The sun., 1916-12-10
GIANTS IN NEED
OF NEW PLAYERS
Youngsters TO Have Big OppOr-
tunity with McGraw's Team
Next Spring.
THORPE MAY BE BACK
~ sHOnTsTOr.

~ SNONTSTOp.
Despite that on paper the 1917 Giants
look as though they will walk right
through the National League. there
seems TO be more nance for young play
err making the team next spring than
Tor many seasons.
There 10 not q vacancy on the regular
squad which Is in doubt. unless II he in
the pitching department. Burns. kauff
and Robertson are certain to start the
season In the outheid. while few mana
gsrs would feel blue IL an inheld con-
eisting Of Zimmerman. Fletcher. Herzog
and Holke was dropped into . Christ
mss stocking. McCarty and Rariden
Vill do the bulk Of the catching. while
he pitching stan will again be built
around Schupp. Sallee. Benton. Tesreau.
Yerritt and possibly Anderson.
II wouldn't seem as though there wal
much Of q a for a ~youngster to
horn In on that team. But let us leave
the Giants a moment and look into the
other ramp. Last season at one stretch
the Yankees lost the services OF Third
Baseman Baker. Outhelders Maisel. Gil
hooley. Magee and High. Second Base
man Gedeon. Catcher Nunamaker. and
Pitchers Mogridge. Cullop. Caldwell and
Fisher.
II IL unlikely that another club will
encounter such a string OF calam'ties for
many moons. but just suppose the Giants
1ost zimmerman. HerxoG. Burns. kaun.
Robertson, McCarty. Schupp. Sallee.
fssreau and Perritt at one stretch.
Where would they be:
Yankee Reserves stronG.
The Yankees had the good fortune to
nave Baumann. Mullen. Boone. Miller.
Oldr.nr, Aragon. Russell. Shocker and
Alexander to throw into the wide gaps.
and for quito a stretch these utility men
carried the club along. In fact II Ia the
opinion OF Capt. Huston that had Cald-
well remained with the club and pitched
the ball ne Ia capable Of. II could have
won the pennants despite Its mis-
fortunes.
But the Giants have practically no re-
serve. And u always has been John
McGraw's motto: "a team IL only a.
strong a. its substitutes" Owing to
the skinny twenty-one player limit the
Giants were able to get by with poor
substitute material last season. For
tunateiy McGraw encountered no out.
s,eld trouble. for after Roush was re-
leased TO Cincinnati in the Herzog deal
he only had George Kelly for a suburban
reserve.
Whether Kelly will ever come through
Sheraton will not venture TO say. Me-
Graw has hopes. However. his two
year batting average with the Giants
10 so small you can scarcely see II with
the naked eye. There IL one thin TO ne
eaid In Kelly's favor, lie IL consistent.
in 1916 he acquired a batting average OF
. .l5S in - games. Last season ne ar
rived at the came result In ~ games.
- 49, sr~ sAaanns ka has made - nlt9
in IS games. Naturally a man with
such awaiting proclivities would hardly
be Of much help II a player like Rob-
ortson, KaufY or Burns was hurt
Few ~Injsries on Giants.
Thu Giant. also had the good luck to
N through the season without any Sc
rious inheid injuries. Fletcher was OUT
FOR a few weeks, and the veteran Mickey
Doolan filed In fairly we'll. Hans l-o-
bert, formerly one Of the games leading
inaelder.. was out Of the game much
Of the time. and he has slowed up most
p~erceptibly.
Bradley Kocher. who was second
q catcher until McCarty was procured
from Brooklyn late in the season In the
Nerkle trade. was a weak member ana
after Rariden met with an injury ne ie'i
down badly. His catching was hardly
nm 10 the standard, and he hit only .los
IN ~ games.
II IL unlikely that the club will again
tempt fate to get by with such a poor
string OF substitutes. For that reason
4. should be a great spring Tor G'ant
kids I'm Marlin. They will know In ad-
vance that there will be something 10
fight for. Another thing In favor OF the
rockies Is the fact that he Nationai
League Is almost certain to raise ns
mayer limit. which will permit McGra"
20 carry more reserves.
II NcGraw's present plans go r!gh'
ne will have two high class men tor
outncld and inield duty. especially IN
Aeld. lie has sent Tilly Shafer an IN
yI,ation to rejoin the team. and II he
does Il will be to act as utility man
NcC;raw does not know whether there
in any chance Of the Californian accept
ing. but when ShRfer was In town las'
summer he practiced before games OF
the Polo Grounds and appeared TO relish
Il keenly.
Thorpe 10 Re Back.
For his first outheld utility man Nc
Graw Is depending on none other thar
Jim Thorpe. the great all around lndiar
athlete. McGraw Is convinced tina
Thorpe is now ready. lie had a grea
season In The American Association
lie hit above 800 and led the league II
stolen bases. lie also has overcome hi
former main weakness-inability 10 hi
left handlers. and batted the southpaw WI
as hard last season as the right hand
ers.
I.obert's high s~alaried war %contrsc
still has a year to run and he will b.
carried next season, His worth TO tn,
team hinges on how his legs hold up
but they were stronger last fall thar
in the sprinG.
The most promising %youngster picked
up by the club Is Ross Young. accord
ing TO Secretary Foster. lie has bee,
purchased from the Sherman Texa
League team. and plays either the out
fieid or the inneld. Foster says he 4
only a kid. but il a natural ball playe
who appears to have a big future.
Two new players procured from
Omaha, in the Western League. look Il
have splendid chance OF sticking. The,
are ShortstOp Killduff and Catche
Erueger. There would be little chsnc
for kil!dun II Shafcr decided to return
hut that IL only a possibility. In tn
Western League he was rated az y re
maikahlc fielder, Kruger Is coming u
for afr for the third time. lie il
"hcar' in the minors, but could sho,
lothink with Cleveland Or the Yankee,
However, he may now bc ripe. and h
has not u hard man to beat out /
kochcr.