New-York tribune., 1921-03-20

will devote MS time TO peT1ecClng
which as yet has not been fully decit
Frank Baker will be ready to step
;nfa his old position at third base dur
10 the coming week, as will Roger
ptekinpaugh, star shortstop and cap
ain Of the team. These two veterans
,rmained at the training camp this
reek. and have been practicing daily
vith the rockies. If Higgins is salts
ssd that they are in condition when
a. squad returns to Shreveport Mon
asv morning they will appear in the
hating order in the three-game series
NTH the Dodgers which will open there
On Thursday.
Hurcins will be forced to solve sew
syal problems before he can make any
SsAnite decisions as to his lineup for
ths opening game of the championship
aesson. One of the most important of
tAese will be the formation of regular
;r6sld. Not that the Yankees are in
nsed Of even one more capable infelder,
but, on the contrary, they have plenty
bf experienced guardians of the inner
works, and what makes the problem
I'll the more difficult of solution is the
fact that he cannot pick four infielders
without keeping at least one very capa-
ble payer out VI tHc ktiic-up.
Abundance of 1nfielders
There are no less than eight infeld-
ers Of major league caliber on the
scuad. These are Ruth and Pipp, first
bssemen; Fewster and McNally, second
basemen; Peckinpaugh and Mitchell,
shortstops, and Baker and Ward, third
basemen. So it can be seen that Hug
gins is in possession of two sets of
iuHelders, either one of which would do
Justice to almost any big league club.
In addition there is the hard-hitting
Bob Meusel, who is also capable of
staying third base.
Several of the nine inficlders men,
toned are also outfelders of experience
and their strength can be easily shifted
10 the outer gardens. Ruth has hereto
fore been playing first base, more with
view to getting him into proper play
ing condition than with any thought of
staying there permanently. Within the
next week or SO the Babe probably will
be shifted to center field and Pipp to
first base.
According to present plans Huggins
viii station Baker at third base, Peck
inpaugh at short, Ward at second and
pipp at first. Roth and Ruth are prac-
trally certain of patroling right and
center field, respectively. That leaves
the choice of left fielder among
Bodie, Fewster and Meusel. So, what
ever decision Huggins comes to in re-
gard to his regular lineup, several
srst class players will be forced to re-
main on the bench.
With such sluggers as Ruthf Pipp,
Roth, Baker, Schang, Peckinpaugh and
possibly Meusel in the batting order
the hitting strength OF the Yanks will
be far superior to any other team in
the major league, and although not
quite as strong on the defense they
will have very capable array of
helders. -.A,,vf
Veteran Pitchers in Shape
Fewster and Mitchell have been play
Ing great ball, particularly on the de-
Tense, and have demonstrated that they
must at least be given some considera-
ton when it comes time for Huggins
to decide on his regular lineup.
Aaron Ward has already come up to
bis hight standard play at third, and
las already done some hard and timely
altting. He has played at second base
IN only two or three practice sessions
50 Tar, and it still remains to be seen
whether he can perform as we'll at the
midway as he did at the far corner
Mst season. AT present he does not
seem to be quite as fast as Chick
ply.
few of the veteran pitchers have
asFeady been sent to the mound in
some Of the exhibition games, and
Mth1n the next ten days or so most of
!nem ought to be going at full blast.
gail Mays is probably in better con-
Mtloi' at present than he has been at
Ris stage of the training period in
@any years past. Jack Quinn and
larry Harper have also rounded into
Pretty good shape. Bob Shawkey.
waite Hoyt and Rip Collins are going
s.ong at very easy pace, but will be
Msned loose in some of the exhibition
@ntests IN the near future.
during the first week of the spring
ssmes the Yankees have come up to
1pectations in every sense of the
s0ld. They have played high brand
baseball. They encountered some
xM pitching for the first time this
ssssk, and in most of the contests col
netsd an imposing array of hits, in
Nuang many extra base wallors. On
~ oefense their work has been Of a
s, sssn order, and this applies to prac-
ssaiiy every player on the team.