Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1922-03-21
PITCHERS MAKE
CARDINAL TEAM
APPEAR STRONG
Good Mound Corps Is Report
From st. Louis Southern
Camp.
PLENTY OF 800 HITTERS
BY DAVID J. WALSH.

NEW ORLEANS, March 2L-Ask any
well-informed baseball man what he
thinks Of the st. Louis Cardinals and he
will hook an index finger In your but
tonhole and proceed TO talk you silly.
pitchers, pitchers, pitchers, he VIII
chant. The Cards have pitchers"
He viii not think IL necessary to men
ton anything else. The fact that Branch
Hickey is down here with a few men
who can pitch a winning ball game from
time to time would seem to be enough.
For il is no Masonic secret that the
Cardinals are an outfit OF the most SIN
cere hitters ever known 70 major league
baseball, that, aside from the matter or
pitching, they are detensively irrepr0ach-
able and that speed on the bases Is their
daily dish Given q bit more consistency
in pitching last season ana the Cards,
not the Giants, might have been the team
70 come up from the surreptitious rear
to nip the Pirates at the wire.
Imagine your distinct chagrin and an
nOyance upon being asked TO go out and
pitch a winning game behind such sup
who led the league with batting average
Of .397; Mueller, who hit 49, his first
year in the lea que; Austin McHenry, 800;
steck Boe: Doc sffa aTan' So and d cif
Heathcote, .243. 1t must have been ter
rble ordeal for any Cardinal pitcher.
Yet with the winning of ball games
cut to their measure, so 20 speak, the
pitchers couldn't win consistently.
Now, however, all is sweet. At least
that is Branch Rickey's story; narrative
he conducts quite gibly. Mr.. Hickey is
nothing il not plausible.
He points first TO Bill Doak. the human
salivary gland, aged but still good; Jess
Haines, with good fast ball and e1-
celIent control; BIZ Pertica, just about
getting ready to show something de1nltei
SherdeIl, the left handler: North and JEFF
Pfefer, who seems to have attained com
mendable physical condition down here
and is really trying. These are Mr..
Riekey's prize exhibits
But il is upon some OF the younger
men that he pins his most optimistic
hopes There IS, for instance, Clyde Bar
foot, up from the Texas League, with
plenty of control on 8 good curve and
slow ball Then there is Arthur Rein
hart, q left-hander from Los Angeles.
who would be right good If he acquires
control; sid Benton, former University
OF Arkansas highlander; Bill Bailey,
Revere and Roy Walker. out Of the 10!
Hickey expects to Gull enough good
pitching to run with the leaders from
The infeId combination. Fourier,
Eornsby. Lavan and Stock, is topped
defensively only by the Giants. The
Hickey has eight men, any OF whom
might be considered q regular outhelder.
The list includes Smith. McHenry, Muel-
Ter, Mann, Heathcote, Del Gamer, Schulz
and Bert ShOttOn- Gamer is also avail
able for infield utility, although George
TopOrcer will get the call at every po
sition except first base.
Earl Adams, with Syracuse last year,
is the only tnheld recruit In camp with
chance OF sticking. He looks almost
too good 70 be true.
Beyond Clemens there is little 20 COM
mend among catchers. A1nsmith is a
bit passe; Denninghoven from California,
and Ellis from the University Of Texas,
are just prospects, nothing more.