The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-02-28
HOW WILL MATTY, MAGEE AND KaUFF
 FARE THIS SEASON?

New York, Feb. 28--Presumably the success of the retail matters 1s1s fall season in New York is going to be predicated upon three more or less opposite questions. Somewhat in the order of their importance they are:
 Will Matty come back?
 2. WIFI Lee NIagee hit .2SO or more with the Yankees?
 5 3. will Benny Kauf hit .31O or more in the National League?
 One may find the affirmative and negative sides of these highly acad- e1nic propositions hacked. .>not only by wherever the diamond virus has be gun asserting itself.
 ..Matty will. come back declared a gentleman into whose voice crept an unhafstaka.b1e challenge in the Giants office yesterday
 sThey never do,'' returned an au- ditor, disrna1ly.
 He pointed out the fact that Chica- go had waited patiently as a subway passenger for a seat, in the hope that Ed Walsh would come back. And did walsh come back? Not so far as MT Spalding's impeeca.bIe guide was able to discover.
 There was this difference, though, Big Ed f1ippeds his wing into the baseball rnorgue by the use of the spit ball. Matty, however, never had de1ved into the study of hydraRe lies as applied to horse leather. Therefore, Matty would come back. whereas Walsh couldn't.
 Matty was a pitching exception, and he may continue to be so much so that he can jump backsfnto the win ming pitcher list against the laws of averages and experts. Much of Ma tn hewson's success during the last few. seasons may have been based upon the traditions surrounding the mere name.$ Big league bats have separ- ated Matty from that psychological advantage a Weak hitters have had good days off Matty. Confidence is now on their side Matty's way back is adrnitetd1y 3, path of thorns.
 q was talking to Benny Kauf the other day. said a scribe. Benny said: And SO they think Magee will hit 300 in the American league. Oh. my! Listen! Magee won't Init .275 in the American league. On the level, they gave him hits in Brooklyn last year when he could have been thrown ouE by Mrs. Pankhurst. I seen Magee hit 'em to an 1nhe1der on one hop and be credited with hits when the infielder began stealing Fields stuff. If Magee hit .33o, I hit .5so.'',
 Benny's monologue might be dis caTQ0O dS pur0iy dh 0A-pdIl0 Op1H- ion,s and not very chubby one at that, were it not for the fact that he is backed by statistics. Records fail | to show that Magee ever hit 300 in the National league. admittedly am easier league to slam in than the American! Magee was a s260-280 hitter in the National league and never accounted of the Wal1oping type. He was, and is, a turnover hitter, and the power was lacking in the (1eft shoulder, as it is with so many batters who affect a footed stance that they may reach first base more 4ruiclz1y.
 tfBut.'' Ed Koney said some time ago, ''Magee, in all his career, never. has hit so. terrifca11y against left handed pitching as he did in the Ma ,tionaT league. He simply murdered the southpaws."
 Aside from Magee's ability. or lack of it, to hit 300 in the American league, he will be valuatbIe in the col 1nan of aggression. If he hits .275 he will be of great value to the Yan- kees, for he is dangerous man once abase. Magee will be a bigger equa- ton with the Tanks than the mere figures will show.