The New York herald., 1921-01-09
HUGGINS HAS JOB
TO BUILD YANKEES
Continued from First Page.

George Burns is an institution. He Is
well qualifed-judgmen in gauging
pitched balls, hitting. speed. He is the
best of run getters. and the lead Off
berth gives him the best chance to real-
ize on that knack. Bancroft Is good
lead off man too, but has done moro
as a second place hitter. None excels
him at advancing and otherwise
cooperating with a runner, Then, ac-
cording to the McGraw scheme OF things
comes Young to bring in the runner with
one of his abundance of base hits.
Burns. Bancroft. Young. Frisch, Kelly.
King, Kauff or Spencer. Doyle catcher.
pitcher--that is the way 1t was last
year. There is no present reason to
anticipate a different order next year if
the material remains the same. Rapp is
slated to succeed Larry Doyle, and there
is a chance of his showing qualities at
the bat making 1t wisdom to use him
higher up. BY and large. however. Nc
Graw Is but little addicted to batting
changes--much less so than Huggins-
and the order in which his men will bat
this season appears right easy to fore
see.
Much that illumines a retrospect sur
vey of the National League fielding OF
1920 can be had in the official averages.
During the playing seasons we are sur
feited with batting averages. but are
spared a similar affiiction regarding the
tielding--there's too much OF statistics
and too little Of the game-so that the
official fielding records. coming but once
year, are all the more enjoyable.
A few random facts as revealed by
the 1920 averages are instructive. George
Kelly, right handler though he is. easily
leads the first basemen in total assists
1O3. Left handlers are supposed to be
better provided by nature for quick
throws to second base and force plays
there than dexter arms. yet neither
HolSe nor Daubert rates UP in assists
with the Giants first baseman. The 1913
assists are a tribute to Kelly's arm, the
best in the National League. and due in
part to his wonderful throwing in relays
from the outfeld.
As a fielder Rogers Hornsby. batting
king. devoured chances. He has more
put outs and more assists than any
other National League second baseman,
which being the case it matters little
that he also had more errors. The
point is he covered more ground.
Branch Hickey recently said Hornsby
could circle the bases In better time than
any other player on his team. Smith
and Heathcote, swift movers, outfoot
him to first. but not all the way around.
Add to his fielding and long space con-
suming stride his batting ability and you
begin to realize what a manifold ace
the Cardinal is.
Among shortstops Dave Bancroft is
the fastest on defence He had 59S
assists and 1905 total chances. botn
leading totals. Arthur Fletcher is still
ground covering star. for his 522 as
sists are second to Bancroft's. Accurate
throwing supplements pedal nimbleness
to pile up these uneaualled totals.
Boeckel of Boston accepted most
chances among third basemen, though
Jimmy Johnston. Milton Stock and
Charles Deal threw out the more men.
1t is shown by the percentages. however,
that Frank Frisch. McGraw's third base
find--discovered and delivered by Arthur
Devln--covered ground to an unusual
extent. He had 251 assists in only 100
games. more per game than any other
ranger of the tertiary sector.
The best throwing arms OF the catch
ers. If the records speak truthfully, are
In Boston. There is Hank Gowdy with
1O4 assists for "a games. and there 10
George O'Neil. also above 100 and well
above in total assists. Gowdy has the
most per game. Otto Miller has 4is
put outs for SO games and the next
busiest is Vernon Clemons. st. Louis. 40S
put outs for i03 games; SO It seems clear
that the Brooklyn pitchers led in strik-
ing out batters.
As outfelders Heathcote Of the Car
dnals and Powell of the Braves are
more or less unsung. yet Heathcote
threw out rs men and Powell 25. Evil
IDENTIFY they rank among the best arms.
for Hcathcote's 26 assists tie Pep
Young's total. and Young boasts a fine
arm. Heathcote and Young lead, and
Williams. Paskert and McHenry also are
above 90. Roush and Williams covered
most ground in pursuit of fly balls, and
were in centre field, where II one can go
get 'em" he has most opportunity to