OCR Text |
Show STANAGE PRAISES TIGER PITCHERS BY OSC AR STANAGE. Star Oatchef of the Detroit Tigers. The present pitching staff of our club Is by long odds the best that we have had since I have been with the Tigers. In making this statement. state-ment. I do not qualify my opinion at all, but include tho moundsmcn we had in the pennant-winning years. There are more men in shape to pitch winning ball now than I ever have seen before, and several individuals who ought to be just as strong as the most brilliant bril-liant of our hurlers in 190$ and 1 90ft. That 1c why the club looks so good Any outfit appears stu ng when its pitchers are going well, Tor the major part of the defense Is in the battery. There may be a few teams which have so much hitting and fielding strength that they can win with poor hurling, nut the majority or clubs have to be etrong in the box or they cannot expect to bo successful The whole tram Is inspired by Its pitchers. If the men have confidence confi-dence In the sin bbists, they will go about their fielding with snap and ginger, but if they are afraid all th time that the opposing butters will knoi'k their legs off, they are inclined to lag. And in team batting bat-ting it Is much easier to play for enough runs to win a well-pitched game than to have a slam away, hoping to make ten or a ilozn so that vou can cover up your pitchers' pitch-ers' weaknesses. We have a mighty good ball club this season. So far as I enn see. It leu t weak anywhere and there Is a spirit and snap .about It that is very encouraging I can't see how they will he able to keep us out of the first division. We always have been able to score a lot of runs, and with the i itching and fielding Improved we ought to win nht along. |