East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1915-05-07
BLAME FOR POOR SHAPE
OF GIANTS is SOUGHT
BASEBALL FANS IN HEATED DIS
CUsSIoN-TRAINING CAMP
BELIEVED CAUSE.
BY HAL SHERIDAN.
(Written for the United Press

(Wrltten Tor the United Press.
NEW YORK, May New York
baseball fans are lndulging in heated
arguments over the all important and
absorbing question of whether the
cause Of the Giants poor condition can
be traced back to the training camp.
1t would seem, from appearance any
way, that this Is at least a contrlbu-
, tory cause, for while the former dia-
mond idols of New York fandom have
been llmplng along the baseball high
way the Yankees have been within
walking distance of the top of their
league on quite a few occasions. The
Yankees performances indicate that
their severe spring training is showing
in the position they occupy In the
standing of the clubs of the American
League
In all the winter league dope" the
Giants were rated as sure contenders
for the big flag right from the start
of the season. Then came the spring
training period and from the sport
scrihes travelling with McGraw's men
came glowing accounts Of the Giants
being in the pink OF condition. How
ever, when the Giants returned to
their old home town the baseball fans
soon saw that there wasn't even a
shadow of color in the former cham
pions' playing condition.
OF course the Giants had a big
bunch Of hard luck at their training
quarters, Wet grounds often kept
them for days without regular field
practice at Marlin and warm, sun.
ny day was a rarity Hotel armchalr
practice don't help much in the grand
old game. OF the month spent in
the sometimes sunny south less than
one-third of this time was really base
ball weather. And not even these days
which could be called ideal baseball
days were punched near enough to-
gether to make them worth thinking
! twice about
When the pitchers needed warmth
and sunshine at Marlin the weather
man served cooling breezes and cloudy
skies. The pitchers did not have
enough good days to get their arms In
any kind of shape and the games since
the opening show the result. Hot
weather is what the Giant pitchers
thrive on.
But admirers of the Giants say the
McGraw men have not yet struck
their stride. And when they do, look
out for their dust! The MeGraw ma
chimes. 1915 model. has less working
parts than the old champion style
machine. thanks to the national COM
mission, but followers of the Giants
will not admit fewer men have weak
ened the team. On May /, McGraw
trimmed his team right down to the
bone, letting five promising recruits
loose on that date. And what re-
mains of the Giants force is all meat
there's no excess baggage to be
Pullmaned half across the continent.
The argument is frequently heard
that the Giants need reinfOrcements
and not reductions Of their playing
+ talet. but this is beside the point
None of the men who were divorced
from the Giant squad this year, be-
cause of the limited player rule, could
have aided the team to any material
extent this season. Probably not 2
single one would have ever batted
ball in a regular game.
4 They showed a flash of brilliant
form at the opening. Since then they
have been coasting. But New YorH
|. fandon is not discouraged. The Gil
ants, after all, are New York's base
ball idols and the man in the stree
never loses faith in the gods.