The New York herald., 1921-04-10
HOPE OF DODGERS
RESPONSIVENESS
0FPITCHINGSTAFF
National Champions to
Start With Six Effec-
tive Twirlers.
GRIMES REMAINS HOLDOUT
Team Slow on Bases, but Has
Shown Power in At
tack.
GRIMES REMAINS HOLDOUT


season that was marked by much in
clement weather and the failure of
two or three regulars to report for a
full quota of preliminary workouts in
the South, are ready to answer the
gong that will start the National
League race. The bell will ring for the
Dodgers in Boston next Wednesday,
and Wilbert Robinson, the jovial leader
of the Flatbush team, hopes to get his
team off on its right foot at Braves
Field.
What are the chances of the
Dodgers this season? That is ques-
ton which the Brooklyn rooters are
asking themselves on the eve of the
opening of the long campaign. Rob-
inson always has made it a point to
assemble a formidable array Of pitch
ers. Last season the team had what
many considered the greatest array of
twirling talent assembled in any one
club In either league and the pitchers
carried them to a championship. VIII
the team repeat this year? Whether
It does or not depends on the mounds
men who are on Charlie Ebbets's pay
roll In the coming race as in last
years the gre est strength of the
Dodgers will be in the pitching de-
partment, and 1t is the most important
department of any ball club.
Manager Robbie will start the race
with six high class hurlers. Al
NTot, tolx ra1a
JEFF Pfeffer, Sherrod Smith and Clar-
ence Mitchell compose the sextette.
The fate of the Brooklyns rest In their
hands. If as many as four of them can
win consistently the team will be up in
the race all the way and the cham
pionship of the league may be retained.
Mamaux, Ruether. Cadore and Smith
will be used in their regular turn for
the first few weeks of the race.
Hot Weather Pitcher.
Pfeffer may not be caiied upon to
start many games while the campaign
is in it's infancy. as he Is not an effec-
tive spring pitcher. He Is at his best
In the torrid months of the race and
when he is right is one of the hardest
right handlers in the league to hit. Ca
dore is a great spring pitcher. and If he
does not win more often than he did
during the first three months of the 1920
race Robinson will be disappointed
Cadore pitched the famous twenty-six
inning game In Boston soon after the
race opened last year. and the marathon
did him more harm than good.
Ruether. the southpaw who was OBJ
tained from the Reds for Rube Mar
Guard. will be the teams best left handler
He showed great speed in the exhibi-
tion games with the Yankees. and If he
retains his "stuff' after the opening
gong has been sounded 1t is a cinch
that he will win with consistent regu-
larity. Ruether has set twenty-five
victories as his goal this season. and II
viii not be impossible to reach the
high mark If he pays strict attention
to business. If his pitching against
the Yankees may be taken as critic
rfon he should realize his ambition. He
Is enthusiastic over the deal that made
him member OF Robbie's pitching
STAFF and he Is out to win as many
games as possible for the good ma
tured manager. Mamaux and Smith
are in good shape and ready to go.
In reviewing the pitching staff of the
champions Burleigh Arland Grimes can
not be considered. He is an obstinate
holdout and the team Is doomed to start
the season without his services Eb-
belts has offered the great spitballer a
big salary for this season, but the at
tractive offer has been spurned. Grimes
VIII not get what he asks, and as he is
stubborn individual he may not give
in to the owner of the team II he does
accept what has been offered the Brook
lyns' chances of repeating will be in
creased tenfoid. The presence of Bur
leigh will make the pitching staff about
30 per cent. stronger. than it was last
aVxA t1.1 st....
leading contenders for the flag will have
mighty tough time beating them out.
Depends on Grimes.
How many games can each member
OF the great staff of pitchers be counted
upon to win7 If Grimes comes back he
should do as well as last year when he
won twenty-three and lost eleven But
let us say he does not do quite as good
and wins only twenty contests. Rue
ther should win the same number and
Pfeffers quota OF victories may be
placed at fifteen. Cadore and Mammaux
between them should turn In twenty
four winning efforts and Sherrod Smith
may be counted upon to win ten games
and Mitchell seven. That Is a total of
ninety-six victories and should be
enough to win the National League pen
nant.
Mitchell liz lefthander who uses a
spftbail and In past years has been very
effective against the Giants Robinson
Intends to use him often when playing
McGraw's men, and II Is logical to be-
lieve that he will continue as Giant
killer. Most of the games he won last
season were at the expense OF McGraw's
team.
The Dodgers outfield will be the same
as 1t was laet year. Griffith and Neis
viii divide the task of guarding right
field. with Griffith on duty when
Highlander is pitching for the opposI-
ton. In centre Hy Myers will be an
chored and Zack Wheat will cover left
sirld for the thirteenth consecutive sea-
son. Hood and Lamar will be the re-
serve fly chasers and both are good men.
The infield will be composed OF Honey,
kilduff. Olson and johnston. The last
nsrssd went through his first year as n
thtro baseman last season and this