New-York tribune., 1911-11-16
GIANTS LEAVE FOR CUBA
MCGraw Hopes to Take Measure
of Tropical Mines.
MEN WILL PROFIT BY TRIP
New York Manager Says Expe,
rience Gained Will Help Team
in Fight Next Season.

Fourteen strong. the Giants left the
Pennsylvania station shortly after IL
o clock yesterday bound for Cuba I'm search
of more baseball honors. With Frank &.
Bancroft. secretary Of the Cincinnati Reds
as guide McGraw, Mathews0n, Wiltse,
Crandall, Becker. Paulette Doyle, Fletch-
or. Herzog, Murray. Devore, Wilson, Hart
ley and Devlin started for the Pearl of the
Antilles. Nine OF the players were accom-
panied by their wives, and special car
was engaged for their use.
The sea route to Havana held out no
inducements To- the men, because OF the
extra time taken up and the coincident NAL
de mere which might take away some OF
the pleasure Of the trip. BY going by rail
an opportunity is afforded to pick mp a
little money from exhibition games in Flor
ida, thus enabling the team TO get into
condition To meet the Cubans. Bancroft has
arranged a series Of games. the first OF
which will be played at Jacksonville. Fla,
on Friday. Miami will be the next stop,
and after a game at Key West the players
will take the boat to Havana. The hrst
game I'm Cuba will he played on November
25 with the Almendares at Havana. Inc
team will spend six weeks on the island,
plaving two games a week, and will re-
turn about Christmas.
McGpaw is anxious that the Giants give
good account of themselves He is plan
ming to drive the team at top speed and
insists that there shall be no hippodroming.
There is an incentive to do well in the
fact that the Detroit Tigers, the Ath-
Ietics. the Cincinnati Reds and the Phil
lies have made trips to Cuba, and all ex-
cept the Tigers have been soundly wal
loped. McGraw will take not j little pleas
ure in bringing the Giants through with a
good average of victories for the twelve
games played. While the team he has with
him would probably not win a National
League championship, nevertheless it Is
strong one The infleld is intact, with the
exception of Merkle and Becker, by TAX
ing Snodgrass's place In the outheld. VIII
make that combination just about as strong
as il was in the big race. With Wilson TO
catch and Matty, Wiltse and Crandall to
pitch, an even break on the trip ought to
be assured
I'VE are going down there to win all the
games we can" said McGraw, just before
the train pulled out yesterday. This Is no
pleasure trip, and the Cubans are not TO
be sneezed at. The Almendares have
pitcher in Mendez who is a wonder. Many
consider him the equal of Walter john
son. as far as speed and curves are con-
cerned. Beating him will be no child
play, but we are going to try to do it.
Il expect that the trip will be very bene-
fetal to the team. Most of the men are
young. and they need all the experience
that they can get, and | am glad OF the
opportunity to play the Cubans. They have
some good teams down there, and the men
are sure to profit by taking them on We
will arrive home In time to get a rest OF
six weeks before starting for Marlin
Springs
II expect to have the Giants in top form
70 start off the season with rush. The
combination that entered the worlds series
pIayed together only about half the season,
Fletcher and Herzog breaking up the old
infeld. That is too short a time to develop
a dependable machine, but next season 1t
ought 10 be different