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Show PIRATES WILL BE FAST THIS SEASON ' Speed Will Be Big Factor in Pittsburgh's Drive for the Pennant. Speed will be a, dominant factor In the pennant drive of the Pittsburgh Pirates this season. Already the fastest club in the senior circuit, the acquisition of George Grantlmm from the Chicago Cubs has given the Buccaneers a monopoly mon-opoly on speed. (The 1925 pirates will boast probably the four most proficient base stealers in the National league. Max Carey, -who, like Eddie Collins, seems to gather speed with age, led the Heydler organization last season with 47 thefts, while the young outfield recruit, Hazen Cuyler, was next, with 32. Pie Traynor stole 24 and Grantham 21. The former Cub has demonstrated he can do better than this, however, for he stole 43 bases in 1923, ranking second sec-ond to Carey, who led with 51. Besides this quartet, Manager Mc-Kechnie Mc-Kechnie has other speed merchants in Eddie Moore and Glen Wright, 1924 rookie sensations, and Carson Bigbee, outfielder. The Pirates supplanted Chicago as the most prolific base-stealing club last season. They recorded 180 thefts, 47 more than the Cubs, who were next in line. As proof of the speed of the quartet which will lead the 1925 Pirate march, the 1924 figures show that collectively they stole only nine bases less than the whole Cub tam and exceeded the mark of every outfit in the league. |