The Washington times., 1930-03-07
WILL GIVE
REDS BIC
PUNCH

OaBOIa
Editors note-ThiS is the third
of series OF baseball articles
tUritteh by James L. KiIgdlIen OF
International Net0S SerUice stat
Dho is making q tour of the
spring training camps.
: BY JAMES L. KILGALLEN
%ORLANDO, Fla, March T.
'I've been panned for getting
Meusel and Heilmann. But I
expect to make my critics eat
crow. THESE fellows can hit and
play ball and will give the Reds
the punch they need"
Dan Howley, new manager Of
the Cincinnati Reds, and one Of
the most interesting and popular
personalities in the national game,
made these assertions today as he
stood on the sidelines in the ball
park here and watched his
veterans and rockies go through
their PAGES. =
"The Reds needed q punch,
didn't they" said HOwley.
'NOw they have 1t. They'll
be NO seventh place club this
year."
Howley, who made big hit as
manager of the st. Louis Browns,
whom he jockeyed well up into
the American League pennant
race the last three years, succeeds
the veteran Jack Hendricks as
manager of the Reds this year.
I'm really surprised I got
Harry Heilmann and Bob MeuSel,
two great sluggers, out of the
American League" Howley con-
fided. Those two fellows will
play ball for me. I always knew
IHeilmann could hit, Maybe he
has slowed up some in the field,
but he certainly can murder the
ball. And he has reported in
surprisingly good shape.
'a"Meusel can belt the ball, too.
I think he will hit harder than
ever this year. Bob has been
looking in the sun for the last
10 years while Babe Ruth has
been taking it easy. I mean
MeuSel has been switching posi-
tions with Ruth so that Bob al
ways played the sun field. This
gave Meusel headaches and inter
fered with his batting. He is a
fine, natural hitter.
81 am going to play MeuSel
: in left field which is not the
sun field in Cincinnati. This
means he will not have to
look. into the suns glare in
at least ~ games during the
season.
"Meusel is the type I can get
work out Of. He is not. lazy, as SO
many believe. He only looks
lazy. am surprised I was able
to get him out of the American
League. When I was managing
the Browns feared Meusel in a
close game more than I did Ruth,
Lazzeri or Gehrig. The late Mil
Ter Higgins always boosted MeuSel
to me as one of the smartest
players in the game"
Before Heilmann reported at
Orlando he visited his old team
mates, the Detroit Tigers, at their
camp in Tampa. He was in great
shape. He looked so good Man
ager Stanley Harris. of the Tig-
erS, is reported to have remarked:
'Why didn't he get into such
good condition for me?"
Howley believes he made
another smart move in obtaining
the truculent and talkative Du-
rocher from the New York Yam
KEGS. He is also surprised that
the. Yankees let Durocher get
away.
"Huggins, who was close
friend Of mine, told me last year
that Durocher is the best short
stop he had seen in the last Is
years." said Howley. "DuroCher
is not a great hitter, but he can
field and he has the winning
temperament"
HoWley admits he is "a little
worried" over his pitching staff,
His two best pitching bets are
Red Lucas and jake May. Eppa
Rixey, now 80 years old, requires
more rest between games than he
used to. Howley cannot under
stand why Pete Donohue is not a
Sure-fire winner He likes young
Ben Frey, a right-hander obtained
from Nashville, and expects a
lot of Archie Campbell. a six-foot
right-hander purchased from St.
Paul.
Regarding the trade of Alodfo
Luque to Brooklyn for Doug Nc
Weeney, Howley said:
81 like McWeeneN He had
trouble with his arm last
year. think he will win II
games for me this year. The
trade should help both pitch
ers."
The Reds have two good
AnkntAnn.E ~ YnI,1,,oxy roorl, oNrl