New-York tribune., 1920-01-25
Dearth of Good
Southpaws in
Minor Leagues
Big Fellows Are Unable ,o
Bolster Pitching Stats:
Locals Are Well Provide,
By w. |. Macbeth

a'teh'lon 10 the apparent dearth Of cven
promising material among the sor.,
paws of the minor leagues. In tho ou;n
ION OF the very best scouts who toproa
the ulterior territories throughout A..
playing season of 1919, there were ;r..
two portsiders anywhere nearly rood,
for service in fast company-bes;6..
the small grist that had been carner.,
during the summer.
Very fortunately for Iris Sneal..
by the way. Cleveland has just landed
the best of the pair in Dick Niehauss
who pitched for the ST. Paul clnh os
the American Association in 1919
Niehauss is wonderful lefthandor
And If traditional standards count bo
may even be soon numbered among tho
great. For he is as crratc as southnaws
ever came, and eccentric as the lato
"Rube" Waddell in his prime Indeed
in the old days. all lcfthanded pitcbers
were considered queer and they had at
least to act the part to get a tumble
The other southpaw. who is tabbed
as sure conner. is "Duster" Mails. Hs
Will be remembered as Brooklyn
rookie who, nurSed along by Irnclo
WllHert Robinson several seasons was
finally cast adrft last spring at Tina
when the magnates were laboring
under the delusion that dire bankuntcr
lay just ahead of professional baseball
Robinson always said that Mails was
lacking in experience only, and that
one day he was bound to make his
mark in fast company.
Mails Former Dodger
Brooklyn happened to be so we'll nro.
vided with left-handers in Sherrod
Smith and Rube Marquard at the time
that it was deemed inadvisable to ,riae
further with Mails SO he passed on
to Seattle, and as the minors last wear
would not take players under optional
agreement the Brooklyn club was un-
able to put him out with any strings
attached.
Any number of major league clubs
have made the most fattering offers
for Mails since the close of last sea-
son. But Seattle is live baseball
town and refuses to part with an asset
SO valuable as Mails proved to be in
1919. 1t is understood that Cleveland
is bent upon landing him at any pvice.
For" as iris Speaker assured Jim
Dunn, president of the Cleveland In.
dians, a few days ago. give me good
left-hander and I'll win the 1920 pen
nant. Hand me two and III breeze
home
Since Coumbe lost his effectiveness
two years ago, Cleveland has had to
struggle along without the services Of
a SOuthpaw pitcher worthy of the
name. There was absolutely nothing
on the Indian pay roll in 1919 that
could be classed as such. Despite
which fact the Indians were prominer.
all the way and hung on so doggedly
that they might have collare1 the
White SoX had the schedule been one
Of 154 instead of 14O games.
SOuthpaw Is Essential
Il is almost an absolute Essential in
these days OF highly developed special
ties for an American League manager
to muster at least one portside pitcher
All the great batters of the American
League are and have been for years
left handed hitters. Ty Cobb, Iris
Speaker, Joe Jackson, Babe Ruth, Eddie
Collins, "Home Run" Baker and
George Sisler are only few of the
great train who hold the front rank
from year to year. 1t is we'll known
fact that southpaw finds it easier 10
pitch to left-handers than to right
handlers. Besides, the presence Of
southpaws makes it possible for man
aser, by alternating the respective
styles, to heighten the mystitication Of
both
In the matter Of southpaw pitching
the three major league representatives
OF Greater New York are particularly
we'll provided for the impending cam
paign. Each of the Giants, Yankees
and Dodgers has pair of seasoned
veterans that should be capable Of
enhancing the fine worth of right
handed performers. Indeed, for gen
eral all round excellence it would be
difficult to pick three twirling stats
in the big show more worthy of cor.
sideration than those at the command
Of Managers McGraw, Huggins and
Robinson.
Rube Benton for the last several
years has held his place among the
topnotch southpaws Of the National
League, which runs particularly
strong in the line of capable left
handed pitching. Arthur Nehf. Sc
cured from the Braves last summer. IS
easily the best of the young crop. re
stood out prominently with med
ocrc team. In an aggregation with
wailop such as the 1920 Giants shoulo
show Nehf is bound to improve on MS
many fine accomplishments Of the pas''
Compared With Rucker
Herb Thormahlen of the Yankees has
had only one year in fast company
But in spite of an injury that lncapa.
citated him while in midseason ne
proved one of the three most depend
able men of Huggins's pitchers n lsi'.
The majority of American League
managers consider this youngster tne
finest portside prospect that has proA.
en- into the big show since the tlne
of Nap Rucker. George Mogrisa;gs
more experienced. was the leadlhs
pitcher Of the Yankees in 1918. He was
q long time coming round to his pes
form in 1919. but he finished out 50
strongly as to prove he had gone ps''
none.
These assure Higgins two irst,c'sss
lefthanders. If Babe Ruth gets nam.
ering for the box again the ianke..
will have three southpaws. No gFcS'tl
lef,-handor ever lived then Babe. anu =,
is quite as good to-day as he ever Wa
His ambition TO shine as nome ~.
hitter made him frown upon box du'
last season. -.
Wilbert Robinson has an exce2ioha.tt
deserving southpaw in Sherrod sm'.n'
for this fellow is giant IN s'asuss snss
and capable of endless use hu's
Marquard has, perhaps. seen the oes' y.
his days. He was able TO take ms 'u,"
in the box every third Of fourth %,
some few years back. Now he neeus ..
least four days rest between s%nss s
and is better stin with FIVE. But Koo-