All Ex-Pirates Now Secure in Cardinal Coral
February 1, 1914 Age 23
By W. J. O’Connor, St Louis Post Dispatch
When the signed contract of Rube Robinson, the wrong-handed hurler, was salted in a safe at Robison Field yesterday afternoon, President Schuyler Britton of the Cardinals sank into his swivel chair and gasped faintly:
“It looks like first division.”
Schuyler was born an optimist. But with all five of the Pirates who were secured in the trade for Mowrey. Koney and Harmon, now under contract, he feels that there remains no obstacle in the Cardinals’ blazed trail to the first division berth, so long sought.
Schuyler allows as how Brooklyn, without Tinker, Moran and Ylngling. who always had a Chinese sign on the Cards, cannot hope to finish higher than eighth while he believes that Philadelphia, riddled by the law breaking Federals, will probably trail in the dust of the rebuilt machine which Pilot Huggins will steer In the N. L. endurance test.
Who Can Explain It ?
The biggest mystery In baseball to Mr. Britton is how the Braves managed to finish ahead of the Cards last season. He confidently expects Stallings’ men to hit their stride the coming season and run no better than seventh. The other second division team, to Mr. Britton’s clearly-defined vision, just at present, is Cincinnati. The Reds are sparkless and with a new manager surely will hobnob with the proletariat in the lower tier of Tener’s plant.
Having decided that Philadelphia, Boston, Cincinnati and Brooklyn will compose the second division next October, Britton believes, that the Cardinals will force the fighting with Chicago and Pittsburgh against the gallant Giants.
His reasons are:
“We have rid our team of malcontents; Huggins has the defined ideas which a second-year manager should have, while I expect great things of three young pitchers – Perritt, Doak and Robinson.”
Griner Wants More Money.
Britton then let it be known that Dan Griner, the big blond from Tennessee, was a holdout, but this balky Individual hasn’t caused a ripple of worry in the placid brow of the local magnate. Another holdout is George Bostick Whitted, the noted baritone from Durham. N. C, while still another is Deacon Hildebrand, who doesn’t Chew, drink or smoke or use bad language. Hildebrand will try fancy work with the crochet needle if his terms are not met by the local club.
Manager Huggins is due to return to his desk at Vandeventer Avenue and Natural Bridge road this week and earn his salary. He has a few details to work out before the training season opens, while it’s barely possible that he will go to New York Feb. 12 for the annual N. L. confab.
With Col. Hedges in Pittsburg yesterday, there was little doing around the local A. L. headquarters. Manager Rickey rushed into his private den, slammed down his desk precisely at 10:30 a. m. and said he was through for the day. Reason: There’s an eight-pound boy at the Rickey domicile.