The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1920-02-05
STILL SEEKS
CARDS. BEST
BALL PLAYER
McGraw Has Not Given Up
Hope for Roger Horns

NEW YORK. Feb. 4.-Cilcumstan-
ces have conspired to crowd the
Giants out OF their accustomed place
in the public eye this winter, but
this condition will probably be rem
edied in the very near future, when
Field Marshal John ]. McGraw re-
turns from Cuba to engineer a series
Of deals Intended to reinforce the va
rious weak or threatened sectors of
his battle line. Rumor still persists
in making Roger Hornsby the CEN
trail figure in the Little Napoleon's
plans. and in this particular instance
rumor is as good guide as any.
That ne Giant leader greatly COW
els Hor1Sby is an open secret. The.
Vns a line last summer when he
would gladly have given upward oi
100000 for the free swinging, hard
hitting Cardinal star, and. the longing
for the mighty Texan has not abated
one iota since. He still Graves Horns
by to succeed Heine Zimmerman and
round out his infield, and at the Ma
tional Leagues spring meeting will
doubtless make another determined eff
fort to win him from st. Louis.
He will scarcely be deferred by
Branch Rickey's repeated declara-
tions that Hornsby is not on the mar
ket at any price. Before conceding
defeat in his efforts to snag the only
man in the National League who is
likely to rival Heinie Groh next sea-
son he will bring such pressure to
bear upon the owners of the Cards as
only the Giants, with .he almost I'M
limited means at their disposal could
exert. He is almost, II not quite, as
anxious to acquire Hornsby as the
Yankees were to grab Babe Ruth and
will bid as high for his man as they
did for theirs.
Failing to land Hornsby, the Giant
leader would be rather hard pressed
to snag a first class third baseman.
Groh, of course, is beyond his reach
and the rest are not an impressive
lot. j. Carlisle Smith of the Braves
has been mentioned as a Giant posi-
bility and 1t may be said that this bat
tle-scarred veteran could fill the bill
for a single season. 1t is doubtful,
however, IL McGraw would turn to him
except in dire emergency.
Beyond repairing the break at third
there isn't a great deal for McGraw
to do in the way OF reconstruction.
George Burns. Bonnie Kauff and Ross
Young still constitute first class out
field, the battery departments leave
fbut little to be desired, and few IL
any rival anything on Frank Frisch
and Arthur Fletcher around second
base. First and third stand out as
the only visible weak spots in an 9TH
erwise impressive arrangements and
II Chase comes back or Kelly comes
through there will be no cause to
worry over first.
Chase's plans for the future, how
ever, are still somewhat uncertain.
Despite denials of a report that he
is thinking of retiring, Chase is very
likely to be among the missing when
the Giants mobilize at San Antonio.
He Knows that the end of the string is
in sight and is anxious to become es-
tablished in. some other profession
while still a comparatively young
man, II any one of the several prop
csitions. he has in mind plans out he
will bid the Giants and the diamond
list farewell.
This would leave George Kelly as
the only available first baseman, and
McGraw might we'll hesitate before
entrustlng all his eggs to this uncer.
tain basket. Kelly showed to better
advantage last fall than at any other
time since he first Joined the Giants
some years ago and. once properly
] started, piled mean pole against all
sorts of pitching. The evidence was
not exactly conclusive, however, and
so, pending assurances that Chase will
come back in something approximate
ing his best form Of other years, first
base must be regarded as position
Of doubtful strength.