The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-12-14
YANk LEADER SAYS
TEAM IS IMPROVING
Miller Higgins Pleased With Showing
of Men: Optimistic About
1920 Season.


Miller Huggins, mite manager Of
the Yankees. is pretty we'll satisfied
pickie Kerr among big league leaders
throws no bouquets at himself. but
Just the same the tiny Chncinnatian
ia OF the opinion that he did about
tai could have done,
II realize that I have been cr4h-
cized at times since 7 took hold ri the
Yankees, and my Judgment has been
questioned quite freely. hut ] thint:
/ have brought some results" said
Huggfns.
81 think no enc win denr that the
club is a considerably improved ag
grega ton over the one took over In
the spring of 191S The 1917 team
finished sixth In my first year here
we advanced quite a bit in percent
we made another rice gain in per-
ccntage and finished third T don't
believe we arc standing still but are
making actual progress.
Among other things I've been
blamed for playing certain players.
won't mention their names, but
everybody knows them. No one ap-
prcciates better than lido that pen
nants cannot he won with some OF
the men we now have on the club.
They are not championship players.
Then. why do 7 play them? In the
first place. ! always endeavored 10
put my strongest lineup into the
game every day, and some of the men
/ have happened TO he the best that
could he obtained
Tn the second place. we could not
afford to experiment last season. even
after II became evident that our pen
nant chances were slim With third
place yielding our players nice slice
OF worlds series money. we had to
nght right TO the last game to clinch
this position.
REMODELING THE YANKS-
But does the New York baseball
public appreciate that / am gradually
remodeling the Yankee team /
have lust FIVE men left of the regular
team of ta17-Baker, Pipp, Peck.
Shawkey and Mogridge / also have
retained few OF the youngsters who
We're with the club in the fall Of 1917.
i've been working especially hard
to build up a new staff of pitchers,
Some of the men have let GO have
done well elsewhere. but a fact that
is generally overlooked is that they
were OF no use to the New York club.
Take the case of Allan Russell He
did good work for the Red Sox when
he was sent to Boston in the MAYS
deal. But the fact. remains he wasn't
delivering in New York. Russell is n
good pitcher. but he couldn't win for
me. and when had the chance to
get Mays and Boston held out for Rus
sell had no hesitancy in letting him
60.
II believe next year VIC will have
ons cf the best pitching STATS In base
ball with Mays. Shawkey, Quinn.
shore, rhormahlen and Mogridge,
think we will be better fortified in
pitching than any club in the league.
Yes. I still place Shore among my
top notchers, There Is no denying
that Ernie disappointed US this sea
son. and If he had pitched for the
Yankees the way he used to pitch for
the Red Sox there is no telling where
we would has finished.
SHORE Will, COME BACK
IF Shore had lost his stun, should
be alarmed. but the funny thing aboet
his failure last season is that he had
as much speed and could put as much
on the ball as any time in his career.
But he couldn't control II. as his year
in the navy kind Of threw him OFF
his game. He got off bad in tho
spring. and he just couldn't get start
ed. Shores ann is far from gone,
but he Just had one OF those off years
that come to the best OF pitchers.
II am willing to bank my reputa
ton on Ernie again taking his place
among the pitching top liners OF
baseball next year,
MY club hit hard enough last sea,
son TO win any pennant had there
been more speed on the club. l arr
amused sometimes when a. fellow
blames me for the Yankees not hav-
ing more speed on the bases. AS
already have explained, have beer
playing the best team have beer
ahle to put III the field and am max
ing my changes when l am convinced
a new man will prove OF greater gen
eral value to the club than any player
II have been using.
II am fortunate in having some fins
youngsters. who promise to develor
into the stars Of the game. coui6
have made several advantageous deals
last winter had l been willing tt
throw IN Fewster. Rut that was ont
place where drew the line. He was
one player I wouldn't even consider Y
trade for, as I early recognized M