New-York tribune., 1919-03-25
Impression IL General iii
Camp Star Souihpaw
VIII Regain Old Form
By w. |. Macbeth


of the National League do all the spring
pennant worrying. For him there is
but one possible source of worry~-thc
proposition of developing batting
strength of average power. In all
otner departments his prospective
/ challenger shapes up quite as for
midabie as any team that has answered
the. beck and call of the wizard OF
Coogan's Bluffs.
This year McGraw begins the task
! of remodelling his machine with far
more battery material at hand than had
ever before laid loose to his fancy.
/ NO less than seventeen mound men are
out every practice at the university
field and half dozen maskmen arc
available to keep tne sharpshooters
busy every minute Of the time. 1t is
true that not all of the twirlers belong
to McGraw.
Brogan is the property of Rochester,
as is also Catcher Bucky O'Neill
Rommell is the property of Newark, If
! indeed a Newark franchise in the In
ternational League longer exists.
Cleary and Lyons are supposedly not
under contract, yet every one named
could easily be SHARED for Giant pur-
poses if he showed the earma,ks Of real
class. every one here appears bent
upon doing.
1nIee f-ltcneFS MISSING
And then there are three veteran
pitchers who are now absentees likely
to be heard from before the team starts
north. Big Fred Toney will join .as
soon as he can. McGraw has not given
up hope of Poll Perritt's return. Tho
oil business, it is said, is not going so
we'll with Polly, as was reported. He
will be welcomed if he shows. McGraw
Is somewhat shy of veteran pitchers,
both righthanders and southpaws
In justice to his becoming modesty,
we must no longer keep in the back
ground the blushing young bridegroom,
Benjamin Franklin Kauff of Ports
mouth, Ohio. Benny drifted into the
White House in company with Jim
Thorpe. the celebrated athlete of the
Fox and Sac tribe, at an early hour
this morning. Both these renowned
specimens OF physical manhood packed
more excess beef than any of
their fellow teammates here. Benny
has loafed since getting out of the
army Christmas week. Jim looks as
if he had dieted on dried apples and
water ever since the close of the past
abbreviated season.
Mr.. Kauff came sans the proverbial
blushing bride, breach of baseball
training etiquette that made the Oldest
and most care-hardened benedict gasp
Benny, 1t must be remembered, always
was an original cuss, and it looks as if
he intends to hit the dual trail of
matrimonial pilgrimage as pilot in chief
Of his particular prairie schooner
SO dearly does little Benny love the
resounding base knock that he does not
propose to let little think like we'd
lock divorce him from his pet hobby
and JOY. Here is one runaway colt that
has his mind centered on the real race,
that of the elusive pennant that leads
to fame and fortune. He is TO be con
graduated. Alas, the game knows far
too few stars of his kind.
But getting back to the theme Of
pitching, McGraw was given the most
pleasant surprise of more than a year
when IN the course of exercising his
southpaw brigade it came the turn Of
Ferdinand Schupp to mount the hill.
Schupp showed more speed than any
OF the southpaw candidates, once he
found he could throw, free from the
rheumatic agonies of 1918. So exuber-
ant he became with the discovery that
it was with difficulty McGraw re-
strained him from trying a few hooks.
This young star southpaw declared to-
night that his ten minutes activity in the
box i'll serving to the batters had left
his arm as fresh and strong as in the
morning. McGraw, Mathewson, George
Of the opinion that Schupp has came
back to all his oldtime effectiveness.
McGraw Much Impressed
"He looks better than he has looked
in two years." declared McGraw en-
phatically. "Never once last year vas
his arm so free as it is to-day. And
never in his life had Schupp such con
troll as he now shows. Pm convinced
that if no accident befalls him he will
enjoy his very best year the coming
season. Schupp is the only pitcher
ever feared to face in thirty long years.
He has ball which comes out Of
nowhere and is falling right into US
left-handed hitters before we can
see it.
"And I tell you plainly" Mac con-
cluded, Il ought to know what I am
talking about when I tell you Schupp
looks better now than he did any time
at Marlin in 1917. You will remember
that was his best year. His work
clinched the pennant for the Giants
George Gibson, manager Of the To-
ronto Club, arrived last night and is
helping Mathewson coach the raft Of
battery material here. Gibson will re-
main at least ten days. He hopes to
prepare his team at Toronto if the
weather continues fine. Otherwise he
will pitch camp at Easton, Penn.
McGraw took advantage of the fine
hot summer weather to drive his
charges through two stiff practices
to-day. Each lasted about an hour
and half. The morning session was
devoted chiefly to hitting practice and
fly chasing for the Improvement of
wind and conditioning of legs.
: After generous batting practice
in the afternoon, featured by the de-
liveries of every available southpaw
2 and few kid righthanders, McGraw
: put both the veteran and the awkward
squads through a rapid fielding drill.
For the veterans, OF course, Chase.
Doyle, Fletcher and Zimmcrmann
formed the inner patrol, with Burns.
Kauf and Young on the picket line
The yannigan infeld which was
, been dubbed Rochester" in honor of
Arthur Irwin, was comprised of Tad
Miller, first base; Sticking, second
base; Baird, shortstop, and Gillcgpic,
third base.
Bill Holden, Yankee outfelder un
) der Chance and during the early re-
gime of Wild Bill Donovan, is work
ing out with the Giants. Bill. who
is free agent, came over from his
home in Pensacola for the work. He
may catch on with Rochester if he
shows something.
After watching the "ncnr dienIayod