New Britain herald., 1930-03-24
|CUbS WILL HAVE
 STRONGER LINEUP
Chicago Team Seems Destined to
 Repeat in National

New York, March fl Rs-The National League, although present. ing the prospect of a. much better balanced pennant race this season than the American, nevertheless ap- pears likely to be dominated again by the powerful Chicago Cubs The House of Wrigley is as strong q tavorite to repeat it's 1929 victory as is the House of Mack in the Ameri- can League.
 The Cubs won the flag last year by q margin of ten and half games over Pittsburgh and, instead of standing pat, seem to have fortified themselves for substantial lease on lacking in their offensive power. have been strengthened as much, if not more, than any team in the league by the acquisition of Lester Bell to play third, the return to form of Catcher Gabby Hartnett's arm and the bolstering of the twirlins staff with several fine recruits such as Nelson, Moss and Teachout.
 Six of the remaining seven Nl- tional League clubs, however, not only figure to make it extremely in teresting and perhaps precarious fo- the Cubs but to put up a sensational battle for the first division berths. Only the Boston Braves, undergoing resuscitation at the experienced hands of Bill Mckechnie, appear definitely slated again for the depths
 The Pittsburgh Pirates look like the most formidable opposition for the Cubs. The furious Phillies arc the real dark horse" of the race. The New York Giants remain dan- gerous, in spite of unrest, the s.. Louis Cardinals, their one-timc championship staff now very shaky, face a fight to withstand the. eX- pected rush of two much improved second-division outfits of 1929, the Brooklyn Robins and Cincinnati Reds. Every team in the league has un- dergone some shake-ups, four have new pilots. All have put the accent on q big punch and the leagues s parks will resound from start 70 finish with the bombardment Of long-range batting guns.
 The Cubs had some trouble fight ing off the Pirates last year and it may be even more difficult to shake loose from the Bucs again. Injuries and illness, long a Pirate jin2, have again beset the club in training but there is sufficient all-around strength plus the prospect of fine pitching. to make Pittsburgh contender from the outset under Jewel Ems. The Phillies collected most of tho slugglng honors last season. They probably will do so again, with l O'Doul, Klein, Hurst, Whitney and the rest of Burt Shotton's cloutioy | circus improving. Consequently it their pitching is at least 80 per cer. better, as Shotton believes it will be. there seems no way to keep the club out of the first division.
 The Giants looked like world bea.- CTS in training last year and finish ed a bad third in the race. John McGraW's pupils have been very un- | impressive in Texas this spring, and so, paradoxically, they may burn up the league. Second base, however still is a problem and the Giant pitchers must stage come back tc put the club anywhere.
 Dan Howley has rebuilt the Reds added more batting punch witi7 Mcusel and Heilman in the outfiell but needs some pitching support fo; the seasoned Red Lucas and Jakit May Uncle Wilbert Robinson, free: of the worries of front-office tur. moil, seems to have inspired his flock. If Glenn Wright's arm fu.. fills training camp hopes, the Robins will be at least troublesome. ~
 Most of the critics fail to shart Gabby Streets optimism over tn, chances of the St. Louis Cardinal: being pcnnant factors. The Clul dropped from first to fourth plact last year and has not gained thG needed rcplaccmcnts in pitching |. check tho doWn-hill momentum.