Evening star., 1941-02-25
Shortstop Hits,
But Terry Still
Is Skepticd|
Dizzy Spells Eosed,
Vet Claims; New York
Pitching Is Poor
By GAYLE TALBOT,
Associated Press Sports Writer.

MIAMI. Fla, Feb. 25.-The story
of the New York Giants is wrapped
up inseparably with the story of
ShortStop Bill Jurges.
Until the day last summer when
urges was struck back of the ear by
one of Bucky Walters fast balls, the
Giants had Jared unexpectedly we'll
in the National League race. They
were up in the running.
From the moment their infield
star was carried off the Giants never
looked the same. They started skid
ding and wound up dismal sixth,
hooted by the few fans who entered
the Polo Grounds.
Now Jurges is back in training
camp here, trying to conquer the
effects of the injury that had him
in and out of medical clinics most of
the winter. The whole camp is
watching his every move, realizing
that the clubs chances of getting
out Of the second division in the
coming campaign rest upon Bills
complete recovery.
Jurges Appears Improved.
About all that can be reported at
this early stage is that Jurges is
working hard and is cheerful about
his condition. In batting practice
yesterday he whaled one far over the
left fence. and he was kidding every
body in sight-a good sign.
"Of course, I'm not 100 per cent
yet" he said. "but I'm feeling pretty
good. I've felt no dizziness the last
few days"
Manager Bill Terry has asked the
boys not to ask Jurges how he feels
every five minutes.
If Jurges doesn't make tiff the
dizzy spells return and he is forced
to hang up his cleatS-then the
Giants will be a pretty hopeless out
fit. The veterans of their last great
team-Hubbel, OFT, Schumacher and
Joe Moore-are only playing out
their string and the rebuilding pro-
gram has been makeshift.
Pitching Staff Is Weak.
The clubs pitching staff probably
is the weakest in the National
League, with the exception of BoS-
tons. The past winter Manager
Terry asked the Giants directors to
get him Kirby Higbe from the Phil
lies if they didn't get anybody else
They tried hard, to give them credit,
but Larry MacPhail had Higbe
sewed up for Brooklyn all the time
The directors finally had to settle
for Bob Bowman from the Car
dinalS. a promising young right
handler with record of won and
lost last year. That is not a SEN
sational record exactly, but it looks
good when compared with the fig
ures set by last years Giants staff.
Not one of them was over 500 in the
won and lost column, and Schu-
m3cher was the ace with 13 and I3
Bowman might help some. He
says the Cardinals had so many
young hurlerS to look over last year
that he didn't have a chance to get
in shape, and that just when he
finally was reaching form he got
spiked. Bowman was the boy who
accidentally beaned Joe Medwjck
in Brooklyn and was berated pub
licly by MacPhail.
Orengo Slated for Third.
The only newcomer likely to break
into the Giants infield is Joe Oren-
go, also from the Cardinals, who has
first call on third base They don't
know whether Burgess Whitehead
intends to play second. He has told
Terry he positively will not perform
for the same money he got last year.
If he means it, then the Giants
really are sunk.
Harry Danning, the holdout catch
er, is on his way to report, but he
will arrive after the club has left
tomorrow night for Havana and will
have big hotel to roam around in
almost by himself until his team
mates return from their series with
the Dodgers Three days of that
and he'll probably sign at any price
Just to have somebody to talk to.