Road To N.L. Pennant Goes Through The Champion Pirates.

Saturday, April 11, 1926

Champions at the Gate

The first real sign of the season came in under steam this morning.

The Pittsburgh Pirates, champions of last October, arrived in St. Louis today, stepping down from the train at Union Station with little noise and no ceremony beyond their presence. They come as the standard.

—

There is no guesswork attached to Pittsburgh.

They finished atop the National League in 1925 and carried that standing through October, defeating the Washington Senators in a seven-game World Series. They did not stumble into it. They earned it through balance, depth, and a club that does not beat itself.

Manager Bill McKechnie does not run a loud bench. His clubs are orderly, fundamentally sound, and rarely out of position. There is no wasted motion in Pittsburgh. Every man understands his role, and the club moves accordingly.

The strength begins with the bat.

At the top sits Max Carey, still among the finest center fielders in the league, combining speed with a patient eye. He sets the table and pressures defenses before the inning has settled.

Behind him, the lineup deepens quickly.

Kiki Cuyler brings both bat and legs, capable of stretching hits and turning games with a single swing.

Paul Waner, young but already proven, adds consistent contact and run production.

His brother, Lloyd Waner, gives the club additional reach in the outfield and speed on the bases.

The infield holds steady.

Glenn Wright anchors the middle with both glove and bat, while Pie Traynor remains one of the most reliable third basemen in the league—sure-handed, disciplined, and dangerous at the plate when needed.

There is no weak point carried for long in this lineup. They do not rely on one man. They move as a group.

The pitching staff does not overpower. It controls.

Ray Kremer stands at the front, a steady right-hander who wins by command rather than force.

Lee Meadows complements him with similar restraint, keeping hitters off balance and avoiding waste.

Vic Aldridge and Carmen Hill round out a staff that may not dominate in appearance but delivers results in sequence.

They do not issue free passes. They do not extend innings.

That is where Pittsburgh separates.

They field cleanly, they run when it matters, and they take advantage when opponents slip. Over a full season, those small edges accumulate into distance in the standings.

The St. Louis Cardinals will not be eased into 1926.

Rogers Hornsby and his club open against the standard of the league, a champion that returns largely intact and expects to remain where it finished.

There are no standings yet.

But the measure is already clear.

The road to the pennant still runs through Pittsburgh.

— Beat Writer Mike