The Washington times., 1922-08-06
RUTH BOOSTS
YOUNG YANKS
NOW ON CLUB
Defends Charge That Members
Are All "Hand-Picked' anc
Points to Murray.
By BABE RUTH.

Points to Murray.
BY BABE RUTH.
His first 81 games this year,
10 home runs.
His first Ga games last year,
u home runs.
This date last year Gin los
games), 3S home runs.
N LEVELAND,. Aug. Sit is,
and for several years has
~ been, the favorite pastime
of some baseball critics to "pan"
the New York Yankees because
they so frequently acquire play
ers through trade or by purchase
from other major league clubs in
stead Of digging up youngsters in
the minors and developing them
to q point where they are fit to
break into the daily batting order.
1t is true that the Yankees are.
% a certain extent, hand-picked
club which cost a great deal Of
money to assemble. At the same
time some of the most efficient
members Of the cast are players
who came to the Yanks without
previous experience in the major
leagues and became star perform
ers under the direction of Manager
Miller Huggins or of Wild Bill
Donovan. his predecessor as pilot of
the Rupert Huston forces.
Among the hard-raised players
who now are trying to win the
Yankees second consecutive pen
nant are first basemnn WalJie Pipp.
second baseman Anson Ward. out
fielder Bobbie Meusel and a flock
OF second stringers, including catch
ers Freddie Hoffman and Al De
vormer and pitcher George Murray.
They're Outnumbered.
They are greatly outnumbered. Of
course, by the players who came
% the Yankees already developed
but unless I am greatly mistaken
IN my estimates of some OF the
youngsters now with the club or
destined to return to II in the fall.
the proportions win be greatly
changed next year. ..
For the present, the Yankees are
almost exclusively dependent on
hand-picked pitchers to carry their
hurling burden. Every member Of
their ''five-star pitching stair was
a recognized star with some other
club before he was acquired by the
Yanks and, except Waite Hoyt, re-
quired little or no especial train
ing after reaching the New York
club.
Next year, however, IL Is likely
that not less than two juvenile
Fingers will be seen on the hill
for the Yankees with increasing
frequency until they win their
spurs as regulars. They are George
Murray and Manly Llewellyn, both
right handlers and. by strange
coincidence. both college men from
North Carolina.
They are by all odds the most
promising youngsters that have
seen with the New York club in
years and will be surprised and
disappointed II either fails to make
the grade.
Murray was a star football player
MS well as an outstanding pitcher
for North Carolina State College
and was playing summer ball at
GrDenwood Miss. when Scout Bob
GiIks, of the Yankees. discovered
him. He Game up In the sum-
mer of 1921 and; after a brief in
spection at the Polo Grounds, was
shipped to the Rochester club of
tho International League for sea-
soning and experience.
He'll Be a Regular.
He was recalled last fall and has
been with the Yanks ever since.
EIa haoY'f hoH nhanna to haYaax,-
strate his ability as a starter. but
has finished a lot of games with
conspicuous success, and look fer
him TO be regular within another
year or so. .
He came up with good fast
ball, a fair curve, robust physique
and a willing spirit and during the
current campaign has developed q
knuckle ball which ranks with the
best that have ever seen. Op-
posing batters cannot touch this
ball when he has It under control,
and this Is most of the time.
Llewellyn halls from North Caro-
lima University and his capture by
the Yankees was the result of sheer
chance. Scout Paul Kritchell had
been sent to Took at" pitcher with
the University Of Virginia, and II
was the opposing club that day.
Llewellyn pitched for North Caro-
lima. hung 3 to shutout on V,r-
ginia. and made so great an impress
sion on Kritchell that the Yankee
scout passed up the pitcher he had
been sent TO see and signed Lew"
instead.
Llewellyn is well over six feet tall,
and Is Just such a pitcher as Her
man Pillette, the sensational young
star Of the Detroit Tigers. Like Pill
lette, he has a "sinker" like the one
that made Ernie Shore a great pitch
er for the Boston Red Sox, and with
Il a wonderful fast one and good
control.
I have a notion that he Is ready
right now TO win in any league, but
Huggins has no immediate use for
him, and has sent him to the Buff
falo club of the international League
to finish out the season there. This
will enable him to get the work he
needs, and probably do him more
real good than pitching to the bat
ters for the Yankees.
(Copyrlght, 1922, by Christy walsh
Syndicate.)
Navy Plebs Defeat