New Britain herald., 1928-03-24
IY WERNER LACEERN


 Avon Park, Fla. March 24.--1f you are doing fairly well in the peanut brittle game, don't envy Bill McKechnie his job of running the St. Louis Cards.
 Bil! is a man who had heaps of troubles thrust on him when lie brought his club here. and whether he can straighten out the many angles that confront him now, time can best tell.
 This is certain: McKechnie has potential pennant winner and if the problems that now loom up are { solved, he may win.
 The Cardinals present one of the greatest spring puzzle teams of l ness and mental conditions are play ing their parts in the present cross- word enigma the club presents.
 O"o thing Bill can be thankful for l. that his two greatest pitchers, Alexander and Haincs, look as if they could toe the rubber in a championship game tomorrow.
 Hlth, w .lO IldS SutIl ti N1F's7+ tll season la~t year, seems 10 defy all lays of baseball averages and will probably repeat as q winning twirler this year.
 Jess Hainos led his league In pitching last year and he might do it again from the loo'.s Of early eX- hibitions. With these two going in their regular gait and with Fred 1'rankhorse. last years sensation, Mckechnie has the nucleus of a great staff.
 Flint Rchm, the terlncramental Carolnian. is an camp, all signed up and ready 10 20. but Bill will have 10 humor him 10 keep him in his present sunny disposition. Bi.l Shcrdel did not do so well last year as in 1926, but is an artist when right and looks for q good year. McKechnie figures Art Rein hart should Do quite a. pitcher this year and he also has Sylvester John son and Eddie Dyer. both up for an- other chance in the majors. to work with.
 Harold Haid and Allyn Stout. both i righthanders. are in camp and work ing hard to impress. John Berlcy
 is a righthandcr from Spartanburg where he won % and lost 13 last year. He has turned in some re- | markablc pitching in early exhiht- | tions, especially in a recent game | with the Boston Rcd Soy. Carlisle ] 1ittlejohn. who pitched some good | ball for the Cardinals last year ] Harold smith and Tony Kaufman round out the staff.
 | The lnteld comes in for muCf guess work. Two positions seem te be well manned, with Frankie Friscf and Jim Bottomley at second and | first. respectively
 i Sho-tstor presents one Of the greatest "If' positions. IT TheTe- now has fully recovered from : 1 broken ankle. everything will bt fine. There is reason 10 doubt this
 however. as Tommy has beer i "faXorin." the member all spring i Maranville filling in at his place. | The "Rahbit' can hold his own ir ! he field with anybody, but 1T Theve 1 now cannot play regularly. the clul will miss his hitting.
 i Lester Bell. at third. Scms to h' working nicely right now. but mus be regarded an uncertainty on &c count of his spasmodic play of las year. Cooncy, Soluble and Toporcel
 are on hand as utility men.
 Right now If looks like Haf"E Blades and nolthit for tho outii"lt U"rths. with Walter Eoettger Q ! Houston. regarded az the best nHt
 fielder Of his league last year, to SC.
 T good bit of service.
 Roscoe "Waddy" Holm and Damn, Clark are holdovera who can alf'
 be called upon. Dorthit and 1IGfe,
 are by no means ce"tainties az botl were handicapped by iil0ess las year and mu~t show a lot of stuff! t' keep thri- Iub1. Howard Nill'gn son and Homer Peel hit around .3o'
 for Syracuse la7t year and are yer!
 anxious 10 stay with the team. JohI Martin, q 800 hitter in the minors
 and the fastest man on two feet, SC the Texans say, completes the lis of men out for the outpost jobs. 1 Another human qIo stion ioarh j, | Bob o'TarrolI. With 10 nanae ria
 worries C'Farr~li Is g Grra'