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Show THINKS CUBS WILL NOT WIN IN 1918 NEW YORK. Dec. 30. The recent purchase by the Chicago National league club of Alexander and Killefer from Philadelphia for 50.000 has caused caus-ed much speculation among sport writers writ-ers here as to the probability of the Cubs winning the flag next season. One well-known writer has this to say about tho new Cub team: "Owner Weeghman of the Cubs has figured it out that his throe leading boxmen will win thirty games apiece during the 1918 campaign. The trio consists ofkGrover Cleveland Alexander, Alexan-der, Jim Vaughn and Phil Douglas. Vaughn was not far from this mark at the close of the last season, and Weeghman believes that the big southpaw south-paw and Douglas will both show great improvement when working with a catcher of Killefer's ability! "In a way this dope sounds reasonable, reason-able, yet a closer, analysis of the Chicago Chi-cago Cubs as It is constituted today makes It appear improbable that Mitchell's Mit-chell's big three will come close to the ninety games set for them. The Cubs cannot hit hard enough to win ninety gamos for an entire pitching staff, not to mention three particular boxmen. Six of the seven other clubs in the National Na-tional league outbatted the Cubs on the season's play, with only the Pirates Pi-rates falling to set up a better mark in team batting. Five of the soven clubs excelled the Cubs In running bases. "The addition of Alexander and Killefer Kil-lefer has strengthened the team in a defensive way, but has added no real strength on attack. The Phillies were not rated as a great hitting team, yet they were many points belter than the Cubs as a team, and Alexander has averaged thirty-one victories a season during the last three years. Handicapped Handicap-ped by a lighter hitting aggregation to do his rungett!ng, Alexander must pitch better ball at Chicago even to reach thirty victories As for Vaughn and Douglas, they will have to show decided improvement on all past performances per-formances to approach tho mark next year. |