The Washington herald., 1922-11-21
GIANTS OUTER
GARDEN LOOMS
AS STRONG ONE
Nay Rival Fame Of McGraw's
S100,000 Infield If 0'con-
:gelI Makes Good.


BeIl Makes Good.
IF Jimmy O'Connell, the young
down the memory that his
SanFrancisco star, can live
release cost John McGraw SO. 900
In cash and as much more in play
ers. he will 60 long way toward
mixing the Giant outfield stand
out over the rest of the league
hke. the infeld now does.
II Is not always easy for a costly
Young player to deliver S150,000
worth Of value from the start.
Fans are quick to find a flaw in
the work Of a man whom they
think should be perfect, Few
youngsters. however. come to the
big league with as brilliant a record
aso'Connell has to back up a high
purchase price.
9'Connell. always a 800 hitter in
theE Pacific Coast League. finished
ths- extended season out there with
an-average Of .336 in 1s6 games.
p But what Is even more important
to McGraw-for he knew O'Connell
copid hit-the prospective Giant
covered center field like he was
bonn there.
When the Giants bought o'Con-
nell last winter for 1898 delivery,
the. youngster was a first base
man. Knowing that George Kelly
was: only getting a start on what
prnmises to be a long big league
career. McGraw asked the San
Francisco management to use
OiConnen in the outfield in 1929. so
that the recruit would be fitted to
try for George Burns old job in
0utfield Top Notch.
No star that McGraw ever will
gst-could make fans in the National
League forget George Burns, but
the-Giant chieftain thinks O'Connell
viii earn a place equally high in the
estimation of Polo Ground GUS
TONER'S. And. II McGraw thinks
that, 1t is a rather safe bet that
center field will be plugged" next
summer.
Having Meusel on one side and
Ross Young on the other. O'Connell
wiz possess a far more able support
ing cast than most rockies find wait
ing for them in the major leag
II =OConnell shoots anywhere near
the mark set by Meusel and Young,
the Giant outfield question will be
settled for long time to come.
With center field attended to as
wen as right and left, the Giants
viii present an almost impregnable
defense-both infield and outfield.
Only the Cincinnati outfield will be
within striking distance of that of
the worlds champions. The rest of
the league will not even be in the
race for such honors.
Cincinnati, with Harper, Roush,
Duncan and Burns to choose from,
WIN stack up nearly as strong as
the Giants in some respects, equally
as strong in others. but far from the
plane Of the champions in still
others.
Made Roush Take Seat.
OF these Cincinnati men. young
Harper is by no means the least
brilliant. He made the veteran star.
Ed Roush, take a seat on the Red
bench for many weeks after the
champion hold-out returned to the
fold in mid-season. In fact, Roush
never did get into the game as an
out-and-out regular last summer. He
probably will replace Duncan in the
1923 campaign
who seems to be slipping. He has
been in the league four years. Right
next to him is George Burns. who
has just finished twelve campaigns
with the end not yet In sight.
The Pirate outfield was effective
last summer. but by no means bril-
liant 1t Is a veteran combination,
beginning to see the end. Bigbee
and Carey are its oldest stand-bys
Rebel Russell, who completes the
trio. Is a converted pitcher. far from
young. His chief asset Is a pen
chant for leaning hard against the
weak pitching that has been served
up since the new rules were made
In 1920.
Cardinals Have Numbers.
Branch Hickey has numbers and
theories in his outfield. but his outer
garden. as a whole. lacks quality.
Most of the men can hit. and Jack
Smith. IN center, approaches star
dom But there are mahy things
the st. Louis outfield cannot do.
McHenry. another promising Cardi-
nal gardener, lies at the point of
death in a Cincinnati hospital. and
may never be able to play again,
even IL he RECEIVERS.
The outfields of the second division
clubs in the National League lack
almost every requisite, as It is
natural they would. Here and there
stands an Individual Of merit, past
or present, but the general grade is
low. The mediocrity of their mates
is-one factor contributing much to
the standing these men enjoy.
Williams, of Philadelphia, and
Wheat and Myers. of Brooklyn. are
examples of men who stand out on
second division clubs. Wheat and
Myers. especially. were stars in their
day, but the shadows of the minor
league are falling ominously across
their path. 1t is said on good au-
thority. however, that neither of
thsss men were included in the
wholesale waiver request that Eb-
bets filed some time ago.
Greatest OF All.
While the Giants outfield Of 1923
VIII be truly great in every respect.
Il still will fall quite a little short
of the mark set by Lewis, Speaker
and Hooper in Boston. In every
other department of the game there
IL unending argument as to who was
the greatest ever. but young and