The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-04-30
PlPP OF YANKEES
 PROVES BEST FIND :
 IN REGENT YEARS

New York, April 30.-Walter Pipp, first baseman of the Yankees. is one of the most remarkable players de- veloped in the last decade by the American league. Last season, while only 23 years old, this clever per former earned the home run title or his circuit and also batted in more summers. during the season than any other bali player of the Johnson or ganization. His hitting was more ef- fective than that of Iris Speaker, Ty Cobb, Joe Jackson, Eddie Collins and several others who topped him in the official averages.
 Pipp bats fourth in Bill Donovan's order. Fourth place is considered the "clean up" position. There is fine distinction when it is remembered that J. Franklin Baker, the home run king of Connie Mack's famous worlds championship pennant trust, is now a team mate of the Michigan marvel
 Pipp stands today as an example of the sound baseball sense of Manager Donovan. When Wild Bill was brought over from Providence pennant fame to assume charge of the Yankees by Messrs Ruppert and Huston, the new owners, he found that the Detroit club had given New York options on Pfpp and Hughie High. Later Detroit tried to renig. I
 Donovan stuck like a bull pup to a root, and forced the bargain through. Both Pipp and High made good, and formed a nucleus around which 1t was possible to build the present strong structure.
 Like most of the prominent Ameri~
 <Jsy K1,1f 1fnvs is left-handed batsman. He throws with his left hand, qualification re- garded as a great advantage for first base play. Pipp is a grand fielder. active, agile and certain with his hands. He is possessed of a. wonder
 full reach-he stands six feet two inches in height and weighs only 1S0 pounds.
 Pipp first attracted attention as player on the Georgetown University team in 1911 and 1912. In 1911 he took part in a few games with Kalamazoo, of the South Michigan league.
 After the college season of 1912 Pipp decided to adopt the game as his pro- fession. He went back to Kalamazoo, of the South Michigan league, where in 68 games he compiled a batting av- craze of .270. On August 29 of that year Kala mazoo, sold the young first baseman to the Detroit club of the American league.
 Pipp made the Southern training trip with the Tigers in the spring of 1913 He did not take part in enough games to qualify for the American league averages before Detroit, on July 20, sent him to it's farm at Prov tdence. Playing 14 games at first base for the Grays,. Walter hung up the fine batting average of .444, though he was so green in other respects that Provi- dence released him to Scranton, of the New York State league, on August. IA, of the same season.
 Detroit recalled Pipp at the close of the 1913 season In 1914 Pipp was again farmed out by Jennings This time he went to the Rochester club. of the International league Under John Ganzel the big fellow found himself in every sense of the word He played 154 games for the Broncos, batting .312 and stealing ,26 bases Pfpp led the league in runs batted in and in ex- tra base hits. He was recalled by De- troft on August 20, under the terms of an optional agreement
 In the winter of 1914-'15. when Messrs. Ruppert and Huston were ne- gotiating for the purchase of the Yankees from the Frank J. Farrell interests, President Ban Johnson of the American league used his infiu- ence with certain other rival club owners toward assuring the prospec- tive purchasers the opportunity to inl- prove a very bad ball club. President Frank J. Navin of the Tigers at that time gave New York options on Pipp and High.
 ? It is doubtful if Navin realized at the time what a wonderful ball player was about to escape the Tiger lair EAruneF-Wan Ads Or,<, r.o,,+ :. xx1-Ja