Evening star., 1923-04-10

y
Ever since the Georgian assul
threw aside i'll the spring of 1921
pitching staff of sufficient merit to
attack, and he is contented with t
he will start his third season as {
, Derrill Pratt's infusion in the first
line of defense at second base. that
was weak spot ever since the col
lapse of Pep" Young. rounds out the
best ,infield the Tigers ever have
had-at least, it is the best that wore
the garb of the Bengals since the
winning days of the Jungle
cian back in the early part of Jen-
nings' regime.
Last fall. when the Yankees quail
ned tor the second time to participate
In the world series and the Browns
chased them to the last day of the
race ere they were counted out, the
Tygers, resurrected from a seventh
place club, slid safely into third
place.
Pitching in 1922 Shnky.
Then Cobb had a shaky pitching
staff. green younsster in Rigney at
shortstop and a veteran of twelve
years in the majors. George Cutshaw,
oolng his best on brittle legs, at sec
ond base. To land where they even
tualiy did the Tigers We're compelled
10 overcome three SeSious reyerSes
depths of the standing
1t is contended by some of the fore
most critics in base ball that the mis-
fortune which overlook the team was
the factor that beat it out of the pen
nant. Yet the chagrin each reverse
caused was eliminated by positive
proof that the Tigers are a game
club.
TO this asset Manager Cobb has
added what he reiterates is 90 per
IN trln ~
ters principally in the pitching staff,
that embraces nine men whose status
is determined by concrete proof of
their ability when exposed to the
drum fire of the circuits hitters of
established merit.
Pillette Main Reliance.
Herman Pillette, the leagues re-
cruit sensation last year. ought to be
better for his experience. With a
wobbly ca st behind him, the young
pitcher. who came to the Tigers from
Portland, i'll the Pacific Coast League,
as a gift in the sale of Sylvester
Johnson, won nineteen games. and
was second in the rating of mounds
men In earned runs per each nine in
ningS.
Johnson. though he suffered inju-
rles that kept him out of the game
for nearly the whole season, estab-
ltshed record of seven games won
against three lost. With Pillette and
Johnson s nucleus, Manager Cobb
Will have George Dauss, Arthur Olsen;
Rip Collins. obtained in trade from
Boston for Howard Ehmke; Ray
Francis. who came TO the Tigers in
the deal that sen Chick Gagnon to
Washington: Kenneth Holloway. pur-
chased from the Augusta club of the
South Atlantic League last summer,
Roy Moore and Bert Cole Francis,
Moore and Cole are left-handers.
In the statistical tables of the
run scoring achievements of the clubs
offer evidence of the power in the
Tygers' offensive. Participating in
l55 games, the club hit S28 runs over
the plate. for an average of 5l2 runs
each nine innings.
Have Dozen 300 Hitters.
Granting that the Tigers, equipped
as they are with great hitters, will
do as well in the coming race, pitch
ers who can hold rival clubs to an
a-@rage of four runs per game ought
to be consistent winners for Man
ager Cobb.
That pitching staff ought to win
with frequency exasperating to rival
Clubs. too. Inventory of the roster
shows twelve men who hit last year
for averages of 300 or better. Rec
ords do not reveal d parallel in the
history of base ball. Eleven of them
wore the garb of the Bengals during
the season of 1922; the other, Pratt,
brought his slugging proclivities with
him from the Boston Red Sox.
Manager Cobb, who is officially
credited with .4o1. tops the list, Of
course. Following in the order of
their averages come Heilmann. 1856;
Haney. 1852; Woodall. .344; veach,
.327; Bassler, 1923; Fothergill, 1922;
Flagstead, .30S; Moore. .3OS; Pratt,
1902; Blue, 800, and Rigney, 800.
In this regard Manager Cobb can
place a complete batting order of
nine 800 hitters in their regular po-
sitions. Blue. leading off, would be
followed by Haney. Cobb, Veach.
Heilmann. Pratt, Rigney, BassIer and
Moore. MooreS status isn't suffi-
ciently established to warrant Cobb's
starting him. Haney, though is apt
to be seen at third base frequently if
the rival managers insist upon pitch
dng left-handers against the Tigers
with the abandon they have been
won't to in the past.
Three Rockies Make Good.
Out of the maze of recruits that
Manager Cobb picked up for trials
three have been extracted for utility
duty-Manush, a youthful outfielder,
from the Omaha club of the West
ern League; Johnny Kerr, shortstop,
from Denver, in the same loop, and
Roy Spencer, catcher, who played
with Manush last season.
Johnny Neun, unpublished as a
nelder, but a good hitter. would be
retained, too. but Cobbs decision to
carry nine pitchers. eight infielders.
three catchers and five outposts pre-
cludes the slightest chance for Neun
to stay up this season. He came from
the Birmingham club of the Southern
Association and probably will go back
there.