The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1928-01-18
R0STON BRAVES HAVE BEST TEAM IN
SIX YEARS, SAYS PRESIDENT FUCHS
Thinks Rogers Hornsby Will
Furnish Spark to Pull Bean
Rallers Out Of Second Divi-
sion-Braves Will Present
Entire Team of 800 Hitters
Exclusive of Pitchers

Boston. Jan. 18.-R-"The best
baseball team we have had in the
six years / have been in Boston, is
the way President Emil f. Fuchs
regards his 1898 Boston Braves
baseball machine which gets under
way next month with q new driver
at the wheel in the person OF Man.
ager Jack Slattery.
At the same time an integral part
OF the machine destined to furnish
the necessary spark to pull it out Of
an habitual second division is be-
lieyed to have been acquired in the
seasons outstanding deal which
brought Rogers Hornsby to Boston
from the Giants to eap..ir- the tribe
at second base.
For the rest, the squad will shape
IN as mostly veterans with one or
two promising additions to a pitch.
inr staff which last year suffered
for lack of an outstanding lett
handler. Johnny Cooney, veteran
| southpaw who underwent an opera
ton on his left elbow, will attempt
q comeback, while among the new
additions are Ed Brandt, q big left
handler from Seattle, and Art De-
laney, formerly of Oakland. The
veterans include Kent Greenfield
Joe Genewich, B. Smith, Charlie
Robertson and Henry Wertz.
A gaping hole appears at present
at the other end of the pitchers al
lev. due to the departure Of Francis
Hogan, last years young, but reg
ular, backstop, who went to thu
Giants with Outfie1der Jimm,
Welsh, IN exchange for Hornsby
A replacement in the form OF "ar
experienced big league catcher. ]!
promised soon, however, to bolster
| q catching department. at presen
headed by Luke Urban, former Bos
ton college star who came to tn
Braves from the Giants.
Slattery Grooms Understudy
Dick Burns, smuggling first base
man who led the Tribe with 81
average last year, again is on deck
With an understudy about to b
9roomed in the person of Big =
Brown, 6-foot 3 outfielder. who's
weakening throwing arm but other
wise healthy baseball attributes dc
cided Manager Slattery in an al
tempt to make an infielder out Q
him. !.
J With the coming Of Hornsby, ii
Braves now consider they have
keystone combination worthy Of tt
! name. The new team captain wi
1 run things from second base Al
! across the bag in the shortstc
: berth will be Eddie Farrell, Ia
3 years regular and . former team
mate Of the smuggling ex-Giant.
al Little Doc Gautreau probably "
4 be switched from second base to tn
5 base to compete for that positi'
8 with Andy High, while Eddie Moor
. last years guardian Of the hot CO
ner. probably will become m GU
a fielder rather than reserve, materi
: due to his 800 hitting ability.
The outer garden patrol will
. chosen from Lance Richboul
= Moore, Jack Smith, next to ,leadil
q batter of the squad . year ago, =
Il Earl Clark, who was purchased frs
= Richmond last year tor $l6,Ol
= With Moore, Brown and BurTus
!, the lineup, the Braves can prese
= IN entire team Of 800 hitters. exc
= sive Of battery men, on TIE basis
y last years averages. Such m o
q 1T would include: Horuaby. 8
9 Burras, .310; Jack Smith. .316: =
y rel. .3l6; Richboure, .300: Bro,
~ 500. and Moore, .301. High also
- tar1 tho select circle with = !