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Show Molla Bjurstedt and Mrs. John Rogge Drop Tennis Match. NEW YORK, March 28. Tho two Sox teams white and red still stand out as the strongest combinations in the American league. As the season of 1918 draws near! and the bugs start speculating on the chances of tho various clubs in the pennant race, the new world's champs and their bitter rivals in Boston demand de-mand a majority of attention. Other teams in tho Ban Johnsonian circuit have been strengthened in various ways. Some have lost strength that cannot be regained. But the fact remains that the White Sox, bolstered with the confidence that comes to a winning team and standing pat on the roster that won the American league pennant last year and then forged its way to the world's title, are bound to figure again this year. And those Boston Sox, bolstered by an influx of players of the highest calibre to take the place of the stars who have entered tho service ot Uncle Sam, must be figured on practically the same basis. The recent news that the White Sox are reasonably sure of keeping Urban Faber means much to Chicago. With a lineup Intact Clarence Rowland has little or nothing to worry about and if the pitchers come through particularly particular-ly Eddie Cicotte as they did last year, it will take a mighty sweet ball club to beat them out. The writer isn't picking Chicago to win the pennant in this article. It isn't quite time to pick anybody. But from this distance the pennant looks like a tough argument between the Sox teams. Miller Huggins, crafty, capable and resourceful, may bring the Yanks up a few notches. But he is new to the league and to his ball club, and that is an argument against tho Yanks, though they may surprise everyone. The rehabilitated Browns are another question mark who may play dark horse, while the Senators and Athletics can pretty safely be relegated to the second division right now. Tho strongest rivals of the two Sox clubs lie in Cleveland and Detroit. The Indians have been hard hit, and Detroit is still a weak sister in pitching pitch-ing talent, though she retains her slugging ability. So the line of reasoning points more i strongly toward the Sox and Sox, and it ought to be quite a boxed-up race. rr |