The Waterbury Democrat., 1935-07-24

noCly pursued by the roaring
That part is Hank Leiber, the
centerfielder whose big bludgeon,
hitting at a .33O clip, has been a
modicum of solace to Terry in
season that has seen his infield
riddled by injuries and his great
pitching staff weakened by the loss
of fat Freddy Fitzsimmons and
Slick Castleman.
Twas Leiber alone who shone
as the Reds drubbed the Giants in
the first two games of their quar-
tet of contests in Cincinnati. He
hit ITO in the first two, and for
the four games, .410.
Leiber has come on consider
ably since he wound up last sea-
son with a paltry .24U mark in
81 games. The probable reason
for this is that Terry has allowed
him to play regularly in the gar
den, Hank having outshone
George Davis and Phil Weintraub
in early season trials.
The big Arizonan, who won
almost all the letters the Univer-
sity of Arizona had to offer a few
years back, is living up to the
expectations McGraw had Of him.
McGraw kemade Leiber
Artie Nehf, the former Giant
southpaw, dug up Leiber. He
drove him to Los Angeles, where
the Giants were training in 1882,
SO Little Napoleon could get q
look at him. Nehf introduced the
boy of German extraction as q
promising first baseman.
First baseman nothing" said
McGraw. Hes an outfielder."
And an outfielder he proved
to be.
After an apprenticeship with
Jersey City, Memphis and Nash
vile, the Giants called Leiber in
1894, but he couldn't edge into
the lineup regularly because Of
Terry's laundering to try out Phil
Weintraub, who came up at the
same time with a roster recon-
mendation.
Leiber was shipped to Nash
vile on May Is of last year, and
from then until late July, he
burned up the southern loop, hit
| ting the ball for 400 mark.
Leiber was recalled then, Terry
figuring his hitting strength
would be valuable in the stretch.
But the German strong boy again
begged down on big time.
Last spring, when Leiber be.
came a persistent holdout, Terry
announced that Davis, obtained
from the Phils, would be the
regular centerfielder, and that II
was Leiber's job to win the posi-
ton away from George If h,
could.
That was just the tonic Leibc,
needed. He began to hustle
and when he hustles, there's n,
better outfielder in the business
lad steadily has been building III
his reputation as a hitter, ant
ranks only behind his teammate
Mel OFT, and Ripper Collins, OF
the Cardinals, in the number OF
runs driven in in the National
league.
Pitchers Praise Hank
| Leiber is popular player
both with the fans and teammates
The Giants pitchers, particularly
like the 23-year old flychaser, be-
cause his bat has been holding
them up.
well, I hope nothing happens
to Leiber," Fitzsimmons recently
remarked, in discussing the in
juries that have hit the team. "Has
he been a great help to us! That's
why we have a better team this
year than last"
Terry has had the happy fac
ulty Of coming up with a crutch
when his team was in danger of
slumping this season. First it was
Mark Koenig, the veteran in
fielder, who filled in so nobly for
Hughie Critz, Dick Bartell, and
Stoney jackson when they were
injured.
Now it's Leiber, who is swat
ting the pill as if there were no
Cardinals giving the Giants the
filters.
Terry predicts that Leiber will
be the first .350-hitting outfielder
the Giants ever had. That's pre-
dieting something when YOU re.
| call that such greats as George
Burns, Mike Donlip and Eddie
Roush once covered the outer
garden for the New York outfit.