The Washington herald., 1917-02-18
KAUFF'S OPTIMISM
REMAINS UNSHAKEN
Federal Star Still Believes He Is Ty
Cobb's Superior.

New York. Feb. 17.-Benny KauT has
returned to Broadway.
He is spending the tail end of the of
season in New York, waiting for the time
when John McGraw will give the Giants
the sign to hike for Marlin and the spring
training stunts which will iron out the
kinks Of a long winter.
There Is no change In Benny. He is the
same frank. cheerful little person that
baseball fans have known since the ad-
vent of the Federal League, and he is
just as optimistic as 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 misrepresented
when he entered the ranks of National
Leaguers as a member Of the Giants And
the result was that too much was ex-
pected OF him by the baseball public.
There was no use for Kauff to attempt
TO defend himself against misrepresenta-
tions. The only way he had open was
through the medium of his 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 800 class. He was handicapped with
the knowledge that the baseball public
expected wonderful things OF him; and
he was overanxious. But the long
months OF winter have had their effect
in wearing out the comment about Benny,
and he expects to start the season OF 1911
under vastly different conditions.
Benny knows he has good many things
to learn about inside baseball, and he sd-
mits II. All he wants is to be left alone.
He has stood It with commendable spirit
But now the panning days appear to be
over. so don't be surprised to see Kauff
numbered among the big clouters of the
National League next summer.
John McGraw has a world Of confidence
in Kauff. He believes Benny will show a
big improvement this season. and when
ever McGraw sets his mind on anything
he is as hard to change as century note
In shining parlor.
And Benny's attitude as a member of
the Giants has done much to convince
McGraw.
In the Federal League Kaufr found the
pitchers a cinch. None OF the chuckers
had anything that fooled Kaufr more
than once and they either did not try to
study him or were not good enough to
, keep the ball out OF Benny's groove. In
the major league Kaufr found the pitch
ing different and his eagerness to hir
caused him to swing at anything that
looked as though 1t was coming across
the platter.
Finally, when Kaur found that he was
failing at the bat he took his troubles to
McGraw. He wanted advice and he got
1t, plenty OF 1t, with the result that he
turned up toward the end OF last season
much changed batsman. Benny used
to be too nervous at the plate. He didn't
make the pitchers work. He simply tried
to murder the best of an assortment of
shoots that were thrown to him. Nc
Graw taught him to wait 'em out, and
Z u ~ fVrNr
The triumphal day of last season for
Kaufr was that day in September when
he made two home runs in a double
header at the Polo Grounds. He finished
the season hitting .2S4 and stole forty
bases for the Giants. This year, with con-
fidence in McGraw's ability to steer him
right and with the baseball fans more
lenient. Kauff should show his true worth
on the ball field