Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-07-17

"TXTHAT do you think Of the Mack re.
w cruits and do you think there are
any future Collinses, Barrys Bakers
Planks or Benders in the crop the Athle-
tics have been trying out?" asks group OF
fans who sign themselves The Kensing-
tonians."
It seems that this same question has been
asked thousands Of times recently and 1t APP
pears to be the leading topic among the
fans excepting the usual, How did the
Phils make out today? There Is little
doubt but that the fans are very much in
terested In Mack's process of building new
ball team despite the fact that the attend
ance at the games at Shibe Park has been
below the major league standard,
AS to answering the questions 1t really
is n trife early when one considers that
Plank and Bender were the only members
of Mack's famous team who showed any
thing out of the ordinary In their first sea-
son In the American League and the FORMER
was decidedly green.
Bender was perhaps the greatest hrst-
season performer Of ALL the famous indian
being the best critical-game pitcher on tho
team in his very first season, while his two
great worlds series games against the
Giants proved conclusively that he was thetl
q finished pitcher
The Indian beat Joe McGipnlty to IN
the only game won by the Mackmen IN
that memorable series and only lost his
second duel to the greatest OF all iron
and Danny Murphy made costly misplays:
None of the other members OF the IA
nous Mack team, who are now playing
elsewhere, showed real ability until theS
had been with the team for two years, so
it may be a trifle too soon to tell just now
far the youngsters are capable of going
Have Not Shown Much
On what they have shown to date ono
would hardly call any of the recruits Col
In l.
ready has decided that a few of his new
crop will not do. but he has two or three
excellent prospects.
Taking the inflelders, we would say that
King is not up 70 the mark, at least as an
infelder He looks like n player who may
develop into a mighty good hitter, and II he
does he has n chance for an outfeld posi-
tion King Is fast on his feet, has plenty of
fight and ambition and is an unusually
bright youngster, but as an intelder ls shy
of the mark.
Rowe the other thlrd-base candidate, is
our nomination as the best of the large
number of recruits being tried out. rms
lanlSy youngster is so inexperienced and
backward, however, that he probably Will be
the last to show his real form.
Modern baseball has reached stage
where It is game OF pitching and the
"punch," plus the usual amount OF gray
matter and the major league fielding stan
dard, and Rowe is the one recruit with
rear puIlCI ~ IMAM wiz iSttNh~o '"NN S''
bunts and short singles is going to worry
the opposing team and is of great value
but 1t Is the slugger like Cobb, Speaker
jackson, Collins, Baker, Pipp, Cravath
Luderus, Zimmerman, Schultz Williams,
Magee, Wagner Doyle. Robertson. Daubert
and Wheat who wins ball games and wrecks
the opposition pitching staff.
Rowe Best Prospect
Rowe is facing pitching unlike anything
he has ever seen. and he cannot gauge 1t
we'll enough to take IA long, healthy cut at
the ball just now, but he is going to be
slugger of the Baker type in II year or so.
The lad will be slow coming. but he VIII
be there. You can't keep natural hitter
in the background long He also is one
youngster who might be benefited by year
in a minor league, so that he could be
brought up to the point Of swinging natur
ally at major league pitching.
Mack and his players are very much i'm
pressed with Lawry, but to date he has
not looked very good and has fallen shy
of the mark. Too much was expected of
Lawry. He reported in poor shape, and
must be given plenty of time to find him
self
Lawry has looked better each time out.
and as he is extremely fast, even in his
weakened condition, and a smooth fielder.
he should come through in fine style along
toward the end of the season. He also ap-
pears to be finding n great difference in
college and major league pitching. and has