Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-03-15
Big League Bosses
Comb Country for
SOuthpdJU Pitchers
Supply of Left Handlers Runs
Lou as Demand in Majors
Increases.

NEW YORK, March 15.-Crack south
pitchers are worth their weight in gold
to major league clubs these days. Time
was when the big league manager could
dive into the grabbag and come up with
fairly good portsider most any day.
But that day has passed.
For the last three or four years man
ayers and scouts have been combtng the
minor leagues and watching semt-pro and
collegiate ranks for young southpaws or
promise without encouraging results. I ne
race to which such pitchers as Waddeil,
Rucke. and Plank belonged appears to be
Withertng away and the lack OF an on
coming crop 10 take the places OF sueh
hurlers as Vaughn, Tyler, beuther, MAr-
guard, Cooper, Leonard and Coumoe Is
alarming.
HIGGINS STILL
WANTS MORE.
Miller Higgins. manager Of the
Yankees, IS better fixed in the way or
teft-handed pitchers than most biS
league managers, yet Miller deplores the
"a mine IN southpaW pitchers. The Yankees
have MoGridZe and ThOrmahlen TO pitch
regularly from the port side, and Ruth
could be used IN IN emergency.
Every major league club needs brace
II drst-cllss sOuthpaws,' said HugSlns
recently. hut getting them is the big
question Practically every manager /
know Is on a still hunt for portside
pitchers and has been hunting for long
dine.
II can think Of no good reason for
rhe scarcity Of good southpaws. but II
Is a fact that they are scarce. They are
simply fading out, that's all. And
xth so many major league batsmen
swinging from the left side OF the plate
these days southpaw pitchers are needed
as never before. We are well hxed for
southpaws. thank goodness. but we still
have TO solve the problem OF digging
up new ones for future use. | can read
ny sympathize with the manager who
hasn't at least one crack left handler"
Look over the 1918 major league rec
5rds ana you Will dnd that the left
hand pitchers who can be depended upon
20 get ia there and take their regular
turns in the box are outnumbered four
or five TO one by the right handlers. In
tie National league the Cubs are well
hxed with Vaughn and Tyler to do their
shaFpshooting from the port side. The
Reds have n good man in Walter Reu-
sher and seasoned southpaw In Sallee.
PIRATES HAVE
BEST IN LEAGUE.
Pittsburg has the best young southpaw
In the league in Cooper, and Earl Ham
ilton Of the Pirates also chucks with his
fork hand. st. Louis has Sherdell aud
MAY. but neither IS crack pitcher,
though both may develop into consist
int winers. The Giants have Art Nehf
and Rube Benton. Brooklyn falls back
on Marquard for much of the pitching
against clubs that have strong left
Smith helps out. The Phlllles have Rix-
ev and Packard. Bet there is not n
club OF the eight In the National league
that would refuse 10 dig deep for an
other crack southpaw
In the American league the Yanks, with
MoRridge and Thormahlen, are fairly
well dXed. The Browns have Wilman
and koob, and Cleveland has Coumbe
alone to figure as a crack left handler
Boston got q good southpaw from Wash
lngton in Harry Harper. Chicago has
Kerr and Williams, and Detroit, Dutch
Leonard, while Philadelphia has a south
paw OF promise in Kinney.