The New York herald., 1921-04-18
DESPISED TEAMS
SHOW THEIR GRIT
Athletics, Braves and White
Sox Anything But Door
mats First Week.
by WILLIAM h. HANNA.

The first few days of a baseball sea
son aren't worth much as indicating
what will happen. but just now they
are all we have. There have been no
developments of an unusual nature, but
OF what there have been the large at
tendance after the black eye the gauc
received last year Is the most crafty
ing. The public Is still with baseball
with it strong. The public evidently
believes that crookedness Is sporadic
and exceedingly far apart and is show
ing It's faith III the game by attending
and sticking to 1t.
Nearly everybody believes that way.
1t Is inconceivable that there could be
any fresh crookedness, and in all prob
ability the rascals have been pretty we'll
driven out. Once the wrongdoing was
exposed, 1t seems to US that the base
ball people-club owners and other Of
ficials-have done rather we'll in getting
rid of the offenders and other undesir-
ables. They went at 1t firmly and made
as good progress as was possible 10
make. There is more to praise the
baseball authorities for in this cleanup
house cleaning business than to blame
them for.
On the ball field what stands out most
is the grit and hard fighting-not Alto
Sether unsuccessful. either - shown
opening week by the White Sox, Ath-
letics and Braves. Those OF us who
have seen the Athletics know frorl OBJ
servation that this club Is playing as
II II didn't regard itself as anybody's
doormat and that 1t would take more
than opponents regulations to beat it.
The Braves have played from tho
start like team determined TO do bet
tny- Ia a ,-t@ Ca
ability to do better. They play not only
like a team hard to beat, but that can
do some beating. The White Sox don't
seem to be discouraged, and began not
only with plucky spirit. but also with
nifty deeds.
All fine as far as IL goes We are
cealing with what has taken place and
rot with what may take place. 1t is In
part with these teams a question of how
their pepper holds out. When the game
becomes wearing and grinding and the
victories come hard and infrequentIy
against what for the present must be
regarded as superior class. will the pep
per and persistence and the confidence
hold up? That's the question
The first series for the Yanks has
shown the fans a team with an outfieid
below big league standard but which
will be better when Roth takes Meuseis
place: a first class, well balanced infield
OF fast and slick cooperation we'll bal
enced pitching staff. but, with Shawkey
out, not at Its best for the moment, and
with energy, II not brilliancy. behind the
bat
Schang. II Is said. Is not the headiest
OF catchers, but he Ia hustler, radiates
that quality and Is the fighting type. and
/ don't know but these are better
more useful qualities than brains with
out these qualities. incidentally. ss
well as by the way, / don't remember
ever to have seen a smart catcher who
IL not OF the hustlng. bustling type
didn't have with his brains fighting quail
tiles and the knack OF instilling conf
dence Look them over-Buck Ewing
Billy Sullivan. Lou Criger, Jack O'Con-
Tor, Martin Bergen, Roger Bresnahan.
B.n Kilifer. Steve O'Nelll. Ray Schalk.
George o'Neill. John King. Walter
Schmidt, George Gibson-all fine catch
ers Schang begets a feeling OF stabii-
ity and security.
The peculiar appeal OF the Giants is
their versatility. their all around
strength In this regard they excel the
ankees. For two games the Giants
had more stolen bases than most teams
had for the first four. The team can
nit and run bases and has it's share OF
long hitters. 1t has a shifty enveloping
defence. ability to weave In and out.
overlap. back up. The infeld Is a flash
afoot. young. hustling and covering
ground like the grass.
II Big Brown fits In with Young and
Burns-and against the Washingtons his
fielding kept pace with his mates-there
isn't an outfield in the arena that can
IN, Nnx g
not so you could notice II. Burns and
Young can't be beaten as throwers, and
they're keen. quick thinkers.
THE Yankee outheld has throwing
s.rength. Meusers arm isn't equalled
IN the American League. He Is poor on
ay balls. but wasn't deserving OF the
blame heaped on him for his failure TO
,ret Perlxins's fly In the second game with
Tho Athletics. II would have been a
hard catch for the best of them. Only a
fast man with the knacf OF making a
ouick start, such as Harry Hooper, could
have collared that ono.
Hugh Jennings and Cozy Dolan made
ersaf nair for the Giants. They are
,irelesa workers on the coaching lines.
and no games will be lost for want OF
effort to keep spiri.s keyed up. Each
has ways all his own and each is es-
sentiaily a live wire. shrewd to grasp
situation and dynamic In compelling a
batsman or base runner to exert himself
10 the utmost. A lot OF electricity and
inspiration will shoot back and forth
with those two working at opposite
sallcnts OF the square.
--
SOUTHERN ASSOCIATIONS.
At Mobile 90 innings)- 4 II y:
Mobile ................s..... ~ ?
Chattanooga .......s.. s.s..t..