Norwich bulletin., 1916-12-23

Totals ...... 4ss 4ss 4s5 1906 MIGRANTS CUBAN TRIP
 DELAYED BY CONTRACTS Giant Manager Left to Fix Up Pay
 roII-Good Pitching Staff Next Year.
 Manager John J. McGraw, of the Giants, is as busy as a bird pup in a terms of the unsigned 1917 National Leaguers of this village. Harry N. Hampstead, president of the club, passed the buck to John as he ducked for his Indianapolis home to spend the holidays. So soon as McGraw straight ems out the payroll of 1917 hs may take a vacation on his own hook. lie will go to Cuba with Traffic Manager Eddie Brannick for a month or more of golf and racing. Mack hopes to be able to skip soon after Christmas.
 I'm mighty sorry,' said McGraw, when disturbed at his labors yesterday. that all the critics are picking the Giants to gallop off with the 1917 pen nant. That is bad dope, for it carries a curse. There never was a team that shaped up better, to my mind as a real champion than the Giants of 1906.
 We had just won two straight pen nants, and had just walloped the Ath- letics in the worlds championship. Matty was in his prime; Joe McGin- nity was at his best. We had a vet eran team apparently at the height of it's power. That team, aided and abet- ted by sickness and injury, went 10 pieces over night. The veterans went to seed. We were: left with a dead horse on our hands. >
 coss Had Worn Out
 The same ;tl1inghappened again in oft consecutive pennants. : Every one con- ceded us a walkover. Boston came through with three pitchers to one of the greatest triumphs of all history Several cogs of the Giant machine had worn out. I spent year in rebuilding my fences. I thought last spring when my club won seventeen straight was on the way. But l was mistaken. Later on we won twenty-s six in games in row, ye tfailed to improve our standing in the race.
 | 'I never lost faith in last years club,' MVGraW went on, till we had bee nmathematically counted out. gave up in the last series at Brooklyn No one can convince me that my club especially as it finished the season, was not the very best in the National League last year.
 we should be stronger starting out next time," unused McGraw, than we were at the finsh of the last campaign l have hopes of weaning Tillie Shafar back. I have a lot of promising young material to try at Marlin. But to pre- dict a pennant for the Giants? Not me. I'm through with predictions.
 At that I think I have the best club in the league,'' McGraw de- clared, emphatically. Certainly have by far the best outside the battery po- sitions. I have hopes that both my pitchers and catchers through 1917 will prove the equal of any opposition. If they do the race is in, for the de- fensive strength of the battery forces Is more than half the battle. Witness the success of the Boston Red Sox these lasttwo years.''
 McGraw was pinned down to a dis seration on his battery strength.
 Excellent Pitcher.
 '.No manager ever got better pitch ing through the last few weeks of the season than myself last fall,' Mac ad- mitted. But can I expect the veterans of my staff to start in next string where they left off last fall? Unusual ly provoking weather hampered hem a year ago. But in the meantime we must rest, in a measure out hopes in the abaliity of the most promising re- cruits.
 "Ferdie Schupp, our sensational southpaw, is the only kind of the yell low southpaw, is the only kid of the veteran staff of pitchers. Benton, Sal lee, Tesreau, Anderson and Perritt all need time and hot weather to show at their best. am lucky enough to have one or two of the new men hit an early pace all will be we'll,
 Not in ten years has McGraw bet ter provided with new pitching ma terial. Bill Clymer, who has won more minor league pennants than an other man, declared McGraw, picked up in Jimmy Middleton the very best 1916 product of the brush. Middleton won a pennant for Louisville. He is well put up young right handler, above av- an exceptionally clever curve ball. Middleton is said to resemble Leon Ames in style. As a Giant Ames was a pitching classic in all save luck.
 Mac has another alleged ohenom in line in the person of Causey, with Waco, of the Texas league, last sea- son. Causey is 8. southpaw. He won two thirds of his games. Bill Ritter will be back again. He was a most to Rochester last spring. There he in jured his arm. He was transferred 70 Louisville under this handi >ap, and late in the season came back to the Giants. Ritter appears to have com pletely recovered. Another yo'1ngster well regarded by McGraw was with the Giants most of last season. This is George Smith, the sensational Co., lunbia pitcher. Smith in looks, style and action greatly resembles christy Mathewson when he broke in as boy under Horace Fergel. Outside these pitchers, more or less familiar to Polo Grounds fans, Mo- Graw will toy with three additional prospects who may or may not be ripe