Evening star., 1921-12-22

If Clark Griffith is as sweet on
Peckinpaugh as he always has seemed
to be 1t is just possible that the for
mer Yankee ShortStop and captain
may land in Washington before all
the transfers are through in the
American League. Peckinpaugh
would add lot of strength to the
Washington infield and working by
the side of Harris the pair would
make most of the infields on the cir
cult sharpen up their spikes to keep
the pace that Peck and Harris would
set for them.
Peckinpaugh's bents toward mama
gerial ability also might be a con-
Sideration in Washington. 1t was the
part Peckinpaugh played on the
Yankees that brought him into L.s
favor with some. and now the faction
in New York which always has been
strong for Peckinpaugh will have a
chance to see whether the Yankees go
as well when he is off the team.
There was a determined effort last
season to put Peckinpaugh at he head
of the club and ii was only prevented
by the exercise of calm judgm. 1t and
good sense. Had the change been
made the Yankees might not have
won pennant.
1t was the contention of Peckin-
paugh that Huggins lacked decIs,on IN
critical moments and even after the
world series there We're heard some
expressions of criticism regarding the
hnadling of the pitchers. although as
a matter of fact the series was lost
because of two vital errors in the
face of pitching that was.good enough
TO win both of the games in QueS-
tiOn.
TObin Shines rs Batsman.
ip the batting averages of tie
American League there is hidden
away a piece of information that is
TOO 1DDNyN 1sn loo ~lya@ VIC
fact that Heilmann did beat Cobb
handily for the years championship
is one matter of much Importance be-
cause it is always a feat to beat
Cobb. That Heilmann lasted long
enough to beat Sisler is another fact
of interest. There is little batter
out in St. Louis. however. who made
just one less hit than Heilman. His
total is 236, as against 231 for He'll
mann. His name is Tobin. Had he
. taken few more bases on balls he
would have had a very good chance
to- beat all the big batting bugs in his
league. AS it is he has the record OF
making even more singles than He'll
mann. because he rolled up 179 to 161
for the champion.
a record like that puts Tobin in the
spotlight when estimates of playing
strength are beginning to be made
for next year. \ batter who can hit
more singles than Heilmann and who
was only one underneath him on the
total number of hits made. and who
is on the same team with SiSler, who
rolled up 2l6 hits. while Jacobson,
also of St Louis. rolled up 2l1. is a
batter to be watched. Even more, they
all are batters to be watched. Ss$
Detroit Needs Infelders.
While the American League people
were making their transfers in New
York it was freely asserted that De-
J.,
offer to get better infield. and that
part of the play would be for Mitchell,
TIE Californian. who has been with
the Yankees a year, but who mas not
been used much as a utility player.
Detroit is in'need of some inflelders
and. with the shifts that nave been
made by other clubs, must get
strength to make any headway in the
fight next season.
Cleveland recognized it's weakness
at first base and did what it was pre-
dicted Speaker would do-gOt McIR-
mis- from Boston. Speaker can afford
to let all of his first basemen get
away. after that. McInnis is faster
than Johnston or Burns. The former
has slowed very perceptibly in the
last year.
The addition of McInnis may mean
Increased batting strength to the
team. because he was handling the
bat much better in 1921 than he had
in some previous years. If it was
only a flash in the pan the transfer
will still prove to be fairly good from
the Cleveland standpoint, because it
will end the double team combination
which Speaker had used for two
years. McInnis will hit well against
both left-hand and right-hand pitch
ers and probably was taken on for
that purpose. Another fact which in
dicates that Speaker will cut down
"a
shift. players with right-hand and
left-hand pitchers is that he let Smith
go to Boston.
Smith did not bat as well in 1921
as it was figured that he would after
the world series in 1920. He did not
live up to his reputation of knocking
the ball over the fence with the bases
filled, and perhaps that is why he was
passed along to the Red SoX.