Evening star., 1933-03-15
PITCHING IS MOST
UNCERTAIN FACTOR
Other Departments Appear
Formidable as JackS0n'S
Knee Holds Up.
Staff Correspondent Of The Star.


IS. - Probably no major
IL league ball club in recent
years has undergone so vast
q change in its personnel and gen.
eral plans and objective within
the short space of a single year as
the New York Giants.
Twelve months ago John ]. McGraw
was embarking upon his thirtieth cam
paign as manager of a club with which,
during his long reign, he had achieved
unparalleled successes. And on the very
site where training operations are now
In progress, McGraw, thwarted for SIX
years in an elusive pursuit OF his
eleventh National League pennant, ap-
peared at last to have nodded one OF
his most powerful machines.
The debacle that followed is still a
puzzle to those who witnessed it and
confidently expected something else. BY
June Ill health brought about the re-
$irement of the old master and even
before then it was plain the machine
was even more ailing than the little
Napoleon. And at the finish the team
that had been slated to run one-two,
wound up tied for sixth place.
To rehabilitate this club, to restore
It to its former high estate, is the task
fallen to the lot of William Harold
Terry, the man they call Memphis Bill.
1t is a big job, but Memphis Bill is a
big man, possessed of a great deal of
determination, and so far it cannot
be denied that he has tackled his as
signment in large way.
CIVEN complete command by Charles
" A. Stoneham, owner of the club,
Terry started stripping his ma
chine until for time he threatened to
leave himself with nothing but a fen
der and an axle. However, out OF the
chaos, Terry, with the skill OF jig
saw expert, seems to be piecing to-
gether a continuance that may run
very we'll with little more oiling and
tinkering.
In fact, at some points the altera-
tons may not become so great as at
first supposed. The Giant infleld, once
regarded the class of the league, again
Is likely to carry the familiar names of
Hughie Critz at second base, Travis
jackson at short, Johnnie Vergez at
third and Terry, Of course, again at
first. But it is an infleld to which
many ifs are attached.
jackson, who was crippled from June
until the end OF the last season, must
demonstrate that he can regain his
form without having his knees buckle
under him once again. In fact, it
might be said that much Of the Giants
hopes for success pivot around Jack
sons knee joints. A marvellous player
when right, he unquestionably would
help long way toward bringing the
Oio nfc ho ck if M fIIrfbar voichan he.
falls him.
So far in his training, jackson has
manifested no trouble in getting about
and the operation which he underwent
last Fall appears to have been entirely
successful. But the final test is yet
TO come.
T7ERGEz and Critz also must show
" improvement over last year, but
with possibilities strong in their
favor. as both are still comparatively
young men. Vergez. sensation at
third In his first year in the majors in
1881, got away badly last Spring and
never really righted himself. But Terry
Is confident the young man Is capable
Of q comeback.
Critz, nursing a convalescing arm into
shape last Spring, also impaired his
efficiency to q considerable extent by
favoring his arm at every opportunity.
But with the confidence gained by a
full season without a recurrence OF his
old injury, it Is possible Hughie Will
step along at much swifter pace.
For re-enforcements in the event OF
Q crack-up at any of the vital inf1eld
points. Terry has two very promising
youngsters in Byrnie James and Johnny
Ryan, who may be maneuvered any
where from second base to third should
an emergency arise.
In the outfeld, too, the changes are
not so marked. Mel OFT, the veteran
performer Of "a, will again patrol LETT,
and In right, Joe Moore, last years
freshman flychaser, doubtless VIII again
win the assignment. But in center the
daShing Freddy Lindstrom will be
absent, his place taken by George Davis,
former New York University product
who was obtained from the Phillies IN
one Of the numerous trades engineered
by Terry during the past Winter.
4 FLEET and capable outf1elder who
"A can hit well above 300, Davis
is fully expected to effect a salts
factory replacement for the departed
Indy who. dissatisfied with his sur
roundings last year, did not have
good season in 1882.
It Is among the batterymen that one
sees the greatest changes. Terry al
most uprooted the catching staff when
he shipped the ponderous Frank Hogan
to Boston and Bob O'Farrell to st.
Louis. To replace these two, Terry OBJ
tanned Gus Mancuso, whom he rates
as one Of the best backstops In the
league, and Paul Richards, who, after
some very fine apprentice work in the
minors the last few years, appears
about ready for major league service.
Pitchers Of the 1882 cast also were
scattered to the four winds, with Willie
Walker, talented southpaw, heading the
list Of the departed host. The left
handed Carl Hubbell remains as the
ace Of the staff and his companions on
the front firing line will be Freddy Fitz-
simmons, Roy Parmelee, Hal Schu-
macher and the newcomers, Ray Starr
and Glenn Spencer.
nN the whole, it Is staff which
~ Terry himself admits freely could
easily stand bit Of strengthening.
But rebuilding ball club to the COM
plete satisfaction Of everybody in the
span Of q couple Of months Is no simple
task. On the surface, the changes may
not appear 50 great. But behind the
front-line troops, Memphis Bill has
swung a raft of trades to bolster his re-
inforcements and whose value may be
unveiled later.
How all the trades Terry has made
will stand up, the campaign ahead alone
can reveal. Commendable enough,
however, is the fact that he has as
sumed full responsibility for all the
moves made and that he resorted to no
half measures once he decided to re-
model the machine.
At the moment the Giants are not