The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-03-17
Cobb Going About Spring
 Work i1 Correct Fashion
Manager of Detrots Entry in American League Race Expects to Give Most of His Attention to the
 Infield This Year
By IRWIN M. HOWE SECOND ARTICLE-DETROIT TIGERS


 Should ill-fortune overtake the De- troit entry in the American league this season 1t will not be through any mistake in the selection of a training camp. The Tigers occupy two splen- did old-fashioned mansions. situated high on the South Carolina side of the Savannah river. Within there 1 temporary home every modern com | fort and luxury Is at hand, and in Augusta proper they train in the well appointed park of the local team of the South Atlantic league.
 Detroit Roster
 Including Manager Cobb the Detroit roster numbers 36 men, as follows:
 Pitchers: Dauss. Ehmke, Rolling, sylvester, Johnson, Pillette, Stoner and Olson. right-handers, and Cole, oldham, Leonard. Johns. Kroog and Stewart, left flanders. Of these 13 candidates for slab positions. six are making their first bow in American league company. They are; Sylves- ter, Johnson, Pillette, Stoner, Olson. Johns and Kroog.
 Tho backstop staff consists Of Basslcr. Manion, Woodall and Spen- cer. the last named recruit Infield candidate are: Blue, Young. Cutshaw, Clark. Barnes, Rigney, Mann, Mer- ritt, Haney and R. Jones. Herman, Mohardt, Fothergill and Flagstead will try to beat Bobby Veach, Harry Heilman and Manager Cobb out of their outfield positions. It may be safely asserted right now that none of them will succeed in their worthy ambition.
 Two Big Holes
 Last season with two yawning holes in the infield. and indifferent pitchings Detroit finished sixth. This year, with the weak spots at short and second braced-to some extent at least-and promise of better work on the slab. Manager Cobb fig ures that the worst his team can do will be to advance. one notch. He hopes to finish ina xke first division.
 During the traiiSng season Cobb will devote practically all his time to the infield problem while Coach Dan Howley will sort out the Ameri- can league material from the herd of twlrlers that are now in camp.
 First baseman LaVerne Blue has no rival for the job as guardian of the Initial sack. The former Port land and St. Paul player showed more class last season than any former Tiger first baseman. Detroit has never been especially strong at this position but on the strength of his last years work Blue may safely con- ceded good enough for anybody's championship team. It is rather odd, but true, that on six American league teams first base is filled by men of extraordinary merit. Blue, left handed thrower, is natural right handed batter, but he has learned to turn around for the right handed pitchers and now hits equally well either way.
 Jones Fixture
 R. Jones is a fixture a third though young Haney. last year with Omaha, will be hanging around hoping for a chance to break into a big league lineup. Jones ranks near the top among the third basemen of the |. saague. There were fewer players of high class al the hot corner last sea son than has been the case for a dozen wears. Jones really displayed very marked improvement last year. In the parlance of the game ''He came" And. it may be said, he came fast after dawdling along several years. Boldly is a strong left hand hitter, is fairly fast on the paths and makes plays at third with such grace that the tough ones look easy.
 Elmer Rigney who has starred at Fort Worth and Dallas. is Cobb's main reliance at short. If this slim, speedy youngster can fill the vacancy left by Donie Bush, the Tiger leader will congratulate himself on his good luck. for neither Mann nor Merritt are considered ready for American company at this time. Rigney was a bear al fielding in the Texas circuit and if he can deliver for Cobb he will he kept in there whether he can hit or rot. The Detroit team probably lost ten games last year through err TOTS at short second after making al- lowance for games won by the bat ting of those who attempted to play those positions, all of whom were good hitters.
 Cutshnw Ready
 If Ralph Young is unable to re- cover his form so mysteriously lost fast year, George Cutshaw, the Ma tional league veteran, will cover sec ond. Cutshaw. though now far from being the brilliant performer he was for many years at Brooklyn, will be an improvement over the brand of second base play furnished by the Tiger candidates last season. Young's