The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-04-20
M'GRAW HOPEFUL
OF GIANTS SUCCESS
Manager Believes His Veterans
Will Finish On or Near
the Top.
SLOW IN CONDITIONING
Earl Smith, Jesse Winters and
John Paul Jones Will
Be Retained.
SLOW IN CONDITIONING
ny FREDERICK G. LIEB.

inc New 1ork Giants and now part
owner OF the New York National League
club. has high hopes for HE team tA,
season. He doesn't claim the pennant.
nor does he feel that the Giants will es-
cape a hard struggle. but he has faith
| in his array OF veterans and is firmly
convinced that when the season OF 1919
ends the Giants will be at the top OF
the National League or very near
thereto.
| Il have a good ball club and am well
satisfied with my regular lineup as II
now stands" said the New York mana
ger. ut is hard hitting club. has
lots Of speed at the top OF the batting
| order and will get a lot Of runs when
1t gets under way.
| Our early showing In the spring series
with the Boston Red Sox was not pleas
| Ing, and while l naturally would have
| preferred winning more games, am
not particularly alarmed over our show
| Ing. Boston had club Of younger
men. who round quickly into condition
while We have team OF veterans
These usually get started later as tn.
years go by and do not exert them
selves In spring games as they do when
pennant Is at stake. The series gave
US much good practice. and that pri-
| marily was our object.
| Fair Pitching stan.
| Our pitching might be stronger, but
| II Toney reports I think our staff
will compare favorably with the best
In our league. Toney. Benton. BarneS
and Causey are four good men to STAR
with, and I was much encouraged by
schupps recent showing. In the game
In which the Red Sox hit him for f1ve
runs In the first inning not a ball was
hit hard. but series OF bo6nders han
| nAnp6 hat
or bound over their heads for hits.
Il intend TO hold on to both Win
tiers and Jones Winters will have an
| opportunity when the championship
season opens His showing in the
games We have played so far fully Jus
uhes the confidence placed in hi,
| ability when he reported a year ago
| winters seems 10 be natural
pitcher. He is a smart boy. who can
go in and pitch big league ball without
! any preliminary training. He knows
now to pitch. fields cleverly and intui-
| lively knows what to do with the ball
as soon as he gets his hands on II. He
rs one or the most promising young
players that ever Joined the Giants.
! Earl Smith our new catcher. has
radc an excellent showing and he should
| develop into n valuable player. It has
ocen necessary to have him practise with
! P'tohcrs who were as unfamiliar with
ilvai league batters as he. Had he Been
paired with older pitchers he would an
pear TO better advantage.
| Chase rounds out our infield. and ~
FAR have been highly pleased with him.
have found him most agreeable char
! ana am sure We will get along without
hitch. Chase plays first base brilliantly
hits we'll and. more than that, thinks
Ihat Is what I want him for TO dc some
thinking on my inheld."
| Only Three Rockies.
Asked as to the prospects OF MS
rockies McGraw said that with the 81
limit none would be retained outside OF
Winters. Jones and Earl Smith. all OF
| whTn practically were certain OF beinr
retained before the training trip started
There are several promising players
among them but none is ready for tt,.
| season." said McGraw
Asked what club he considers his -,c.+
dangerous rival next to the Ch,eafo
CUBS present National League cham
pions, McGraw replied
| This Is one OF the most difiicuit pom
nant races ! have ever tried to Judge In
sovapce. Players returning from the
service VIII alter the strength of many
clubs Some Of the veteran players who
have been out OF the game two seasons
may deteriorate and youngsters may 70
turn better ball players than they went
away.
| II should not be surprised to sss
Pittsourg present rafting good team
"Rrooklyn's pitchers make that dub
dangerous at all times. and Robby also
may have considerable batting strength
| II thought pretty we'll OF Cincinnati
| Nhile Moran had Sallee. With a tenn
giving Saliee good support he might
have won twenty games Sallee Fisher
tller. Bressler. Ring and several others
would have given Moran an effective
staff of pitchers"
One OF the problems confronting Nc
Graw Is how his veteran infleld VT
hold up when the season reaches the hair
! mile mark. His inhelders average clorp
TO So wears; Chase is Sc, and thinner
man, Doyle and Fletcher are each 50.
| critics say that Zimmerman and
Fletcher slipped perceptibly last wear
New York writers following the Giants
admit that Zimmerman did not pla,
his usual game last season, but Fletcher
could not have fallen off a great deal
| when il is recalled that No led the reg,i-
lar shortstops OF the National League
in fielding.
1t was admitted last spring tha'
Doyle was playing as good ball az a.
| any time In his entire career. The oues-
ton Is how Larry will be able to come
back now that he has rogained IFS
| former weight and vigor. His playing
| In the exhibition games with Boston ana
washington was satisfactory
Though Chase Is the Oldest % re
New York tnfeld quartet he is PLAYING
the same dashing game OF former wears
lie Is one Of the marvels Of tho snort
Despite his tempestuous career. the night
ot time has had little effect on him
lie still retains the same boyisn FAC,
tnat was so popular at one time on the
old Hiiltop grounds. He may have
slowed up Just trihe on the bases
but in the field he Is just the SANE
good player he was IN his palny DAYS
On the training trip Chase has made
plays that fellow like Hoike never
vould have attempted.
To back up these infleld veterans Nc
Hraw has two promising youngsters, A
baird. the former University OF I<ouisi.
ana player. and Eddie Sticking, obtained
last spring from San Antonio Roth
boys are great felders but have not ye,
shown that they can hit big league
pitching.
! COMPETING EDR IEHNkN s..-n