Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1917-02-15
NJ GRAW'S ADVICE
AIDS BENNY KAUFF.
FORMER FED" STAR FAILED To
SHOW CLASS IN MAJOR LEAGUE
--SiANTs, MANAGER TEACHES
him HOW 70 HIT.

NEW YORK. Feb. i5.--Benny Kauf'
has returned to Broadway,
He is spending the tail end Of the
OF season In New York, waiting for
The time when John McCiraw will give
the Giants the sign to hike for Marlin
and the spring training stunts which
will iron out the kinks of long win
ter.
There is no change in Benny He
IL the same frank, cheerful little per-
con that baseball fans have known
elnce the advent OF the Federal
League. and he Is just as optimistic
~ ever.
But Benny isn't running wild with
the optimistic stuff. Fact is, he has
never been inclined to overdo the
thing. He was simply misquoted and
miarepresented when he entered the
ranks OF National leaguers as a mem
Der Of the Giants. And the result was
that too much was expected of him
BY the baseball public.
There was no use for Kauff to at.
tempt to defend himself against mis-
representations. The only way he
bad open was thru the medium of
bic willow bat, and because he found
the. pitching tricky in the National
league the fans called him bloomer.
Last season Kauff failed to break
into the 900 class. He was handicap
ped with the knowledge that the base
ball public expected wonderful things
OF him, and he was over anxious. But
the long months OF winter have had
their effect In wearing out the com
ment about Benny, and he expects to
start the season OF 1917 under vastly
different conditions.
Benny knows he has good many
things TO learn about inside baseball,
and he admits Il. All he wants Is TO
be'ieft alone. He has stood for his
share Of panning and he stood It with
eommendable spirit But now the
planning days appear to be over, SO
don't be surprised to see Kauff mum.
hered among the big clouters Of the
NAticdai league next summer.
John 'McGrsw has world OF con.
hdence In Kauff He believes Benny
VII show big Improvement this sea.
son. and whenever McGraw sets his
mind o. anything he ID a. hard to
change - century note In 1 SHIN.
ink parlor. !,
~ And Benny's attitude q Z member
q the Giants has done much to con.
vince McGraw.
In the Federai league Kaufr found
me pitchers I cinch. None Of the
chuckers had anything that fooled
kAuR more than once and they either
qid not try to stpdy him or were not
eood enough to keep the ball out Of
Bcnny's groove. In the major league
kauif found the pitching different.
and his eagerness to hit caused him
70 swing at anything that looked as
tho II was coming across the platter,
finally, when kauff found that lie
was falling at tho bat ne took hi,
troubles to McGraw. He wanted adj.
vice and he got 1t. plenty Of 1t, with
Inc result that he turned up toward
the end OF last season a much chang.
o. patsman. Benny used to be too
nervous at the plato, He didn't make
'ne pitchers work He simply tried
70 murder tho best OF an assortment
~ shoots that were thrown to him.
a4eGraw taught him to wait EN- out.
ard Bcnny's hitting began to improve
"A The trlumphal day OF last season
ipr Kanff was that day In September
wpen no made two home runs In
oouple-beader at the Polo grounds. He
finished tho season hitting .2s4 and
stole forty bases for the Giants. This
year. With confidence in McGraw's
iappN'ty TO steer him right and with
We baseball fans moro lenient. Kaur
should show his true worth on tho
ball field.
M4.