New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-04-05
Rain Falls and Clash Be-
tween Robins and Yankees
Is Postponed Until
To-day.
Bv GRANTLAND RICE.

Since Unto each life some rain must
fall."as Mr. Longfelow so gracefully an
nounced the postponing Of ball game,
IL is much better TO have the moisture
exude now than on or after April II,
when the regular show will be In or
der.
Yesterdays rain that kept the Yanks
and Dodgers apart was a depressing
affair 10 many. and yet II had one very
fine adjunct viz, there was no double
header attached. So why not begin
cheering over the good that resulted
and forget the rest of il?
II yesterdays ftful weather subsidies
by this afternoon the same clubs will
open the exhibition season at Ebbets
Field, with Fisher and Heating oppos
ing Smith and Marauard. II the
weather doesn't subside there will still
be no doubleheader TO face. which is
something. In either case there will
be a cheerful side TO consider. with a
number OF days left on the playing cal
endar before October 6 reports in the
offing.
While the rain was in progress Man
agcr Donovan sat in his Office az Amer
lean League headquarters shutting q
number Of cards On each card was writ
ten the name Of young pitcher. and
the moro Bill shuffled the worse the
tangle grew.
The job Of picking his pitchers this
season has Smiling Bill on the verge
of committing hari-kari. Here is the
situation he desires 10 carry eight
men after May. To start with he has
Caldwell. Fisher. Heating. SIawkey,
Cullon and Mogridge. This leaves two
places for Love. Shocker, Piercey, Rus
sell. Triple and Markle, who are still
with the cast. Four of these six-or
at leas. three must be discarded. and
most of them look TO be so we'll matched
that only guess can deliver the an
swer.
81 had planned to keep only two left
handlers Cullop and Mogridge." said
Donovan, but Love has shown me so
much stuff can't afford TO let him go.
lie has fast ball tfat Compares very
well with Johnson's; he has control.
and he knows how to pitch"
Love is the tallest pitcher ever de-
posted in the big leagues. He is s X
feet seven. exactly Jess Wizards
height. But. as he l-,ks Wizards i'm
pressive bulk, the southpaw seems even
taller. IN the act of pitching he re-
sembcs biplane tossing deadly mis-
sles down upon the foe. The retention
of Love will mean three left-handers.
but there is no reason why a winning
left-hander shouldn't be of greater
value than a losing 'ht-hander. so il
the Slim One continue. 20 show better
than some of the right-handers he will
be retained.
Smiling Bill related an incident of
the training trip which shows how high
hopes may be often dashed headong
into the grOtto.
At Huntsville. A.a.. all offer Of 800
was made by the local association TO
any Yankee who hit one Jvcr the fence.
Knowing that in sma towns the ball
parks were generally bandbox affairs,
Baker. Pipp and other sluggers on the
club had the kalc already deposited and
drawing per cen. The limit on the
I. ". lnhl forenoon VAS raised from
% 10 80 on the strength OF the extra
revenue at hand. On reaching the ball
park, the astounded players discovered
the game had been set for a l00-scre
field. where the nearest fence was over
eight hundred yards away.
Captain Pecknpaugh. who arrived
with t-'enty-two base hits and a batting
average around .4i0, believes he will
outhit his best year. when he finished
IN the vicinity Of go. Peck lost his
confidence last spring. when he plucked
but one base hit on the exhibition trip
He now believes the dust has been
wiped from his batting eye. the focus
properly adjusted, and that he can hit
with the rest of them. Confidence is a
biz factor, and Peck may be correct.