OCR Text |
Show THIRTY-FIVE MEN ON JM TEAM j Howard Plans to Take Big Ball j Squad to Training Park on I First of March. Oakland, Cal.. Jan. 4 Del Howard B plans to take about thirty-five men H into camp at Bovps Springs on the ' first ot March. The Oakland squad I will probably be the largest of any j on the coast circuit, for Howard is B determined to give great attention io the young bushers he has given con B tracts and will have Rube Gardner B watch them all carefully from the I I first day. Gardner can tell a ball player from B the minute he sees him delve into the soup bowl, and the "Rube" will be expected to separate the mere B noisemaker from the genuine diamond Bf performer. Del Howard, ably assisted b Herb i .McFarlin, appears to have already f rounded up all the likely bush talent I in this vicinity. The two of them I by Coltrin from the north and have. I hung out a welcome sign for Bobby MpuspI in the south. Howard should havp little difficulty I in conforming to the new ruling of four bushers to a club. The rule isn't a8 bad as it sounds by any means, for under the term of "bushcr" is I included any player who has never i played an entire season in class AA company or better. Under this head-I head-I ing men such as Hack Miller, procured ! from Brooklyn. Rod Murphy, Bill Lee, the southerner; Buster Callan, Eddie Mcnsor, Bobby Coltrin, Meusel and ! such chaps would all be eligible. I Even with Brooklyn to turn over I Tom FitzBiramons, the St. Mary's boy I v.ould be classed as a "youngBter" un- der the Coast league Interpretation, so that the rule is not likely to prove ! any hardship. j Howard may send up to camp a I couple of batterymen to work out I in preparation for iho Cub sanies lie would hardly care to risk any vetoran twirlers in a hard game with only two weekfl in which to limber up Last season the Oaks had practically practi-cally no exhibition Fames, but thia spring they will lip expected to make a good showing against the Chicago Cubs, after they have been at Boyes Springs only a short time. Eftward li a firm believer in long hikes in take off pxess weight, and is happy at the thought that his squad will have the benefit of the mineral baths ;ind waters at Boyep Springs He considers it the host training spot in the world for a ball club. The chap who can't get in eondi-tion eondi-tion at Boyos Springs pan t play ball for me," says the Oakland leader. Howard, b thp way, is planning a pome-back himself. He joined the club last season too late in thp year to get into condition, but he got up thprn in the pinch enough to show that his batting pye is still good. Howard plans '" work just as hard at Boyes Springs as any of his men and fit himself to take an active part in the coming campaign He may even undprtake to play first base himself, him-self, figuring that hls bat will be needed. Thin will deppnd, however, on how he feels after the first few weeks at Boyes Only three seasons ngo Del Howard was a towpr of strength at first for the Seals, lie 13 as young as his hrother Ivan, who is ( onsuiered by many still a mjor league first baspman. If DpI does not takp the job at first himself, indications point to his see ur ing Brother Ivan IS the custodian of the pillow made famous in Oakland by Jack Ness |