New-York tribune., 1918-01-30

; Harry Sparrow announced vcstcrd.v
that Manager Miller Huggins would 49,
rive in the city Friday to take IN ac-
lively the management of the YankocS
At that time Huggins probably will
give his specific reasons for anncxin,
Pratt, # any are necessary. I.
curious to note that St Louis ea,,loa.
IS patting itself on the back. under 4bo
impression that it received very muc6
the better of the recent baseball s,,.,n
back may be weakened " cons,.n.
pattlng so that it cannot stand q hlou.
delivered some time in the future.
Contracts Tucked AWAY
When Huggins arrives in New York
he will find that Harry Sparrow al
ready has half dozen signed contracts
tucked into the safe for him. Yester
day Yankee contracts were forwarded
to both Pratt and Plank. As vet the
local club has heard nothing from
Plank and is inclined not to take too
seriously the Pennsylvania report that
he is done with baseball 1t is possible
Huggins will stop over in Gettysburg
and visit the veteran southpaw on his
way East. Pratt already is under CON
tract to the Browns. but. as matter
of courtesy, a New York document vas
forwarded him. There is reason TO be-
licvc he will lose no time in signing it.
John Foster, at the National League
headquarters, complains that the delay
in mails has knocked into smitherccns
his contract day schedule. While the
eminent John Buckingham did not de-
liberately set out to check in Il con-
tract each twcnty-four hours. he almost
did that, anyhow. and even if his mail
is delayed several weeks he will be
ahead Of his National League contcm-
porarcs.
With sound logic Western writer
figures that if George Sisler. of the
st. Louis Browns. had evidenced the
same ability to wait cm out as he did
TO hit during 1917 he would have led
Ty Cobb in the seasons batting aver
ages.
Sisters hitting last season was orc
of the mathematical sensations of base
ball. for. emitting two games in which
ne failed to hit safely, he went sixty
eight straight games without failing to
get a safe rap.
But an examination of the record
shows that, while Tyrus Raymond Cobb
waited out siHty-iive bases on balls and
iris Speaker seventy. Sisler accepted
only thirty free tickets TO first base
This impatience in hitting no doubt
resulted in his hitting at many bad
balls and may be taken generally as
a sign OF youth that viii disappear as
Sisler learns more and more how 10
play a pitcher.
The Western critic who has extracted
the figures OH Sisters hitting believes
that If he waits for good balls which
means those over the plate about waist
higil-Sis!er viii hit UP around the 400
mark. and become in reality second
Cobb. With his tremendous speed this
is not unlikely
If. as has been written. most OF the
major league clubs are to dispose OF
their scouts, some of the most pict-
uresquc men in the game will pass.
The discouraging condition of tn.
minor leagues explains the passing OF
the scout. Until spring it viii not be
known how many OF the minors are
again going to attempt to wade through
another season. Last year was a night
mare for most OF them and there is no
evidence that 1913 Will see an improve
ment. For that reason the maj jor league
clubs whose contracts with ivory
hunters" have expired are chary about
renewing them. It is estimated that
in both leagues an aggregate OF sl009oo
il. salaries is paid baseball scouts. lhe
travelling expenses would bring TIE
figure higher than that.