Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 158, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 July 1911 — CANNOT FIGURE ON BALL TEAM [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

CANNOT FIGURE ON BALL TEAM

Third Baseman Byrne of the Pittsburg Pirates Says Predictions Are ’; Merely GueOsee. 7*| "No man living can teH how a ball team is going to finish," offers Bobby Byrne, “and if he picks one out right before the season opens he is merely making a good guess. On past performances it is possible to tell whc ought to be Tn the first division and what dubs will probably finish lower than fourth, but even in such a classification there is apt to be come poor guessing. Many things enter into » championship campaign that the spring doplsters as a general rule overlook. They seldom figure on accidents and illness, and they pay little attention to the breaks in baseball luck which cut a big figure in every pennant race. “I notice a so-called eastern expert has placed Pittsburgh! the second division. His' argument is that Clarke, Leach and WagnerV being old players, are bound to slump, and slump badly, and he adds that if G<b

son meets with an accident the club will be in distress. He’s simply takng undue liberties with the ‘IT deck. Of course, ’if’ the four players he mentions fail to play up to form, or for one reason or another of the game, the Pirates will be seriously crippled; but, on the other hand, ’if* they deliver the goods like they have been doing thus far, the dub that wins the National league' pennant will have to beat the Buccanenfc So there you are. It is pure foil/for anybody to try to pick winners in spring, and it’s absurd for any manager to claim the pennant before the season starts.” \

Bobby Byrne."