The Washington times., 1920-03-27


the boys on the paths ahead of hir
home run every time he comes to
The. sudden hiking OF Ping Bod
may compel Miller Higgins TO US
one of the younger candidates for a
outfleld berth. but until the banan
merchant picked up his bed an
jumped. he was playing regularl
against the Brooklyn Dodgers, crowd
ing out Frank ODoul and Bob Mouse
True, Ping was hitting. but he Away
does in the spring. He is a vetera
who Ianguished with the coming no
weather. Huggins should know al
about Bodie. but he has been usinl
him as If seeking more knowledge.
Then there's Derrill Pratt Almos
without exception, the scribes canno
understand why he is in the dali
lineup. He is described as slow, wit
weak wing and a hitless lamp
Nevertheless. Pratt has been consid
sered the first string second-sacker b.
Miller Higgins.
This Is From Walsh.
David J. Walsh. writing in the New
York Evening Post. murmurs a few
hundred words along this line con
corning Frank O'Doul:
Being more or less afflicted
with a natural curiosity and a
distaste for problematical re-
search. we. among others, would
like to be informed at the earliest
possible moment of the underly-
ing motives that prompt Miller
Higgins to keep Frank O'Doul on
the bench while other and less de-
serving individuals are given
enough rope to hang by the neck
until dead. O'Doul, the worthy
Miller informs us, is great
pitcher >who must not be annoyed
bv a superiority OF outfielding
Which sounds all right until one
recollects that O'Doul has done
about as much pitching down here
as ping Bodic. He hasn't pitched
a fraction Of an inning in either
the practice games or the Dodger
series, and what is considerably
more to the point. Higgins has
never had the slightest intention
OF allowing him 10 do so. O'Doul
hasn't taken a ball in hand to
warm up since he detrained here
three weeks ago. The answer!
It's beyond our limited resources.
"All we are capable of is rea-
sonably accurate resume OF tho
O'Doul activities to date, which
include d potpourri of timely base
hits in the practice games and
graceful posture on the bench as
long as Brooklyn uniform Ia In
sight. The leading hitter of both
first and second teams has never
been called upon as pinch hitter.
but Meusel and Gleick, a pair of
human backhres thus far. are
x.-tt nd
to say nothing Of tangible results.
Leaves Him Out On Limb.
"All of which would seem to
leave Miller Huggins out on
managerial limb. as far as O'Doul
IS concerned. Judging superficial
~ on what manner of policy he has
cared to reveal to date. we are
disposed to regard Mr.. Higgins
and his regime somewhat ask
ance
with an obviously thorough
knowledge of baseball, he appears
TO be Handicapped by single track
brain and the originality of bill
of lading. He has made up his
mind that O'Doul Is a pitcher and
pitcher is mental rather than
physical for Frank is the fastest
man in the squad and can cover
quite a wide terrain in the out
field.
"He. however, has a personality
that refuses to take anything Sc
riously beyond the matter of get
ting his meals promptly. He Is
inclined to be something Of a buff
foon on the ball field, and by his
negligent attitude toward affairs
in general gives one the impress
sion that the whole thing is quite
merry jest, with the laugh dis
tinctly on the other fellow"
According to most New Yorl
scribes, the Yankees best lineup will
have Lewis, Ruth and either O'Dou
or Wick in the outfield, and Pipp, Few
ster. Peckinpaugh and Aaron Ware
in the infeid. Higgins is using Pipp
pratt, Peck and Meusel In the infield
with Wick, Ruth and Lewis in thu
garden.
May lie Last Chance.
This may, be Miller Higgins las
chance as New York manager IL
has thus far set no worlds on fire. III
has had alibis in the past, but whei
Z the two colonies go out and pa!
$4,000 for the games greatest slug
rnr. they will want more than mer'
Plibis from Higgins next October, l
tnc Yankees prove another fivver
The puzzle is distinctly up to one Mil
lev Huggins.
what DO we think OF the Yankee
ms contenders? We personally don
think much of them, to tell the truth
roo much dead wood on the bases
too much "old army stun" at thu
riate. too many prima donnas "
the li"e-up- all these spell doom fo
Yankee hopes.
~ a way. tho failure OF Brancl
hickey In the major leagues has hur
tho game. II Rickcy's new method
mad turned out better, more progress
sIve methods might have been In
-.nll.I Nm inst 40 long nS man