New-York tribune., 1921-02-27
Huggsgins Faces
Two Problems
In Flag Fight
Left-Handed Pitcher Needed.
Outfield Also a Cause of
Worry to Yankee Ro,.
By Z. !. Kelly

ST. LOUIS, Feb. 26.-The ssv.-.
contingent of the Yankees, cops,.,;.s
Of Traffic Managers Mark Roth avg
Charles McManus, Trainer Al Wood.
Groundkeeper Phil Schenck. a 49,
newspaper correspondents and a,
sortment of rockies, arrived here ls,.
this afternoon on the first leg of ~.
journey to Shreveport, La. Among ~.
youngsters are Pitchers John CliTo,s
Alex Ferguson, Tom Godfrey and "a
lie Pard, Catchers Eddie G-asslck ana
Charley Gault, and Outfelder Joe NM
son. The last named was picked -,
last night at Harrisburg.
The party, which is scheduled ;,
leave here late tonight for the train,
ing camp via the Missouri Pacific. was
joined In this city by another batch ~
rockies, and the entire squad is slatsd
to arrive at Shreveport some time n,
morrow afternoon. Many Of the otbs,
youngsters have been ordered to reno,,
! at the camp direct from thef, boIoa.
and it is expected that some of them
| will arrive there within the next fsw
days.
Manager Miller Higgins will proesAa
to the camp from his home, in Cjnc;n-
rati, and he is due to reach his des.
tination tomorrow. Scouts Gilks and
| Connery also are expected at Shreys.
| port IN a day or two. The regulars
viii start to drift into the training
| quarters about the middle of this week
and by week from Monday it is ~
pected that practically the entire per-
! sonnel of the squad viii be on hand
ready for the first real practice ses.
| sion.
Higgins Has High Hopes
Out Of the varied array of veteran,
and rockies Higgins has high hopes Of
! developing machine that will give
New York its first American Ieagus
| pennant. Since the last camosi0r
| closed he has engineered no less than
three trades, and has thereby brought
much needed strength to the club.
Hugglns seems to be fairly well sat.
istied that he now has the makinrs Of
a pennant winning team, but at the
same time he realizes that he faces
two more or less serious problems
which must needs be solved before the
Yankees can be depended upon to run
! a close race for the flag. The midget
manager must develop q dependable
left-handed pitcher and a capable left
fielder.
The Yankees arc well fixed IN the
box as far as first class right banders
are concerned. They have Carl Msvs
and Bob Shawkey, each of whom can
De appended upon to turn in a goodlv
number OF victories the coming season:
waite Hoyt, recently acquired from
the Red Sox; the veteran Jack Quinn,
VINO IS probably able to stand the rigors
OF at least one more campaign. and the
young Zip" Collins, who disDlaved
more IMAM ordinary promise last year.
IN addition, there are also a number
o. right handed rookie pitchers.
On the other hand. the only experi.
enced southpaw on the staff is Harry
harper, OF Hackensack, N. J., one Of
the most erratic portsiders in can.
tlVlty. 1t might be said that no major
league club ever breezed through IN a
pennant without the assistance If
capable southpaw, and the Yankees are
not likely to prove an exception to this
rule. " '''''
The Indians almost pulled the trick
last year, but they faltered toward the
END and were rescued at the crucial
moment by the sensational pitching Of
Southpaw Walter Mails.
Must Tame Harper
So it now behooves Huggins to tame
the wild Harry Harper or to deyeloo
a dependable left handler from among
the rockies. If Harper can acquire con-
troll, an asset that he has sadly lacked
these few years past, he viii undoubt.
ediy prove a big factor in the Yank's
drive this season.
In order to remedy the defect in
the pitching staff it is more than likely
that, Huggins will be forced to call
Upon Babe Ruth to take his regular
turn in the box along with the right
handers. The Bambino is aching to
take a fling at the opposing batters
from the mound, and he would solve
the southpaw problem to nicely As
a left-handed twirler the Babe" ranks
second to none of the portsiders in
me game to-day; He has done little
pitching during the last two years, but
it was as mound artist that he first
gained fame with the Red Sox.
Hugg1ns has now quite an array Of
hrst-class outfeid mate rial, but none
OF the veterans has had any expert
ence to speak of in left field. Bobby
Roth, who was obtained in trade from
the Senators, is a right fielder. and he
VIII probably patrol that post during
the coming pennant chase. He, like
Ruth, has never played in left field.
The Babe will most likely be used
In the center garden and this leaves
the choice of left fielder among Ping
Bodie, Bob Meusel and Wilson Few
ster. Bodie performed in left on thu
training trip last spring before Duffy
Lewis reported, but it is problematic
as to whether he can hold down that
position this season. Meuse has haa
no experience in left field and it Is
possible that Fewster may get the as'
signment If his services are not need
ed in the inner works.
Peck at Old Post
For che infield Higgins now pos
sesses an imposing lot of talent. ne
has Pipp, Meusel, Peckinpaugh, Me'
Nally, Fewster, Ward and Mitcnen
There is also the added possibility tnaI
Home Run Baker will decide 20 return
to the game, and in the event IhGs
he does he will most likely be used a.
third base, while Ward will be shllteu
to second.
Barring accidents, Peckinpaugh WIZ
be seen in his customary role Of snort
stop and Pipp and Meusel may AFTER
nate at first base, Pipp being en-
ployed against right-handed pitching
and Meusel against southpaws. Ahis
Mitchell as utility infelders and woa.a
release Fewster for duty in the o"F
field.
Assuming that WaIlie schang comes
to terms in the near future, the snhs
x.,sI IL