The Washington times., 1930-03-11
BY JAMES. L. KILGALLEN

SsSS~ =@@ SP'S'sB
BY JAMES L. KILGALLEN
WINTER HAVEN, Fla, March
11.-"4Fatch the Phillies!"
This is the battle cry in Winter
Haven where the heavy hitting
and aggressive Philadelphia Ma
tional League ball club is in spring
training. From the manager,
Burt Shotton, down to the
greenest rookie the whole team
exudes confidence and gives the
impression of power.
isn't that a good looking ball
.club?" asked Manager Shotton
today as he watched his players
prance around the field in the
hot sun.
'"The Phillies are no longer
setups in the National
League. They have lost that
old last place complex The
other teams will be glad to
see US go instead of being
glad to see us come.
1--WE finished fifth last season.
~ we start off this season at the
pace we we're going late last year
we are sure fire first division
club. Up to August / we were
playing worse than 400 ball be-
cause of injuries and the fact
fhe club was Just learning how to
play together. But from August
q to the end of the season we
played at a .583 gait. With the
Exception of the Chicago Cubs
we were playing the best ball in
&he league"
Shotton has great bunch of
Eluggers on his club. There is
Lefty O'Doul, who led the Ma
ftonal League last year with a
batting average of 1893; Chuck
FSlein, another slugging outfielder,
who hit 1856; Outfielder w. Tripp
ySigman, who hit Al home runs
with Canton last year and batted
+517 in the few games he played
with the Phillies at the end of
the season; Second Baseman
F'resco Thompson, who hit 1924,
and Third Baseman Arthur Whit.
ney, who batted 1927. The first
baseman, Don Hurst. hit 1903.
Tommy Thevonow, the great field
ing shortstop, was the only regu-
lar infielder who failed to hit 300
or better. He batted .227, but
was out of the game for weeks
early in the season due to in.
juries sustained in an auto crash.
The Phillies broke records for
slugging last year. They now hold
the record for most total bases,
2,550, having topped the old mark
of 2,411 set by the Cardinals in
1922. The most long hits, SOC,
were made by the Phillies last
year, breaking the old record, 489,
made by the Pirates in 1925. They
made the most extra bases on
long hits. 866, beating the Cards
record of 779 made in 1925. The
Phillies made the most home
runs, 153, smashing the former
record of 140 by the Cubs estab-
l1Shed way back in 1884.
ODOul, by making 254 hits
last year, broke the record of
$50 made by Rogers Hornsby
in 1922 when he was with
the Cardinals. Klein rang
up 43 hO.1ers last year for
a new record in the National
League. The old record was
AZ, made by HOrnSby in 1922.
"some sluggers!" commented
JShotton. st will be greatly dis
nppointed if we do not be right
mp there this year. We have the
Rpwer to make runs, that's a
E4nch.
pitching has been our weak
spot. And yet we have some
mighty fine. pitchers in Sweet
&nd, Willoughby, Benge, Specie,
collins and Alexander, to say
R9othing Of some fine-looking
youngsters. Those have named
fshould be good starting pitchers.
expect Alexander to win at
least 10 games. I have put Alex
q charge of the pitchers. If
Nne can't help them no one can.
I am looking over five
Ahtchers. Virgil Davis has the
Inside track. He caught half the
ames last year. I am not set
A6h the others.
'"The 1nfield will be made up
m Hurst at first; Thompson,
second: Whitney, third, and
Stevenow, short. Friberg, who
hit .301, will be mighty handy for
utility work in the infield.
"The OutfieId will be made
up of O'Doul in left, Klein in
right, and either Sigman or
Sothern in center. I may
alternate Sigman and Soth-
ern. Both can hit"
Shotto1 praised the work of
Whitney, whom he thinks is one
of the greatest third basemen in
the game. Whitney drove in
more than 100 runs last season.
II look for a hard fight in the
National League this year, with
the Phillies in the thick of it,"
said Shotton. "Chicago OF
course. will be hard to beat. So
will Pittsburgh and st. Louis.
New York will be good. no doubt,
and I believe Brooklyn and Gin
cinnati are greatly improved ball
clubs. 1t should be a ding-dong
race"