Evening star., 1940-03-22
.Hubbe|l Helping
Giants Stage
Comeback
Club Is Playing Up
To Old Meal Ticket
With Mended Arm
BY GAYLE TALBOT,
Associated Press Sports Writer

WINTER HAVEN, Fla, March d.
If any team in baseball is likely
to prove a surprise in the coming
season and finish notches ahead of
the place assigned by consensus
of experts, it is the New York
Giants in the National League.
Last season the team came almost
completely apart and wound up
fifth, 1872 games behind the VIM
staff was shot and it had no in
field worthy of the name The cli-
max came when Zeke Bonura
was finally yanked abruptly off first
base.
Some who have been watching the
Giants in training here and in their
exhibition games with other clubs do
not believe they will do any better
this year. Quite large group
thinks they will do worst
But all of them are extremely
likely to be wrong if what I've seen
of the Giants on three occasions
lately bears any resemblance to the
truth. They are not equipped to
beat either Cincinnati or ST. Louis.
but they could finish powerful
third
Hubbell's Arm Strong.
The main reason is that Carl Hub
bell. at the age of 36, has come back
to pitch like his old self this spring.
Twice I've seen the old screWball
master fluttering them across for
sustained stretches. and the oppos-
ing batters couldn't have hit him
with bull fiddle
He says his famous left arm,
which was operated upon winter
before last, finally is as sound and
strong as ever. Maybe not quite as
Whip-like and untiring as it was a
few years ago. when Hub was tops.
but he believes he will be good for
IS or 16 victories this season.
That will be sufficient to keep the
Giants up in the fight, declared a
high club official. Hub always was
| the leader" he said. Our pitchers
| fell off last year only when they
saw Carl was having trouble. They
had grown used to him carrying the
load. But if he comes back it'll be a
great thing for u.s."
Getting Good Pitching.
Whether there's anything to this,
the fact remains that the club has
/ been getting dazzling pitching from
/ Slim Melton. Harry Gumbert. Bill
| Lohrman, Hal Schumacher and Hv
| Vandenberg since Hubbell demanded
/ a chance to hurl several weeks
| earlier than he has been accustomed
/ to doing in the spring. That still is
a potentially fine pitching staff.
Another reason the Giants had
| best not be sold too short is the way
Burgess Whitehead is playing third
/ base. Shipped home at midSeason
| last year for various and sundry rea-
sons and supposedly lost to the team
for good, Whitehead showed up at
camp here apparently determined to
make up for every misdemeanor.
1t was Xpected-practically a
gift from the baseball gods, Shifted
over to third to make room for the
clubs crack young second baseman
from Newark. Nick Witek. White
head is playing the hot corner like
he had been there all his life. If
Whitehead sticks with his resolve,
the Giants have good infield. Bill
JurgeS still is the best shortstop in
the league, and Babe Young prom
ises to do at first base.
No Spot for BOnura.
Young so far has shown no signs
of hitting like he did in the South
ern Association, where he was
terror, but he likely will keep the
job even if Zeke Bonura fails in his
effort to peddle himself to another
team and finally. has to sign with
the Giants. Zeke is a bewildered
looking young man these days. He
demanded raise, received a slice,
and now finds his services going
begging.
If the recent all-star game was
any criterion, the Giants have the
best catcher in the eague-Harry
Danning-and two of its best out
flelders-Mel OFT and Frank Dema-
rec. Joe Moore is in poor health and
has a bad leg, so the veteran left
fielders post probably will be held
down by Rookie John Rucker at the
start of the race.