New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-03-02
WILD BILL HAS
FORTY-FIVE VTEN
OUT ON DIAMOND
Johnny Evers Takes Peep
at Yankee Flock and
LaudS Lee Magee.
Bv GRA\TLA\D RICE


Macon. Ga. March / Most kids re-
call the heavy anguish involved in at
tempting TO watch the complete opera
lions of thrce-ring circus. ihcie Pcs
ALWAYS the brooding thought that tho
other two rings are offering the bcsi
stuff while the one you arc facing a
running a poor third.
Trying TO watch an three rings a.
one and the same time ls easy Tor =
one-eyed infant compared 20 the JOB
Of trying to inspect this army corps of
Bill Donovan. When you toss 1tc-hal
clubs. forty-hyc earnest athletes, INTO
one park in a medley OF pitching. bat
ting. fielding. bunting and the rest ~
il. old John Henry Argus himself would
be overworkcd ad lrazzled DO q spec
tatorial role.
We tried u alone in tho forenoon,
when the sky was blue and the sun WAS
mink and warm. We came near wrench
ing our cyeballs out boo quick shift
from Lee Hagee 10 Nick Cullop aud
from Cullop 10 eight or ten others. -
m the afternoon wo subpTnacd John
J. Evcrs, OF Troy. y. Y. and Boston, 20
help round up the proper dope.
There are two ball players o. this
club" said Johnny. that I hci a.
stars among several others. These two
are Lee Nagee and Walter Pipp. ! have
been watching Magcc's work for 'he
last five years. and each year he bias
improved at least 20 per cent as a ball
player. He has worked up grad ally
but surely each season until he reached
the edge Of greatness last year.
This season should End him among
tho big stars Of the game not only be-.
cause he has the stuh, bat because lc
is one Of the few ball players who are
planning and working 20 improve their
play and get somewhere. Too many
players work az random. Magoc works
with n definite goal ahead. lie isn't
wasting any foolish effort
Al this moment Wally Pipp. tho tall
first baseman. slapped one mp against
the fence on line. There another
man" said Johnny. "who Will be- a far
better ball player this year than be was
last year. played with Pipp or against
him ~ a long series OF games on our
jaunt through the West. Before that
tour was over he had corrected 4 NUM-
Der OF batting faults. and ! never saw
fellow with harder. cleaner wallOp.
Against good pitching" some ono
asked
Not very" replied Evers. "lIc was
only hitting against Alexander. Jim
Vaughn and JEFF Pfeffcr They only
won about seventy five ball games boz
The National League last season. And
he hit them all alike. saw Pipp in a
game against Vaughn. left-hanCer a.
that. hit over fence that I could
hardly see from the plate. II was the
longest wsllop ever saw, and ! have
seen one or two in my thirteen years
Of rambling from Boston 20 san Fran
cisco"
One % the main attractions - tho
days practice was the work Of Fritz
Naisel in the outdeld There were
times between rs balls when Fritz
gazed with fond remembrance toward
third base, where Lutte Boone WAS a.
work AS "A sub for Baker. but IN spite
Of that Fritz has made up his mind %
Try and learn the cutheld game.
He Us fast as a streak. has a great
arm and 10 is now merely a matter %
hos quickly he can learn 90 Judge a
Ay ball. which isn't as simple as 10
lo0ks. There are not many great out
fieldcrs IN the game only few. m
fact but in Joe Kelley the cx-third
baseman has a fine instructor. and in
Mai,el Joe viii have smart. fast,
Woodworking scholar, so the combina-
ton ought 20 produce the desired re-
suits.