The Savannah morning news., 1904-03-10
GENERAL McGRAW PREPARES FOR
FIRST sKIRMIsH OF CAMPAIGN.
MANY OLD FAV0RlTES WILL
BE SEEN AT PRACTICE.
OVERDUE MEMPHIS BROUGHT ALL
But TWO OF THE ABSENTEES.

MuEESN hOpGlul NAT MIS-
fortunes That Have Followed the
Giants Will he Overcome by the
Brilliant Collection of Rap and
Run Artists That He Has Assem-
bIed About Him at Great Cost.
New Pitching Machine Will he
Tried for the First Time To-day.
Match Game With Local Team
Saturday.
There viii be but two absent men
from the ranks of the New York
Giants when they go out for practice
this morning-Leon Ames and Jerry
Nops, both pitchers-and for the first
time "Muggsy" will start his drilling
in earnest for the hard work that is
before him, and the all-star aggrega-
ton he has assembled around him in
the mighty contest for the champion
ship honors in the greatest of all
baseball leagues.
With the addition of the sick and
dizzy ball tossers who YEARLY lolled
tdown the gang plank Of the long
overdue City of Memphis yesterday
GANrtlAgOn AAE lOHAEA Vi AlaE team -
completed. with the exception of the
two newly signed pitchers. Dummy"
Taylor was in high glee when he saw
the sprinkled gray head of Bower
man. and the broad-shouldered. deep
chested Matthewson mingiing with the
other members of the team.
The members of the team now quar-
tered at the Pulaski are: Pitchers
Taylor. McGinnity, Matthewson.
wntse and Milligan; Catchers Warner
and Bowerman; First Baseman Nc
Gam Second Basemen Gleason and
Gilbert Shortstop Dahlen; Third
Basemen Devlin. Dunn and Lauder;
Outfielders Brown. Bresnahan. Mertes
and Mccormick.
With the newly arrived members of
the team came Sam Crane of the New
York American and New York Even
ing Journal; Allan Sangree Of the New
York Globe, formerly the Commercial
Advertiser. and J. F. Hammond, rep
resenting a number of New York pa
pers, and Gus Guerrero, a once famous
foot racer. who looks after the physi-
cal condition OF the men.
Were Tired OF Water.
They were all glad to sight land
once more, and there was much steady
ing OF nerves in convenient smokers
until the entire crowd. newly arrived
and previously assembled, were soon
in the most jovial mood for the ex-
citing tales of the trip down, as re-
cited by Sam Crane.
The diamond at the Bolton Street
Park was sufficiently dry yesterday
afternoon to permit of practice among
the fourteen men already arrived. and
though the work was mainly of light
nature Manager McGraw was well
satisfied.
There is no climate in the world like
this for early practice" he said, "and
we were all able TO get good and warm
during the afternoon We win start to
work in earnest tomorrow. and 1 ex-
pect TO have the men good and hard by
the end of the week. if the weather
permits of steady practice"
The afternoon exercises consisted of
passing the ball running, and some
light exercise by the pitchers. to get
their throwing arms loosened up. and
hitting out to the outfielders After a
hard run back into the city all of the
men had a thorough rub down, and
were ready TO get good and sore before
thoroughly hardening up for the real
work that Is before them.
Real Practice Begins To-day.
To-day the entire team, with the ex-
ception of Nops and Ames, win line up
on the Bolton Street Park for the first
real hard practice. There will be moth
ing lacking to make the initial work
exciting. No man in the profession can
get more out of a ball player than
Manager McGraw and it is well worth
the price of admission to see him on
the side lines in a game. In preparing
his tho he
hibits the same energy and determina-
ton that has brought him to the top OF
the profession in which he is now a
leading figure.
while so much has been printed
about the chances of our team" said
Manager McGraw last night, ITO the
effect there was little doubt that we
would win the pennant l am not as
sanguine az many enthusiasts seem to
be. l do believe that we have the best
team it was possible TO get. and GER
tainly the best one New York has ever
had. but there is no telling what will
happen.
1T may be an off year with some oi
the men in whom we place the most re-
lance. or a serious accident may hap
pen to one or more of our most de-
pendable pitchers. l have great hopes
in the new men signed for pitching
and am well satisfied that the addition
Of left-handed men in the box will give
us certain strength against other teams
that we have not had heretofore hy
reason of the fact that we had no puz.
cling southpaws.
Getting Down to Work.
From now on" said Manager Nc
Graw, I'VE viii settle down to the
work that will bring us right up {
form for the opening of the champion.
ship season. / hope TO start the sea.
son OFF with good lead, as you ses
we are going into training much
earlier than other teams. and with tn,
series of games that l have been able
10 arrange for practice l hope to b,
On better condition when the fiks
game is played by us with Brooklyn
on opening day. l would like to stay
in Savannah until April l, but tn,
grounds here are not in shape for tn,
kind Of practice that we want. Tn,
preparations of the grounds for mex
Year. viii very seriously affect ou1
coming to Savannah again for sprinf
practices.
AS 10 the individuals on the team
there is nothing new to be said. Their,
HIVE been very few changes, anC
the new men are as yet almost UNI
tried in fast company.
'Nops is an old-timer that / know
TO be capable. He pitched on the Bal
timore team when ] was with then
and has few equals among the south
paw twirlers. / also have great faitl
In Leon Ames. The team will 20 on
at in the morning for an hour an,
half and then again In the after
noon. when they win take from TIVE