The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1923-04-09
Yanks Haven't Trained
Very Hard, But Miller
Higgins Gives Reason

SHREVEPORT, LA, April s.
Though they trained on go-as-you-
please schedule in New Orleans, and
are returning home with their north
ern pallor still Unframed, the New
York Yankees are a better and a
wiser baseball club this spring than
they were when they won their sec
ond consecutive American league
pennant last fall. Babe Ruth and
Manager Miller Higgins leading
spirits of the team. believe the De-
troit Tigers are the club they must
defeat for the pennant. The White
Sox come next In the calculations of
the Yankees, in view of the fact that
the st. Louis Browns seem certain to
lose the services of George Sisler for
at least part of the season. Also,
it is observed the Browns have not
recruited any perceptible new
strength to their pitching personnel.
The Yankees have ahead of them
about 10 days more of socalled
training. This training will consist
of daily ball games, spaced apart
by overnight jumps in Pullman
berths. 1t is not the best conceiva-
bic program for bringing athletes to
prime condition or keeping them fit.
me men, do not sleep well on their
shelves and the jolting and stopping
have the eventual effect of jangling
the nerves. This is the customary
manner of earning the cost of the
training trips, even though it may
nullify the results obtained in the So
called camps. 1t may be abandoned
next year.
Higgins does not claim that his
team is now in championship form.
but he believes it were better so
because, he insists, the idea of train
ing is to get the men fit Just in time
Tor the opening of the season.
In Good Physical shape.
NO, we aren't as richly tanned as
the Brooklyn Dodgers" Huggins ad-
mlts wnen the charge is made that he
TOOK ms workmen to big city, and
not to o training resort, the Yanks
having pltched their training camp"
IN New orleans hotel, But that
only proves that the Robins
trained under warmer sun in Clear
water, RIA. My club is in pretty good
shape, We have lost only four or
i've days and our work did us all a
ioe OF good: III say that some of
u US aIeht hitting as we'll as we
should. III admit that some of orr
regular pitchers are not vet ready To
go nine innings. But We haven't a
ist man on the team this snrinp
everybody is down to weight and
our muscles are hard. even if we do
Seem pare by comparison with some
OF the fellows who trained lo,t IN
the country. I am using two nitchers
DAY on the way home. This worlT
VIII prlng all the pitching arms int
me condltion for a swift ret-away
Mnen the season opens. That is al,
most Two weeks away.
Huggins has heard II
work In the training camps as for
instance. John McGraw does Al,
rlsht. he says. that's McGr,w,s
method with his own team. Rut he
mas watched these mature PLAYERS Of
MS VINO aren't skittish colts any
hn,,, ana ne claims to know Just
now much work they need to make
them fit and how much thex can
stand without going stale. TwS and
oHe-nai1 hours day is the most he
eXacted of them. ne
Were Fat Last Year
Ruth and Carl NAYS and u.;..
Hoyt, the pitchers, were far 10 81
spring, and Ruth and NAYS never d;d
get INTO shape. Hoyt was tardy
about It, Bob Meusel was indolenf
partly because it's the nature OF the
Sent ana partly because he knew he
was sentenced to a long suspension
after the season began. Mike Nc
Naiiy and Home Run Baker were NOT
as good at third base in 1922 as Joe
Dugan Is this spring. Erin Ward al
second base was badly scared, during
the winter by intimations that the
Yanks would consider themselves bel :
ter OFF without him SO he is tearing
into MS work again to prove that if
there's any one man on the club who
can't be disposed Of it's Erin Ward.
Ruth has been doing very little
with ms pat. Being in such splendid
condition and so earnest about his
work, there is just one explanation
He isn't, swinging properly. He is
still reaching for his height and dis
lance. He seems too eager to please.
The eye trouble which Ruth told
about for the first time couple of
that served to spot the ball for him