The New York herald., 1921-04-19

HUGGINS DISPOSES
OF YOUNG YANKEES
Ray French to Vernon and
Pitcher Clifford to Jersey
City Club.
PITCHERS NOT IN TRIM
This Is the Principal Reason
Of the Hard Hitting of
Rival Teams.
PITCHERS NOT IN TRIM
BY WILLIAM Il. HANNA.


BY WILLIAM II. HANNA.
Two OF his spring crop OF Yankees
were disposed OF by Manager Hugsins
Yesterday and now he is down to
twenty eight men. He has until May Is
TO get to the twenty-five player limit.
Ray French. infiedcr fast lad with
much cayenne and more nerve, has been
sent TO Vernon, Cal. under optional
agreement, and Jack Clifford the pitch
eI, who did most creditable pitching for
the Yanks in the South, goes to Jersey
City, under the management OF Pat
Donovan. Clifford was with Rochester
last year. and is a cool headed. expert
enced workman. French is likely to be
up on the main line for good some day.
tTe went to Japan with team or pro-
iessionals last winter.
The twenty-eight still left include
Frank Baker. always q conscientious,
CLEAN living player of model habits. who
as yet has not been reinstated by Judge
lands. If. perchance. 1t is decided that
Baker, because OF having played against
or with ineligibles last year, is not to be
reinstated, the game will lose high
class performer one who Is a stranger
to booze and tobacco one who manages
to stagser along without the use of
profanity in his conversation one who
goes to bed carly and gets up early; one
i'll Of fellow player. and one devoted
TO his family. an athlete and gentle
man.
Higgins still has around Tom snee-
han, pitcher. and Chicken Hawks. Tom
Connolly and Walter See-Cap Christen-
sen. outfielders, each with virtues which
will cause Hug a deal of guessing be-
tween now and May Is.
Charles Stoneham, boss of the Giants,
said YESTERDAY thought Pep Young
would be ready ) play in about week,
and ii is likely lob Roth of the Yankees
will be out at least that much longer.
Both of the right field gents have water
on the knee. Meanwhile Curtis Walker
Is hitting a high pace for the Giants
and Youngs job is being well taken care
OF. The problem for McGraw IS what
to do with Walker when Young returns.
Brown is doing well In centre field. and
McGraw wants him out there because he
Is right hand hitter
The first double header in New York
will be on May 2s when the Athletics
play at the Polo Grounds. They'll be
back on May too. but that is Sunday.
Jack Wilson. Ban Johnson's new UNI
pire, who doesn't allow the fact that
Brooklyn was his original habitat to
blight his life. will be valuable addi-
tion to the arbiters' clan If he keeps on
as smoothly as he has begun. In his
game behind the bat last week he fol-
lowed pitched balls in expert style. had
some OF Bill klem's mannerisms in stoop-
ing and swaying to watch the orbs
flight and handled the job in compe-
tent. businesslike way.
John Heydler. National League head
has gone West for q two weeks tour of
the Western time. On Sunday he will
attend a meeting or the advisory council.
consisting of himself Landis and John
son. in Chicago.
The hard hitting going on abundantly
In the big leagues just now is not an
unusual condition for this time of year.
j. often happens when teams come up
from the South and strike cold or wet
weather or both. IL means that a
goodly share OF the pitchers aren't in
trim yet or that they have had set
backs after being in trim, or that the
curve ball around the knees isn't work
Ing yet. The Brooklyn pitchers have
been hit harder than they have any
license 10 he wnen they're on edge and
Arthur Nchf Is the only ono OF the
Giants boxmen who has shown the
condition which means a pitcher at his
best. At the Polo Grounds there has
been effective pitching and with dark
DAYS TO help II.
Most of the clubs have seen one
or more OF their moundmen take
humping. although In three OF the first
four games at the Polo Grounds there
was pitching which dominated the bat
tes. Mays was in rare form. Rommel
went In August form In the second
game and the third was an out and out
pitchers battle between Piercy and
Harris.
At n dinner TO Iris Speaker in Hous-
ton recently Doak Roberts. president
OF the Texas League, presented TO
the guest OF honor the first contract he
ever signed. Roberts had the contract
IN his safe all the years he was head OF
the Houston club. and promised Speaker
he would present him with the instru-
rnent II he ever ceased to be a club
owner.
''Tt was a very useful paper 10 me In
my dealings with players" Roberts told
the writer in Shreveport. at was the
best argument I had In convincing young
fellows coming up in the spring that
their salary ideas were a little steep
I'D show them the contract Speaker
signed and how mach he signed for. and
then I'D ask them if they thought they
were worth more Just brea king I'm than
Speaker had been. That seldom failed
10 change their ideas and bring them
to a more reasonable frame of mind"
SOUTHERN ASSOCIATION.