Salt Lake Telegram | 1934-07-17 | Page 16 | English Main Gear in Cubs' Ball Machine

English Main Gear in Cubs' Cubs Ball Machine Woody Proves Hes He's Versatile I by Playing Any Infield Position By fly y FRANCIS J. J POWERS rOWERS Special to The Telegram CHICAGO July 17 No 17 No matter mattex r where the Chicago o Cubs finish In the thc National league pennant race they thea can thank Woody English they did dic not do a n lot worse English is the piece of twine that tim t has held the Cub infield together on or many occasions and the team would have been in a sorry state l if the lit tic tie OhIoan had been traded oil off which reports had it the Bruin bosses attempted to do do several times English is one of those infrequent players Who ho can play short second 0 or third without losing any speed o or skill by the thc change He came to the a Cubs as a n shortstop and did a noble nobi job o of playing that position for tor several sev se er eral cral l seasons Then Chicago fell ii in 1 sore need of or a capable third base basc man English was moved to the In far turn and when Bill Jurges developed into a 1 capable short fielder Woody was left there to become one of th the e best hot corner men in let the National I league Handled Spot Like Veteran Earlier this season the Cubs tern lero lost Billy Herman one of oC the better second basemen For sev sev- cral eral days Charlie Grimm used wed Augie Galan at the middle sack and games gamec went vent flying away like Uke feathers in a wind Finall Finally Grimm moved English over to second and while Woody never had played the post he han died it like a man who had spent man many summers on the job A few weeks ago it was found necessary for Bill Jurges- Jurges to lay off oU for an appen d so 0 English went back to shortstop and the Cub infield was I kept functioning in smooth style English not only is a grand fielder but quite a hitter Theres There's nothing really robust to his hits and he e sel sd dom pokes the ball out of sight eight But hes he's in there all the time getting hi his share of the shorter smacks and I 1 find he is batting as this is written which is only six points below be be- low the average of Chuck Klein the famous slugger for whom the Cubs I spilt better than grand in real dollars Remembers Mother English is a fine second place hitter hit hit- ter and anti tough in a pinch which ismore ismore is ismore more important He is a sincere hard hardworking hardworking working player and still sends a monthly che k to his ma back on the farm ne near r Granville Ohio Hes He's quite a guy this English and i if the Cubs should win the pennant I trust the big shots in the Cubs' Cubs front office find time to remember that without him their club never could have found the championship They can talk all aU they want about abou Klein Herman Hartnett or Bush buIll but bu Ill I'll take English as the most valuable player on the Cubs and many of the steady customers at Wrigley field will vote the same ticket