The Washington times., 1923-09-25


On the whole, Bob, the sturdy
yankee, has played better oall. than
Emil. the smuggling Giant, during
the 1928 season.. During the middle
Of the season Bob lost his famous
throwing arm, and the most ia
nous whip in the big leagues was
] useless for weeks. However, the
big Californian again is pegging
the ball around in his best style,
and he has overcome many of his
former weaknesses in the outfield.
Back in 1920 Bob was about the
most cumbersome outfielder who
played regularly in the majors.
About all he could do was to Catch
q bali If it came right to him and
prevent runners from taking extra
bases with rifle pegs.
Bob MeuseI, however, has inn.
proved with each passing season
I and today he is q steady, reliae
bic outfield, sure catch and q
player who has acquired the
knack of judging fly balls and
/ line drives in the difficult left
field at the Yankee stadium. He
also Is far better on ground balls
than formerly.
Oddly enough, while Bob Meusel
has improved 100 per cent as a
fielder, he isn't the robust young
slugger that ne was when he first
game into the American League.
Bob doesn't get as much distance
out of his hits as formerly. al
though be still is 800 hitter. In
1921 he was tied for second place
in home runs 70 Ruth with Ken
Williams, OF the Browns, each
Blugger hitting twenty-four four
baggers. This year Bob Meusel
has hit only six honers.
Emil Meusel, popularity known
as Irish played great ball early
In the 1929 season, but went stale
In midsummer. McGraw hlamesI
1t on the Japanese tour. and the
result of playing baseball almost
continually for twelve months.
When Emil Meusel failed to hit
with his usual vfgor in the pinchesI
the Giant percentage felt 1t. Emil's
batting average dropped from
around $50 to '.294, though he still
comes through occasionally with
one of his numerous honers. He
had smashed out sixteen such hits
up to the time that we closed our
averages, on September 10.
Emil's fielding, especially late in
the season, has not been particularly
good His throwing has been In,
on ground balls. En1fl's play was
very strong in the worlds series OF
1921 and 1922. He hit .345 in the
first Giant series with the Yanks
and $50 in the 1922 series. How
ever, while Heine Groh and Frisch
outbatted Irish by quite a mar
gin last autumn, Meusel was the
boy who knocked in the runs.
Meusel drove in seven Of the eight
cen runs scored by the Giants, and
every one of his five hits was
made to count. It was q slasfling
single from Meusel's bat which
drove in Bancroft and Groh with
the tying runs in the eighth inning
of the first game and put Frisch
on third base, in position to score
the winning run.
The next day it was Meusel-s
homer with Groh and F'riseh on
base In the first inning, which
enabled Jesse Barnes to pitch
the ten inning 3-to-3 tie with Bob
Sllawkey. Without Emil Me1Isers
hitting the Yanlxs would have
won the first two games Of the
1922 series.
Bob Meusel hit 200 in the series
OF 1921 and 800 last autumn. lead.
ing the Yanks at the bat in the
latter series. However, his failure
TO run out one infield grounder,
which was fumbled by Groh, cost
the Yanks one game, as Ward fol-
lowed with a home rum. which
would have tied the score had
there been a man on base
: Both of the Meusel boys were
credited with perfect fielding aver.
ages in each of the two worlds
series in which they took part.
In the unlikely event that either
Pittsburgh or Cincinnati should
win the National League pennant
each of these Western teams would
be found strongly fortified in left
field. While Carson Bigbee, of
the Pirates, is not hitting as well
as he did a year ago, he is a dash.
ing fielder, a graceful ground COW
erer and a dependable hatsrnan.
Pat Duncan is having one of his
best years in the majors, and is
hitting .316. His play has helped
keep the Reds in the running all
year. Pat. a big league novice in
1919. hit .269 in the worlds series
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