New-York tribune., 1918-03-18


gins was rubbed off the slate last night
when Derrill Pratt accepted terms to
play with the Yankees this season.
The persistency with which the for
mer second baseman of the Browns
held out for his own terms was given
serious aspect yesterday, when it was
rumored that Pratt intended to leave for
Florida without coming to any agree
nent with the Yankee management
However, after final conference at
the hotel here last night after dinner
Higgins announced that Pratt had ac-
cepted terms. 1t is understood that
Pratt receded somewhat from his orig
inal demands, but neither he nor Hug
gins would 20 into the details of the
terms.
The acquisition of Pratt has had
wonderful effect upon the morale of
the players here. He is regarded by
them as the one available man to give
the needed strength to the Yankee in
field, and it was great relief to both
regular and rookie here when it be-
came known that the former Brown
player was certain to be their team
mate this season. He was the main
topic of conversation in the lobby of
the Dempsey throughout this long and
gloomy St. Patrick's Day, the only day
since the athletes have been in camp
here which has been unfavorable for
practice; but, being Sunday, it did not
matter.
Squad Full of Confidence
A spirit of confidence has taken pos
session of the Higgins clan. There
/ icr, hal &>1ox ~,
who will talk anything but a first di-
vision berth for the Rupert aggrega-
ton, and several are so wildly hopeful
that they are already dreaming of a
flag raising. If confidence and deter
mination count for much in baseball
there are seven clubs in the American
League which will be constantly re-
minded throughout the season that the
Yankees are in the race.
AS one of the veterans put it to-day:
"You won't see the Yankees losing
games this year by margin of one
run. There was many a game tossed
away in 1917 just because we couldn't
| put the winning tally over in the pinch
We've got four cleanup men now and
! things will be different"
Pratt usually hits around 2SO. Last
/ season he fell off in his stick work to
PAT, but an injured wrist and his un-
! ioICuldIS ulSCuI DdHCe Win Lne man
agement of the Browns had much to do
with this slump at the bat. Under the
new conditions which will surround
him with the Yankees he may be conf
IDENTIFY expected to return to his true
form.
Pipp and Baker may be depended
upon to live up to their last season
records at the bat--in fact, it now ap-
pears that Pipp is likely to boost his
record of previous seasons, as he has
shown unusual aptitude with the old
ash since he has been in the Macon
camp.
Ping Bodie will make up the quartet
of the extra base hitters which will
adorn the Higgins roster. The diminu-
tive manager will undoubtedly have to
try series of combinations before he
finally decides upon his batting order
for the opening of the big battles, but
it is one of the safest bets of baseball.
where everything is tinged with
a drop in the percentage column where
the cleft on bases" are totalled.
More Players To-day
There were no arrivals to-day, but
Bodie and Baker are expected in to-
night. William Lamar returned this
morning from Chattanooga, where he
went to visit his brother, who is seri-
ously i'll at the military camp near that
city. Besides Fewster and Plant there
are yet missing Baker, Bodie, Peckin-
paugh, Marsans and Walters. Walters
is said to have left the Coast a day in
advance of Bodie and was expected to
arrive last night. The morning is GER,
tain to see the squad in practice at
Yanks' Park increased in numbers.
With the signing of his players prac-
tically completed, Higgins is now in a
position to give all Of his time to the
training of his athletes. After seeing
his regulars in uniform this week and
making a critical analysis of the quail
ficatlons of each he will be in posi-
tion to lay the foundation for his team
building. Higgins is going about his
work Systematically and thoroughly. He
is studying the weak points rs we'll as
the strong ones, and wherever there is
need of new strength that strength will
! be Forthcoming if it is possible to OBJ
tain it,
/ There is one deep undercurrent
which has followed this training trip
! from the time the first squad left New
York. 1t originated at the time Cap
tain Huston and Colonel Rupert pur-
chased the club. At times it reaches
the surface and then disappears, but it
is always evident-one feels it-a win
nlng American League team for New
York.
This afternoon ten or twelve of the
boys were the guests of Captain Will
lam ID. Elnzant, jr., on an automobile
trip to Camp Joseph Wheeler, about
eight miles out from Macon. 1t is
there that Uncle Sam is training about
$4,000 Soupthern youths, within an
area of twenty-four square milcs, for
his national army. 1t is a National
Guard camp comprising the states of
Georgia., Alabama and Florida, but
among the number learning the arts of
war are thousands of regulars and
drafted men.
Wav,Ja~o~e XX/:n d.