The sun., 1918-12-04
NEARLY ALL yANKS
ARE OUT OF SERVICE
With Fishers Dicharge Yes
terday, Higgins Has Ma
terial for Good Team.
ny FREDERICK g. LIED.

Sergeant Ray Fisher. one Of the first
Yankee players to enlist in the army.
has obtained his discharge from the SER
vice. He returned yesterday to his farm
near Middlebury, VT, to take three
months vacation. Fisher is the first big
league player who enlisted to procure
MS discharge. though several drafted
men already have been demobilized
Fisher enlisted in the army last win
ter and was assigned to Fort Slocum,
where he was made assistant physical
director. Previously he had served as
physical director at Middlebury College.
and also had taught classes at the
Springfield Training School. Last spring
he was promoted to a sergesncy.
Fisher Is the veteran OF the Yankee
team in point of service, having Joined
the club under George Stallings's man.
agement IN 1903. The pitchers discharge
from the service will be pleasant news
for Miller Higgins. the Yankee manager,
as his team was very shy on pitching
talent last season.
At the time that Murderers Row. the
doing its greatest damage early last
summer Higgins exclaimed. "Oh, what
l wouldn't give n had Fisher and
Shawkey now. We would tear right
through the league"
Expect Shawkey Soon.
Bob Shawkey now is in the navy. but
the Yankee management has heard that
the Philadelphia lad will be discharged
before the 1919 season begins. With
Fisher and Shawkey returned to the
Yankee stan by next spring to aid
Caldwell. Mogridge, Love and Thor
mahlen. Huggins's pitching department
will be in good hands.
The Yankees apparently are leaving
the service sooner than players Of other
clubs. Walter Pipp already has put in
request for his discharge from the
Aviation Corps, and Harold Ruel. a
young catcher. and Aaron Ward, utility
innelder. were discharged from Camp
Pike a week ago Miller Higgins quit
his post az athletic director at Pelham
Bay shortly after the armistice was
signed
The only players the Yankees are not
In touch with and who are likely to be
missing when the 1919 season opens are
Smallwood, promising pitcher. who
Joined the club in 1871 and Sam Wick, a
smuggling outfelder, who started last sea-
son with the club Wick Is now In Sibe-
ria, while Smallwood. drafted. IN Sep
TENDER, 1917, Is in France.
The only discordant note in the Yam
kee plans for next season Is the attitude
of Frank Baker. the clubs cleanup
hitter. When Baker bid the players
"good-by' in Washington last Labor
Day he said It was 'good-by for good"
When Baker first came TO the Yankees
In 1915 after a years retirement he
signed for three years at a big salary
He then said he would play out these
three years. after which he would retire
Baker May Not Return.
During his entire Yankee career he
has insisted that after his contract ran
out he would return TO the farm. Char
ley Herzog. former Giant captain. re-
Gently paid visit TO New York and
said. Baker really Is through with base
ball" Baker once played on a semi
professional team mann ged by Herzog
in Maryland. and their farms are in the
same section OF that State.
Everybody down there knows Baker
has returned TO the farm permanently"
said Herzog You know Baker. He
isn't one OF those fellows who changes
his mind every couple of days. He has
made a lot OF money. owns q lot OF
valuable farm land, and when he says
he Is through with baseball he means
it."
As Baker had his best year since COM
ing to New York last season, his retire
ment will be a severe blow to Huggins
He welded the biggest punch in MUIR
derers' Row, the Yankee clean up bril-
Rade