New-York tribune., 1918-03-17


- several hours last night, Manager
Higgins announced that negotiation!
h.d not been concluded and Pratt sale
.bat he would remain in Macon sew
eral days, if not longer. There were
.everal short conferences between the
.uo to-day, but no acceptance of term:
nv either. 1t looks rs though the case
has gone to the New York office fol
,scision. No one doubts for an in
.tsnt that Pratt will play ball thi:
.sason as a Yankee, but the fna
agreement as to salary has yet to b'
made.
pratt's contract with the st. Louis
Browns expired with the close of las
ssason and by the terms Of the trade
vb;ch brought him to the Yankees with
Eddie Plank and sent Nunamaker
Gedeon, Maisel, Cullop and Shocker te
tho Browns each club was to deal di
,actlv with the players who were nc
inncer under contract. Nunamakel
and Gedeon are the only ones whose
riav;no agreement has not been com
pleted.
Bad Weather Breaks Out
This was the first day of the train
ing season that the weather man has
been at all ill-mannered. 1t was
bit blustery and the air was raw. ~ ~
consequence the workouts at the park
ware brief and unsatisfactory. The
n;tchers were not allowed to use theil
arms and the inield practices were
short. Batting constituted the better
nart of the work for the day.
The Yankees were unofficially booked
IN n,ay a game with the team from
Mercer College this afternoon, but
there seems to have been some mlsun-
asrstandin, about the date. In any
event, Hugcins would not have aliowed
his athletes to take chances with the
chilly winds of such day as this.
The college boys were on hand, as were
also several hundred fans. muffied to
the ears in outer coats and furs. Inc
fans were disappointed.
Joe Kelley. the boy scout. arrived IN
tbe wee small hours on a rattler. which
was onlv seven hours late. Joe re-
ported that young Wilson Fewster, the
former Baltimore Internationallst, has
not recovered sufficiently from an at
tack of grippe to be able to travel. 1t
probably will be ten days before Few
ster joins the squad.
The best bit of optimism around the
Yankee camp is Pat O'Conner, the new
coach. Pat figures the Yanks have
about as good a chance Of landing the
next American League pennant as any
other team in the league.
Pat Just can't help being disciple
Of the doctrine that everything is or
dsred for the best. He was born that
vay. Even wthen there are no silver
Innings to the clouds Pat can see the
san. at locks like rain" remarked
Turk Gilhooley this morning.
Predicts Surprise for Fans
sWhat you talking about?" flung back
Pat. "Ain't we had seven days of sun
shine all in row." And then, quoting
from the Bard of Portland: cts got to
rain sometimes, amt it?" But it didn't
ain TODAY.
Figure this thing out on paper any
way you want to- says Pat, "and you
can't keep the Yanks out of the first
= division. l think we have just as good
achance to land at the top as anybody
else. tell you, the New York fans
have big surprise coming. We are
about the only club in the league which
sasn't been hit hard by the draft. We
ave all old regulars worth having, and
pratt is going to make that infield a
hummer. He is just the man needed at
ae keystone bag to give proper balance
% the inner defence. You newspaper
sen will save a lot Of time if you get
nme ruboer stamps reading, 'Peckln-
Augh to Pratt to Pipp.' The box scores
re going to be full of 'em.
"bodie is certain to boost the efti
eency OF the outficld, and there can be
y doubt that he will strengthen the
IAN at the bat. I haven't been able to
sscoyer the slightest lameness in Gill
sscley or any stiffness in his shoulder
iaa will never know that he has been
siurcd. Some people are worrying
hout our pitchers. Pm not. I've been
ssrklng with all eight, and while they
ayen't shown me much they have
so.n me enough to prove that they are
y in excellent condition, and l know
nat they can do when they are right
look for Caldwell TO have the best
Iear Of his career.
Now, add TO this the likeliest look
Ms iet OF youngsters ever gathered at
Haining camp, and you give Huggins
nnsthing from which to develop a
sa.hning team. Ard Hug is the man
ss, sas can do it. lie knows himself the
.shnfe OF material he has, but he isn't
,ssnhg anything for publication just
a. "a sizing up the matter I figure
a.l, as, ne Browns, the Senator'S and the
tsaeeles are out Of the race before
~ s start. Neither do ] expect much
ssssos,tion sson from the Red Sox. They
"a ts Dsen cut to pieces by the draft
a., Hhiie 1t ig true they have signed
Nv o, veterans Of real class, the
- Niil lack that team play which
a.. comes the first season the rem
e. " TWO clubs are merged into one
III. mas the hardest task before
VI any manager In the league.
., Figures White sox Out
IL Lsss year the White sox were at
Ia, .g ol 'heir speed. / can't figure
~, snsy can repeat. Some Of their
HI. payers are now on the decline
."xs In my opinion, must get worse
As .nsy can get better. This leave,
Ia1i. tIs among the Tigers, tho
Mns.s,s and the Yankees, Huybie Jen.
Has einb N Just about az strong AZ
p,sess.a.st .ast year. The Tigers have been
Mey xasi,y unaffected by the draft. II
dsisu y in third place, they viii b.
N.w'.n the Indians II js different
ssse lost two inneiders In ths