El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-04-19

fighting Mt Chateau Thlerry and
in the Arg0nne and was promoted
under fire
There have been tremendous
changes IN the dope on the catchers
from last season. due chiefly TO the
wholesale shifting Of catchers from
team TO team. Ny chief interest Is in
Walters. who went from the Yankees
to the Red Sox-He is a hard man 20
dope. Last year he ranked very high,
but met an accident which gave Truck
Hannah his chance and Hannah. a biz.
durable fellow with a fine line Of con-
versation and a lot OF nerve, kept the
peppery little star out OF the game
for months.
When Walters came back he didn't
come. he fell way off in his throw
ing and In every department Some
attributed Il TO lack Of steady work.
He may or may not come back with
the Red SoI- If he goes right as he
did before his big slump last year
III drop the dope right now and
concede the penuant TO the Red Sex.
He would make the erratic and IN
certain pitching staff steady-and
all Boston needs TO cop again is steady
pitching and catching In other words.
walters seems 10 me the biggest In
dividual problem OF the American
league.
When I started working on the dope
St. Louis looked hopeless in catchers
but the team grabbed Billings from
Cleveland 70 fortify itself when not
certain even one catcher would get
back from the war, and now Hank
Severeid's return puts it up among
the leaders in the dope
This f. the first season In the
last half dozen-since Chief Myers
commenced to fade nway-thnt
the New York Giants have figured
anywhere near the top in catch
ers- The department has been
weak, and weak catching has
handicapped the erratlo pitching
staff, and ruincd ut least one
great pitcher.
This season the Giants look 70 have
a very fair staff which should I'M
prove. Mccarthy, when he is working
with all his heart, is a near great
catcher with a lot Of punch and
drive. He has not appeared to put
everything he has into the game for
the last two years and his work late
last season looked sloppy and care
less However. he can catch and he
can work with pitchers when things
are breaking right
smith Looks Good.
Earl Smith is the sign OF promise.
This youth ought 10 be one OF the
great catchers OF the next halr dozen
years n he comes even close to living
up 10 the promise he showed in the
minors II McGraw should be lucky
enough 70 develop a great young
catcher the Giant stock will jump
rapidly. The minor league pitchers
who worked with Smith say he is a
marvel in handling pitching and that
he has that quick. intuitivo judgment
which makes great men.
The other promising yOungster who
has come into the majors is the kid
Berger with the Athletics. EeporIs.
however. indicate that he Is not quite
ripe, so that he cannot be figured as
important in this years race
Rustic for Veterans.
It Is an odd thing how so many
teams have been hustling to get
veteran catchers who were about
done with other clubs. washington
grabbed sam Agnew from the Red
Sox. the Phils got Cady, the Reds
Bill Rariden and the Pirates made a
rather smooth move by signing the
veteran Sweeney as soon as he got
out Of the army. Sweeney Is q wise
catcher with a lot Of experience and
he ought 10 be a big asset to Bezdek
in helping develop the young team
especially in training the pitchers.
In the American league. besides
AEnevs. the Red SoX got Walters.
and Detroit picked on Eddie Ain
smith to help out the staff
Il may be a surprise to some 20
find the Boston Braves ranking so
far down In the catching department.
Many figure Gowdy will lift the
team high. but as a matter OF fact
Hank is not as great a catcher as ne
Is a hero. He probably viii not reach
America before May ] and. although
he reports himself in fine condition.
he probably will need work catching.
John Henry is on the lists TO help
out until Hank is ready for the big
pennant drive, and the staff looks
extremely mediocre. even after the
real hero Of baseball returns
In the dope we now reach the
pitchers Counting roughly up to this
point IL is certain that the Red Sox
lead in the American league by a few
points over Cleveland and with both
Chicago and New York figuring very
close up to them. In the National
league the New York Giants are be-
yond doubt the best team up to the