New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-10-29
BALL SEASONS LESSONS
Glance at Diamond Annals of
1911 Brings Much Cheer.
GIANTS CLASS OF A LEAGUE
Should Be Materially Stronger
Next Year - Another
Pitcher Needed.

Ihe last SAD rites have been road oY.r
tho baseball season Of 1911. ard uost.rn,r.
toms are of little yalup except =. they give
a llao On the prospects for another year
TIE Giants. while they lot tho woyd's
championship. proved that they Wcre tie
class Of the National League young and
inexperienced team was pittod Against au.
other Young team which had aircady woa
Us spurs The result was not totally uncx-
pected by many. although projudired o.
servers I'm New York allowed sentiment o
sway them and picked McGraws men ID
beat the Athletics. The seres as whole
was far from being a rout. ard the new
machine which the Little Napoleon h4s
built up gives promise OF greater strenctl
I'm the future. The New York players made
a game fight and deserve much credit
As Connie Mack freely admitted few
days ago, McGraw has the makings of a
wonderful machine in the Giants. The
talent Is there and another season ought
TO bring-it out in full bloom. Meyers I'M
Iroved SO much this year that every critic
f. ready 10 admit that he IL one OF the
greatest catchers I'm the game Fred Mer-
blc at first base also showed vast improve
ment until he has sllenced all who criii-
nothing need be said After his brilliant
work during the season he played the best
hall OF any Of the Giants In the worlds
series and ranks with Eddie Collins az the
two best second basemen Of the dsy.
Fletcher. the Youngest man in the nfed
y it'll only half a seasons experience a. A
Zig league player, will undoubtedly show
great improvement next year, while Charlie
Herzog fills Arthur Deylin's place at third
in a manner that leaves nothing 10 be
desired. The New York infeld played to-
eether only during the last half Of the
season. but IN that time it became the
be ST I'm the National League The men are
all young and certain TO improve so that
next year. McGraw will have an inneld that
Will he at least the equal OF the brilliant
combination Of the Athletics. Doyle,
Fletcher and Hcrzog are all natural 80
hltters, although the last two fell far be-
low that average in the worlds series. Mer-
kle Is q good and powerful batter
The outfeld prese different propo-
sition. and change may have 10 be made.
Devore. with his speed in base running and
covering ground as well as his timely hit
ting il a valuable man. lie does not get
tC first as often as he ought TO- however
and his great weakness against southpaW
ritchers detracts considerably from his
value to the team. Neither Is ne a star
hitter. but his other qualifications give nm
the call. Snodgrass and Murray are hai!
10 place The former seems 10 be still
basking I'm the l1ht OF the hitting squirt he
bad I'm 1910, when he gave Ty Cobb race
for the automobile After taking slump
his batting has been little more than
mediocre McGraw. however taking INTO
consideration the hitting streak he once
had will cling to Snodgrass until No -
thoroughly convinced that his former PROV
ess with the stick was only flash IN mo
pan Fred Is liable to start hitting the
| ball again Just as he did In 1910 In tho
meantime he is a food fielder, and gets on
the bases oftener than any other player
He has an uncanny way Of drawing passes
and being hit with the ball so he gets IN
first In one way or another in nearly every
game There is no other player on tle
team, however, who gets caught OF hr't
and second more often than Snodgrass, ana
this detracts considerably from his ability
70 get on the bags.
Murray has proved more or less OF r
failure as a cleanup hitter since ne has
been with the Giants. His poor work IN
the worlds series came as climax to
more or less unsatisfactory season. Mur-
rav's overanxiety to wallop the ball makes
him an easy mark for pitchers when there
are men on the bases. As result the hltS
| that Murray makes are very rarely OF 4
timely nature Most Of his safeues are
| made when there are none on the bags, YET
his position in the batting order Is that OF
the player who is theoretically supposed ID
score the three men preceding him. "hose
| business ii is to get on. Merkle mas the
same tendency in d lesser degree ana con-
sequently the efforts Of Devore ana Doyie
| in getting to first go for naught heu'
while having a wonderful throwing arm
and being accurate on fly balls, is weak on
grounders 10 the outfeld He showed con-
! siderable Improvement, however, in this
| line during the season.
If McGraw should pick up good out
fielder among the recruits next spring Mur-
ray would probably lose his job. At pres
emit. however. there is no one 10 take ms
place. The New York manager benchel
! Red" for two weeks during the season
and gave Becker chance 10 make Soo"'
| Beals proved to be a poorer hitter IN
pinch than Murray. and soon dropped out
Of sight again
| As far as the catching department goes
the Giants are well off Meyers Is a star
and can do most Of the work, while wilson
has made good both IN hitting and receive
| ing. All he needs is experience. Hartley
| is youngster that will bear watching
The pitching staff may give some trouble
and IL looks now as though McGraw needs
another good twirler Whether Mathe"son
has gone back completely only another sea-
son will tell. What the Athletics did 10 the
curves of Marauard. Ames and Niltse IN
the last game Of the worlds series, how
ever only made Matty's brilliant work n
three games stand out the more prom
inently. ON mature delberauon Ma''S
pitched wonderful hall. although he lost
| 1t is doubtful If any other pitcher IN elthsr
league could have done as well against tne
| team OF sluggers he faced. big SIX Only
needed a handful Of runs to win all three
games ne twirled. oIt his teammates were
unable to produce them, and he lost.
Wiltse. great a southpaw he has BEEN
is too fraH in build to last much longer
and cannot be depended upon to DO mu'"
next year. Marquard however ous"
shine. BY taking his regular turn III '.e
box from the beginning 70 the ehd VI ',Io
season he will not be oyerworked ~ Nc
WAS during the middle af the champlonshIP
race this year. and consequently VIII oe
more effective all through the series Ihe's
| Is no reason TO believe that Ames ana
/ la
| this year Drucke may be Just '"e Sc
that is needed to make another 'h"''p'o'
ship certain. The younsster ala p'o'','s'"9