Evening star., 1922-09-03

First of all. the question will be
asked by many as to whether the
Giants, as team. are better than
they were last year The answer is
in the negative. Their catchers are
unchanged and no better. Snyder
seems to have had good season. yet
it is remembered that he ushered
himself out of St Louis because he
fell off in his work.
Kelly Is More Experienced.
The first baseman is the same and
Just as much better at first base as
young man could be expected to be
who becomes more and more ac-
customed to the position and who
tries. Kelly is as good as any right
hand first basemen playing. but he
is not as good as ,Sisler or Blue.
When Pipp is at his very best he is
as good as Kelly.
AT second base the sturdiness of
frisch makes up for the bad under
pinninE of Rawlings. The latter has
not been troubled so much physically
this year. Last year he was wrapped
up like an Egyptian mummy most of
the time, the wrappings soaked with
tiniment good for hoss and man
Frisch may do better than Rawlings
did in the world series of 1921. but
he viii have to go much farther than
Simple Solomon went in quest of the
silver spoons at the end of the rain
bow.
Bancroft is quite like the PLAYER OF
last year, but a little worse for wear
When Groh is sound. the Giants
show they have improved at third
base. The trouble is that Groh is
not very often sound. He has been
out a great deal and he is not a
player who has to be coaxed TO take
care of his joints and his muscles.
w hen thoroughly adjusted physically
and mentally. with each piston rod
working smoothly in its cylinder and
each little thought tinged with a
crimson sunset of happiness. Groh
plays sensational base ball but on
other days he doesn't
Outf~Id and Pitching WeaL.
There is nothing in the outfieId to
cause any one to attune his harp to
rhapsodies. Casey StengeI old and
cast off. became a star in it, That is
indicative of some conditions OF base
ball these days. Not that Casey LACKS
the mental ability. It's just the other
way. His wheels revolve in beautiful
uniformity. but his pegs are likely
TO splinter on him. any day and his
arm cracks when he puts it TO the
test of a long throw
The Giant pitching staff is made up
OF a combination of merit and me-
dlocrity. The fact that a major
league should lot Nehf, Jess Barnes.
Virgil Barnes. Scott. McQuillan, Ryan
and Jonnard compel it to put its
seven-headed neck through the yoke
IS the saddest reflection that could
be placarded on 1922 base ball
True. there was Toney and the pitt
full Douglas. They helped some, but
they are gone. Douglas was the bet
ter of the two. although when rated
as a wonderful pitcher. as he was by
some, one pauses to ask what super
latives those who Judge him so would
have needed to describe a Rusie, a
Mathewson or a Brown.
Nehf Is Hurting Mainstay.
Ryan is a hard-working boy, who
has not been discouraged when bit
terly criticized. Nehf is about the
best left-handed pitcher of the Ma
tional league. Barnes is good when
his frail physique has had time to
recuperate. The others, except JON
nard. are hardly likely to be dis
covered among the stars with an
opera glass. One would need a tele-
scope.
Those are the players who will be
declared eligible to compete for the
world series. Six former Giant teams
can be named offhand that would
have thrashed them until the dust
arose like a cloud.
Cunningham will be added to the
world series roster but he is not con-
sdered to be good enough for a
regular outf1elder in a team that,
while it has had star individuals.
never has had star outf1eld since
the ancients.