Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-04-09
BORRELL AS A PUNCHING BAG, BUT FAILS Z
RUBE OLDRING
MAKES BIG HIT
AS and Pittsburgh Play
Tie Game Before Camp
Hancock Soldiers
RECEIVE AN OVATION

''''hNih't - N's aNlllll y
The Athletics completed tho first two
legs Of their itinerary northward when
they arrived here this morning from
Augusta, whore they exhibited with the
Pittsburgh Pirates yesterday in a five
inning contest that failed to develop a
run. The final half Of the fifth inning
was played in q driving rain. ii coming
down ir torrents when the last man was
purposoly called out on strikes by Um-
pire Lewis i'm order to terminate the
round and enable the players to get off
the field.
II was a keen disappointment to the
biggest crowd by far that has seen the
two teams play that the contest could
not he resumed, hut as It rained hard all
the remainder of the afternoon this was
absolutely impossible. It was real
baseball crowd that greeted the two
teams. \ vast majority Of the spec
tators were soldiers from Camp Ham
cock and, in addition, most Of them
were from Pennsylvania Partisan feel
ing was rampant from the appearance
Of the two teams on the field until the
ifth inning closed. So far as one could
judge, each team was represented by
followers Of about equal numbers, but
thcr" was no doubt concerning the en-
thusiasm Of the ovation given the play
crs as they came to bat for the first
time
Oldring the Idol
Rubc Oldring was the idol in the eyes
Of the SOLDIERS while Larry Gardncr's
reception was hardly less cordial and
noisy. Then again there was a wild out
burst Of approval when the Athletics
prevented Pittsburgh from scoring in the
third inning by cutting oft Catcher
Schmidt at the plate when the latter
tried to go home on throw to first by
Gardner to retire Mollwitz. Schmidt
thought to beat the ball via the Card
-Burus-MCAVoy route. but tho big
first baseman Telaycd the sphere to the
plate yards in advance of the runner.
and when the umpire called him out the
decision was greeted with thunderous
approval
When Manager Bezdels made it known
that Cooper, his star left-hander, would
mount the hill Mack Immediately an
nOunced that Captain OlGrinG would
play left and Bailey the young colegian
from Fort Worth, would 60 to right
field. Both these men bat right-handed
and displaced Jameson and Eopp, left
handed hitters. Mack figured that both
Of the right-handers would be more
valuable than the two men who have
played the outiield positions almost reg
ularly for three weeks.
While neither Jameson nor Eopp has
displayed patent weakness against
portside fingers there is little doubt
that Mack has made up his mind to try
the plan Of using an outtield composed
entirely Of right-handcd htters when
the opposition presents a hurler who
swings from the left side.
Light Hitting Game
Young Bailey has had less practice
than any man in the Mack squad, as
he only reported last week, and while
he hit the ball hard yesterday his two
trips to the plate were, unproductiVe Of
hits, but in this respect he was no eN-
ception to the general rule, as it was a
very light-hitting game, only three
Mackites swatting for binglers, while
the best Pittsburgh could do off Gregg
was one more hit than made by the
Athletics. Two Of the four safeties
amassed by the Pirates were scratches
that undoubtedly would have been
felded OH harder, tirmer diamond.
Manager Mack was nonCommittal re-
gardng his plans for his Outfeld. He
declined to state definitely that he would
play Oldring anG Bailey in championship
games against left-handed pitchers and
Jameson and Eopp when right-handers
were announced for hill work. His
answer to the query on the question was
that in a great measure his outfield was
one Of the problems that would be solved
by the playing of the men themselves.
He is Sweet on all five on what they
have shown in the preliminary games.
but just what they will do later he does
not know.
lie is fully convncd that Oldring
will be the Rubc OF old about the last
Of June or the first OF July, and that
he will then prove the most valuable
outhelder of the quintet. From his con-
versation there is no doubt that Mack
believes that the veteran is going to
prove a material asset to the club by his
hitting and fielding when real baseball
weather hits Shibe Park for its sum-
mer sojOurn
Bailey Looks Good
Mack thinks whole lot Of Bailey on
the strength of what he showed him in
the few games he played with the Ath-
letics last fall and what he has done in