The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-01-06
BURNS
And CR0H ARE
ON PAR BASIS
BY JOHN B. FOSTER.


Copyright, 1922. by The Argus.)
New York, Jan. 6.-Ostensibly
Heinie Groh has been a member of
/ with New York, which he has done,
Burns a member OF the Cincinnati
Reds ever since the two managers
put their heads together at Buffalo
and New York got the last chance
to chip in after Chicago and Pitts
burgh, or was it Brooklyn and St
Louis, had gone their limit The
(. actual election to membership on
the part of Groh did not take
place until he had signed contract
| with New Yor, which he has done,
| and Burns is still to affix his chaste
Spencerian to an agreement with
Cincinnati. Now that Groh actually
has signed it is in order to look
| over just what has happened. From
| the time that Burns began to play
! baseball with a minor league team,
which was in 1909, he has had a
batting average of 2S4. Since Groh
| began his career at Oshkosh in
1908 he has had an average of 1885.
| Close isn't it, so close that neither
| team can be said TO have gained
much over the other on that ex
change.
Burns will hit in as many run
| ners in a pinch as will Groh. The
latter's strong point as a batsman
| has been ability TO hit behind the
runner. That means that he is a
good secondary part of the so
called hit and run play, which
| should really be the run and hit
] play.
! Burns will run rings around Groh
as a base-runner He knows more
about that part of the game in
| every way. Groh never could slide
well and doesn't like to slide. In
motion he is no speedier than
Burns and on the bases moves with
much caution Burns has stolen
405 bases to 236 for Groh and that
is just about the difference between
! them,
| Burns has scored more than
| 1000 runs in his time and Groh just
| goes over 500. There is a years
| difference in ages, the Burns chap
being the older, both over 80. Both
of them were born in New York
state, Burns at Utica and Groh al
Rochester Burns has played ball
all of his life in New York state
and Groh was anchored in Ohio by
| the Giants in 1918.
1t was not the New York club that
sent Groh to Ohio but Joe Tinker
then manager of the Cincinnati
club, who insisted on having him
there. There was no part of the
first proposition by which the Giants
endeavored to get F'romme to pitch
for them but before Tinker would
/ give an inch to the Giants he in
sisted that Groh should be put in
which the other players who were
| offered. The New York club put VI
large objections but Tinker was
abdurate and when he put a time
limit on the trade it had to &c
| through. The New York club had
! been criticized for letting Groh gel
away but the club had no alterna-
tive and a piacher was needed al
tive and a pitcher was needed al
fielder.
There is rightful ground or
which to compare Groh and Burns
as fielderS Both are leaders il
their positions. Burns is, perhaps
the most certain outfielder playing
baseball today and the best sun out
fielder that ever played baseball il
the major leagues.
AS a run maker the chances are
that Burns is of more value today
to the Giants than Groh. The ques
ton then arises why he was traded
For no other reason than that the
Giants are afraid of third base a:
| oil
plav third in the world series bu
he played it with the luck of mar
who can catch two fish on one hool
every time that he throws it over
board.
The Giants have gambled on al
outfield that may hold its owl
against other outfields that ar'
none too rich with players anC
premise, gambled to the extent o
weakening it, and have thrown pre-
sumable strength into an infiel'
which was not the best in field tina
the Giants ever had in spite of yer!
fattering comment upon it by som'
who seemed to overlook few slip'
! that were made in the world series
New York has played it safe be
cause if the worst comes to tn
worst and something befalls Grol
, there is still the old combination o
Frisch and Rawlings for the infielt
: although there is no Burns for tn
outfield.
Moran has lost a very fine thirt
baseman who is to be supplements
by an experiment that will have t
be surrounded with some powerful
stage lights to make third base lool
the same. In the outfield Moral
, has gained much strength, which h
will need if the Cincinnati manage
ment adheres to its purpose to per
init Reush TO sweat if he will no
sign a contract at reasonabl
figure.
T;gar victories over big leagu