Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-01-18
HELP FOR HORNSBy
NEEDED BY BOSTON
Club Must Find More Than
Rogers to Strengthen
for Flag Race.
EY GEORGE CHADWICK.

TINE 1928 pennant race in the Ma
tional League has been Horns
by-iZed and the base ball fore
/ casters have retreated TO their
caves to rest their thoughts and
mop their brows. The unexpected
transfer of Rogers Hornsby from the
| New York Giants to the Boston Braves
this week. In exchange for run-of-the-
mill outfielder and rookie catcher. has
scrambled the dope sheets for fair.
John j. McGraw played trick on
the boys. After giving them a chance
! to get under the wire early in the COM
petition to name pennant winner, he
lifted the handspring out of the clock
and wrecked their timepiece.
McGraw's Giants may win next Sum-
mer. but not SO the prophets can see
it. II an attempt is made to reduce
lost about 30 points on the hundred in
the advance dope column when Horns
/ by was cast to the fishes-and Cape
Cod fishes at that-"for the good OF
tho New York clro."
One player docs not always make a
pennant race but one player can un-
make pcnnant race. Subtract the
batting skill of Hornsby from the
Giants and st. Louis. Pittsburgh and
Chicago teams are left as the principal
contending outfits with New York bob
bling along with Cincinnati. perhaps,
and Boston and Philadelphia just
enough better to raise the mischief at
times with the leaders.
Braves Not Helped Much.
II New York lost. II would seem that
Boston must have gained. 1t may have
but in no such ratio as New York has
lost If Hornsby is to play second base
for the Braves and play 1t well. the
Boston club must have high-class first
baseman to work with him. II Boston
has no high-class first baseman, the
plain spoken Hornsby will lose no time
in so advising the suave Judge Emil
Fuchs, president of the Braves.
There is talk OF putting Eddie Brown.
an outfielder. on first base at Boston
He can hit some He Is also six-footer
He Is one of the best outiielders in the
big show when IL comes to spearing fly
balls He Is not so bad on ground hits.
How he might be OH the line drives that
60 by first base is something else.
Hornsby himself could be played at
first base He has subbed there In the
past. One of these days he will either
go to the outficld or play first base
because he will have lost his agility
around second. Being tall and easy
motioncd. Hornsby gets over ground
fairly we'll In these days He Is not
the type Of player who is apt to begin
his base ball career at second and
finish IL there.
Before McGraw got Hornsby he criti-
cized him as a second baseman. yet he
was willing 10 trade Frankie Frisch TO
,s- % - tNfx aefc oh r.
Craw ouarreled. So did McGraw and
Hornsbv. II they had agreed there
would have been no transfer OF Horns
by TO Boston.
Farrell Was Criticized.
II Eddie Farrell plays shortstop for
the Braves as 1t appears he will. the
combination OF Ho-nsby and Farrell.
which didn't always work 50 well for
the Giants early last year. Will be at
IL again on the Boston field Hornsby
was a sharp critic of Farrell when the
latter played with the Giants
The Braves finished the 1927 season
with Moore at third base. and he Is
likely 10 start there in 1928 with Andy
High In reserve This infie'd probably
will be better than that OF 1927. In
the outfieid the team has vt Jimmy
Welsh TO the Giants. Welsh Is not a
wonderful outtielder and probably never
will be. II Brown should go TO first
base there would be only Richbourg
left OF the Boston outflelders OF 1927.
Richbourg Is smart hitter. but he If
weak on ground balls.
Francis Hogan. promising young
catcher. goes In the Giants In the
tfornsbv trade Boston has Urban left
He is an old college catcher He Is
hardly Buck Ewing Hogan should
be of value 10 the Giants He is like
Frank SNYDER In many ways &.
AS the inficld stacks up now after the
Hornsby trade. Boston does not begin
10 show an accumulation OF strength
that compares with the Giants loss Of
strength. Pittsburgh. Cincinnati and
Chicaso all seem to be as good as the
Giants on the infield The St Louis
Cards with four inielders who are apt
TO be In form look the best Of all.
In the aggregate merry preseason
session for the dopesters looms
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