Of course. Interest centers In the fight
which Cunningham, Hhinners and Boone
are waxing for the open berth In center
field and all three candidates are be
ing watched closely. At thla time we
favor Cunningham. He Is an accom
plished fielder and. we believe, a hitter,
too. Shinners seems to be a better all
around ball player than Boone, but
Ike has tremendous potentialities as a
batter and Is one of the best natural
hitters McGraw ever has had under his
wing.
Hhinners Is fast in the field and on
the paths and is a ball hawk. II* stole
fifty-four bases for Indianapolis last
season and also proved himself a hitter.
Like Boone, he is spending only his
third season In professional baseball
and like Boone he has a lot to learn.
Shinners la not as expert aa ho might
be on a ground ball but he Is Jearnlng
fast. McGraw has him out a't short
step every morning taking hot ones and
he la overcoming a tendency to take all
Kroqnders to a side. He also is learn
ing how to slide back to a bag. a trick
which Jack Hendricks evidently ne
glected to teach him In Indianapolis In
the two seasons which Ralph spent j
there.
Boone, who came from New Orleans i
and was batting champion of the Month-'
em League, still Is about twenty pounds
overweight, that after taking off about
ten pounds In a week He is no Boush
when it comes to Judging a hall but
wa will have to wait until ho works
himself Into condition before passing
final Judgment on hla fielding. But
how that bird ran sock that bal|! He
hit ."WW laat season.
