Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-02-06

New York in trade with Boston, is a
remarkable outfielder. The acquisi-
ton of Lewis is the main topic of dis
cussion among Yankee fans, New
York has always been shy on outfield-
ers That has been one glaring weak
ness of the team for years. Lewis is
certain to be the idol of the left field
fans.
! Lewis as | have said, is sure to be
prime favorite with New York fans,
| but there is young man on the New
! York roster. who is being overlooked.
and who, I believe. will make New
Workers sit up and take notice next
! summer The young man is George
, Halas. recently signed by Scout Bob
| Connery. Unless / am mistaken. Con-
merry earned his salary for the season
/ when he secured the signature of
Halas to New York contract. ! was
i led to believe the Chicago Americans
had a strangle hold on Halas, but
Ccnnery seems to have gotten the de-
| ciSion.
: I am inclined to think that when
! the New York Americans take the
! field for the opening game of the 1919
| season Halas will be in center field.
/ Only lack of experience will keep him
/ from landing a job, because he has
| remarkable ability in all depart
ments. In having Duffy Lewis in left
| field Halas is fortunate. Lewis is as
| fine a fellow as he is a ball player.
and Halas Will receive every atten-
| ton toward developing him into a
major league player Lewis knows
American League batters we'll: knows
every angle of the outfielding game,
and he is of the type who will i'm
part his knowledge to Halas. and re-
gard it as a pleasure, rather than an
enforced duty.
Halas is graduate of University
of Illinois. That means Halas has
pretty good idea of how base ball
should be played, because no college
coach knows more base ball than
George Huff. or knows better how to
played varsity base ball, basket ball
and foot ball He was a star in each.
For nearly year he has been at
Great Lakes naval station. He played
on the Great Lakes base bail team,
made up almost entirely of big
leaguerS. and was star performer.
He was a brilliant performer on the
foot ball team that represented the
Great Lakes.
Halas Is big fellow. standing
nearly six feet, and weighing about
$50 pounds. He is fast and a daring
slider. He hits the dirt much after
the style of Jack Murray, for years
with the New York Giants. He hits
the turf hard and at full speed, and,
on reaching the bag. is instantly on
! his feet. He throws right-handed,
and has A great arm. 1t viii rival
that of Duffy Lewis. and every one
who has seen Lewis in action knows
he can hurl the pill. He hits from
the left side of the plate, but usually
shifts to the right side against south
paw pitching. and does it without af-
fecting his hitting ability.
II have talked with a number OF the
big leaguers who played with Ha1as
at the Great Lakes. and they all in
sist he is ready to deliver. They say
he has one kness-over-running
fly balls. / hardly call that weak
ness. because it is a fault all fast
men have, until they acquire longer
experience than is usually the portion
of a college or semi-pro. player. Ty
Cobb had such weakness when he
came to the American League, but he
soon remedied it, I feel the outfielder
who shows to better advantage than
Halas is certain of a regular job.
Temperament of the proper sort
means much to the successful Dali
player.
erage ability, enough brain to put
that ability to the best possible use.
and an even temperament, always IN
preference to the rattle-brained star.
who believes the universe reVolVeS
around his efforts.
That is the answer once heard
major league manager make when
asked for an opinion concerning a
temperamental athlete, who had re-
markable ability, but was always
his work He really made no direct
reply as to his opinion on the player
in question, but much could be IN
ferred from his answer.
1t has always been source of re-
gret to me to see some player, en-
dowed with much natural ability,
throw most of 1t away, simply be-
cause he never quite got the right
point of view. There are score OF
pitchers in the American League who
would be 80 per cent more Vaiuaple
to their ball club If the Lord had
endowed them with a more congenial
disposition. There are perhaps that
many outfielders who, would show to
better advantage II they were OPP
timists instead of pessimists. 1t is
the same in every department of the
game, only it has always seemed to
me that the pitcher, was put to the
acid test more often than any other
! player.
Base ball to practically all the men
in it, is their chief source of income.
II is to their benefit that they always
play the best game possible, for
financial return in great measure
is based on the showing made on the
field No player exer got any par
ticuIar Joy out of making an error,
The player who pulls a boot feels
the mistake keenly. 1t never inn
proves his mental condition to be
ridden because of a misplay That is
one reason why most managers sell
dom comment one way or the other
on misplay, regarding it as one of
the things that can come up at any
! time in a ball game. A manager,
however, will take a player to task
for pulling bone.
| / can recall about a half dozen great
pitche who are disliked by their
team mates. In many cases an exag-
gerated ego is the base of all the trou
BILE. The pitchers | have in mind re-
gard all victories as due to their mas
| terly pitching, while in defeat they
always find an alibi at the expense of
| one OF more of their team mates.> I
| recall one game last summer where
nitcher was sent in to save a game,
! with two on bases and no one out.
lsls = IL M