The Washington times., 1929-01-17
THINKS AS
BEST CLUB
LAST YEAR

- -
At the Fort Myers training
camp Of the Philadelphia Ath-
letics this coming spring there
will be only one individual to
whom the thrill Of competing
for d big league job win be
|; new, to whom the persual Of a
big league bill Of fare win be
a welcome and unprecedented
experience.
The courage of Connie Mack's
conviction is sublime. He thinks
that his AS were the best bali team
in the American League last year.
He believes that the AS, almost
without change, are good enough
to win the pennalt in 1929. And so
the astute Ancient Mariner of Phila-
delphia is taking only five new
bali players south with him next
month.
-Four Of the five have been in the
big leagues before. There is Ernie
Wingard, q. southpaw pitcher, pur-
chased by Mack from milwaukee
end a member of the st. Louis
Browns for several seasons. stewart
Bolen. another sOuthpaW flngers
comes up from Baltimore Whltner
the Browns had sent him In Sns
Jack Ogden trade q year ago. Hal
RHYME. general infielder, has Deen
drafted from San Francisco, Wn1Lner
Pittsburgh sent him, and OutIleider
Homer Summa was purchased from
the Cleveland club only the otner
day.
The rare young man on the
philadelphia roster aOs
perienced in the Vicissituaes y
big league life y e ieit- g 49,
pitcher by the name os y. ~ ~
ron Yerkes, purchases TON . ~
Coast League.
There are. Of course, other com
narrative newcomers who have Deen
,.ncalIed from the various farms q
the AS and who made the trip into
fha Southland with the AS last
rnring. one William Shores y
recalled right handed pitcher. NICK
Rnrolli former Muhlenberg loot
ha1l star. has been STUDYING IN
fielding in the minors. The peren-
Mai Dewitt Wiley LIE Baurveau Will
again try for a place in the Fhlia-
delnhia. outfieid after another season
gnent out on option. One Joe
Hassler, an infielder, completes the
zf 3
Altogether, there are only q
men on the Philadelphia roster.
which must be q record IN the
yvay az sulaIlness for a big league
spring training squad.
George EarnsIlaw, Howard Ehmke,
Iacix Quinn. I'd Ronamel and Bill
shores are the Philadelphia right
BANDED pitchers Mack has SIX
southpaws and Ii probably the only
manager III the game with more q
this unusual variety than human pe.
iYge. His list Of SOUTH paws -
headed BY the iIIustrious Bob Grove
and also includes Rtlbe Wal0erg,
Ossie Orwoll. B0len. Wingard ana
Yerkes.
TIle AS have the conventional
sstl,rea,s catcheFs IN Gordon
.f,ochrane. Jimmy F'Oxx and
RaInI, Perkins. they have eight T
;nsieIders-Max Bishop, Joe
Roley. Eddie Collins, Jimmy
nvIres sam Hale, Hassler,
Rhvne and B0relii. Five attn
Ietes win contend for the out
fielding positions, or, rather
II .eI80urVeau and SIInlFHla VIII try
M horn into the combination u
An Simmons, Mule Haas and BiIlg
Miller.
T,ooking over the roster, one rs
struck with the facts that orwell,
~ hard hitter and d first baseinan
,of so mean caliber, is listed AZ
lett handed pitcher; that Jimmy
Foxx who spent much time last
sumner at first base ana third
l,ase a called q catcher for ldenti.
efcafion purposes, and that the aged
and weary Eddie Collins, who sci.
dDfn got off the coaching lines IN
1928. is still listed among the
active infielders.
collins played In only q handful
st BAN games last season ana VIII
r. more Of a coach than anything
else in 1929 a sort Of inflei0ers
emeritus. But F'oxx and OrWoll
ara two young men who buik
largely in Mack's immediate pians.'
Apart from the idiosyn craAies 81
collecting left-handed pitchers, the
Ancient Mariner is devoting himself
rs the construction Of . stable In
field. His first basenan might pc
either Orwoll or Foxx. Or. u might
bA Jimmy Dykes, a remarkably YER
satiie veteran but q player whose
hitting varies greatly from year to
year.
Max Bishop is a sure shot to
nlay second. Ditto for Joe Boley at
short. Third base also presents its
complies tions. Mack's third base
man may be Foxx, who Is a good
hitter and has the arm for the Job;
Dykes. Who is perhaps better at
third base than in any other posi-
ton. or Sam Hale. another veteran
third baseman given to intermittent
periods Of consistent smuggling and
popping up.
Both at first base ana at third.
the situation Of the As Is 80 com.
. piacated that 1t cannot be solved on
: PAPER. We must wait for Mack
to assemble his meager mob under
Florida's r.and perhaps longer.
~ calling Miss Cray. Main sea-
and worry IN looking for an nnftir-
isfehad- anarfYaenf "a She Il well ann