, and among my new boys are some rattling good players to replace the missing parts. So watch us closely this season. We may spring a surprise." sur-prise." Connie, however, is almost alone in his belief that the Athletics will finish better than seventh or eighth. The consensus of opinion is that the outfit he will head in 1916 will be too "green" to make any real showing. , Looking over the roster of the Athletics Ath-letics reveals many unknowns. In keeping with his policy of other years, Connie hasn't purchased the high-priced high-priced talent from the minors. Instead In-stead he has gone into the highways and byways and picked up youths from sand lots and college diamonds. "I am confident that out of my present pres-ent lot of youngsters I can develop a few real stars," asserts Connie. Maybe May-be he can. He's a genius in that way. But the chances are that the development develop-ment won't reach its crest this year that it will be along in 1917 or 1918 before the Athletic team shall become a feared one. The Mackian outfield of 1916 will be quite veteranish, with Strunk in right, Oldring in center and Walsh in left. Oldring has been fading and isn't as good as he was in the bygone days, but Connie feels that he is far better than any of the youngsters picked up since last season. Walsh, Oldring and Strunk are good fielders, but their batting eyes seem dim. Mclnnis will be on first, with the aged Lajoie on second. Shortstop and third base, however, are Mack's big problems. He has a bunch of candidates candi-dates for the positions, but none of them have shown anything marvelous. Crane, however, has the call for the shortstopping job, with Healy and Rit-ter Rit-ter leading the others slightly in the battle for the honor of being the regular regu-lar third baseman. Malone, who was with the Athletics last year, will continue con-tinue as Lajoie's understudy. The pitching department will be the weakest. Its make-up for regular working purposes is uncertain Just now, but the tip-off is that the following follow-ing five will carry the brunt of the Athletic defensive burden: Joe Bush, a good pitcher, but not a sensational performer. Wyckoff, who is improving righl along. Bressler, young and erratic. Nabors, who has much to learn before be-fore he can become a star. Meyers, who owns a good arm, bul still is subject to nervousness. Connie has a flock of other pitching youngsters, but none have shown signf so far of pushing any of the above quintet out of regular turns on the" mound. Schang will do the bulk of the back stopping, with McAvoy and Perkins, s youngster, as first aids to the injured If the Athletics had a great pitching staff it might carry along the patched up infield and the only ordinary out field. Or, if the outfield and the infield were powerful, both offensively anc defensively, they might, sweep the pitching staff through to victory. Bul there is too much weakness in everj department of the Mackian machine for even the stanchest Athletic root ers to concede it better than seventh place in the 1916 fracas. |