New-York tribune., 1918-02-01
Yank Manager
Is Ready to
I axe Chances
Donovan's s Successor Tips
Off Policy by Deal for
Derrill Pratt
By Louis Lee Arms

'14'"1e MIller Huggins arrives in New
York to-day forthwith to shape the i'm
mediate destiny Of the New Yor.
ankees from a swivel chair in Fortv
second Street. Huggins is prepared to
take up permanent quarters in New
York. as might be expected of a man
who is pledged to the task oe clcvatinr
the Yanks.
Since he has come into the manage
ment of the New York Americans Hug
gins has made but one step. vet tina.
oordered on the sensational and was
IN sum tip-oF on what NAV be OK
pecled Of him in the future By swap
ping I'VE Of his players to the 81.
Leuls Browns in exchange for one reg.
ular player, Derrill Pratt. Huppins
proved he has every inclinat:on to
ciean house and that he is not afraid
TO take a chance.
mat deal probably will be instru-
mental IN making or breaking Huggins
as an American League manager A
rage nc effected when he first became
Nacional League manager paved the
way for future success A good man
capable critics believe he has dunli-
ca'ed ms Cardinai-Pittsburgh exchange
Dr Dd iour years ago in landing Pratt and
= I, iahk Tor five players who didn't gef
.ne M anks particularly anywhere IN
Response to Prayers
IN assuming the management Of the
New York Yankees Huegins has conc
INTO a JOB which he must consider y
Pretty falr response to his PRAYERS
"hiie with the Cardinals, Hugyins had
so iittle capital to do with that often
oeals involving modest outlay, which
YOU'D nave been of great advantage to
ne III :, Nardlnals. were without the pale.
II Huggins could have spent from $40
ooo to 100000 each year that he man
aged tne Cardinals, for talent that
would build his team where reconstruc-
I'oh was necessary, he probably would
nave lad first division contender each
season instead of only two.
AS 1t was Huggirs wes forced 10 move
along most of the time with a smaller
working capital than any other man
ager IN the big leagues. He certainly
owes debt OF gratitude TO the scouts
smith, betzel. Meadows, Doak, Horns
py ct al .. and it was, OF course. his
recognition OF major league ability that
caused him 10 cling TO these men and
develop them. Ii the successful man
aser is the one who can teach the
Young how to shoot" Higgins already
IS success.
With the Yankees he will find con-
ullion almost the reverse Of that gen
orally obtaining in St. Louis. lie will
nave all the capital necessary to go
mo the open market after baseball
players. Messrs. Huston and Ruppert
have already spent into the hundreds of
thousands Of dollars for players that,
IN the majority, failed
=, Hugglns VIII manage a team that for
the good of the league should be a
ranking contender FOR the pennant The
American League is fully alive 10 the
advantage of stimulating American
League spirit at the Polo Grounds. A
manager, smart as Higgins has proved
hlmselt to be, may be expected to re-
alize on that fact.
But. in the long run. these details
are eXtraneous. Huggins viii stand or
fal1 on managerial fundamentals. and
nose OF course, are his ability to teach
and inspire MS men. Miller is
an original thinker ard ir the National
League had the reputation for pulIin.s
the unexpected. That is QUALITY thai
should instantly popularize him if he
can ca, continue It with the Yankees. If
mere IS one place in particular where
the Yankees have been weak il has
been mentally.
Hard Hitter Needed
iugglns's foremost problem would
appear TO be TO obtain a new. hard-hit
ting outiield and find some way Of
giving j. Franklin Baker a shower bath
IN the Ponce de Leon springs. Withal
Baker has been a disappointment for
the last season and one-half and has
conveyed the impression that his hear.
Is not IN his work. Higgins may cor
centrate upon him. and if Baker rounds
10 there viii not be harder hitting
lnneld lr IN baseball than Pipp. Pratt,
BAKER and Peckinpaugh.
a. II IS expected that Huggins will get
the maximum benefit from the nitchinr
nov lined up for him. As i5,dec of
pitching Huggins need defer to none.
ne l should tone up the Yankee pitching
pE timing II better, shifting it more
and defending it more compactlv than
in tie past
Hugglns comes into a soft seat. The
ahKee5 nave reached the stage where
,hey can't do much worse. thev arc
!s,e nackeu by unlimited capital and even
w ia BIZ Donovan's warmest sup
porter VIII wish Huggins naught but
success. After q reasonable lapse he
should attain j.
Squire Ebbets announced Yesterday
that contracts had been sent to twenty
TWO o. his Dodgers, The SQUIRE has
been sounding out MS men in The
matter OF salary. He wrote as,ing
them what hey considered an equita,
Die remuneration under war conditions
FROM twonty-six letters mailed the
squire received fifteen replies Most
or them. i IS said were satisfactory,
winch means The ball players realize
that with increased expenses the pay
mem Of corner salaries 5 a thing Of
the past.
Urban Eaber. who virtually Won the
worlds series for the White SoX Is
nominated by Western writer's as the
most modest OF baseball heroes. After
the worlds series he lodged ou; o.
being the guest of honor a, q -eccp-
ton, refused a vaudeville engagement
and even protested against having his
picture taken.
Many Trial Heats Due
In Preparedness Games