The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-04-13
BIC LEAGUE INNER DEFENSES SHOT TO PIECES THIS YEAR
Only One Major League InfieId Is Really Standing Pat
By JOHN H. FOSTER pyrirht 1921. by The Age-Herald

New York April 12.-It will be great battle among this years infields in the big leagues. Many strong word has been written about the inn portance of the pitchers to the man 1 agers. That's good 60 far as 1t goes but where will the pitchers land with the infields so shaken that most Of them look as if they has been throug!, corn sheller2
 In the National league there's only a single infield sta ling pat. It be- longs to Brooklyn. In the American league one was to have stood pat, that of Cleveland but it's boen raked fore and aft by injuries before game os the big schedule. has been played First Wambaganss went out with a broken arm. and now Lunte is dis 1 abled by a sprained ankle. And a 1 sprained ankle, mind you. is often | the longest time being mended next ! to flooded coal mine.
 ALMOST PAT
 | Washington is almost a standpat infield. 1t would be nearer so were l George McBride's easy ways to be i seen at shortstop. In the last moment the Boston Red Sox are coming through with a fielding infield that will give them all a chance to get out their opera glasses. McInnis at first, Pratt at second. Scott at short, and vitt at third will be close woven human. screen against ground balls. That four may hit, as hard as some, but right now fir n field standpoint, i they should block them as well as l Clevelands infield when the latter Is | going top speed. If the remainder of the Boston outfit were as generally as perfect as the infield the team, which they were counting out fort night ago, would have to be counte l in as front runner.
 l The New York Giants have switchei | Frisch 70 second and it's his normal l place where he will stop many a one 1 that Larry Doyle couldn't handle be- l cause Frisch is quicker starter Rapp on third is new to New York, but not new to baseball. He isn't a l spring chicken and is as good now as 1 he ever will be, probably al the top of his game and hit the Giants at the psychological moment for both.
 With Brancroft playing short for New York, their infield should be the fastest in the National league, espe- I cially in the early days when the ground is soft. After it gets hard, the 4 chances will not come so easy. YounR Ford of the Boston Nationals can run up eight and 10 chances in a game and never wink. There's nothing over speedy about the remainder of the l infield. The Phillies, none too well propped at the best, are still casting l about for first baseman with the season 24 hours in the offing.
 l Pittsburg is launching out with two l youngsters, Tierney. at second and Bankhart at third, but watch them | t<; ;1. s.t1- ir their freshman course this long while
 REDS SHOT TO PIECES I Cincinnati is shot to pieces. Only | one vet" Daubert is on the inner works and he is at first. The younger I chaps will vacillate when the pace gets faster. Hollocher is back at Chi cago, but the Cubs needs more thar i Hollocher. St. Louis would have beer a standpatter if Stock had turned UT to play third. It's pretty safe to say that Stock had his best year in 1920
 Hornsby isn't blue ribbon thir. baseman,' but if the spectacled Tor ,porcer pulls through at second, St I Louis is no worse off than it was las summer, providing the remainder O
 the infield holds up.
 The Yankees have got a new second
 baseman in Fewster, and no matte | what he does, he will have to crow himself with a lot of laurel to fielt the bags as well as they were fielde: l by Pratt last year.
 The Athletics look better fit witt
 Brazill at first base because he cal
 bat more consistently. That will hell his pitchers indirectly. Lee Fohl hasn' ! 8 notion that Gleason will be able tt
 do for him at second base nor ha. l anyone else. A lot of the Brown hopes go with Gleason. The veteran
 Eddie Collins, is all that is left of tn, 4 White Sox infield. The remainder o it is a good minor league outfit De
 troit has new first baseman, Blue
 and he dovetails pretty well with al E infield not overstrong but normal T Some shake-up when majors hay,
 made so many changes and it's thu
 pitchers who'll know 1t.