Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-11
BY the Associated Press.

by the Associated PresS.
ut. PETERSBURG, Fla, March
11.-Acting on the theory
that he has everything to
- gain and nothing to lose
gray-haired Bill McKechnie has
begun his four-year term as man
ager of the Boston Braves by
putting premium on the old
fashioned wallop.
The harder and longer the Braves
sock 'em in the Spring training the
better are their chances of landing a
berth.
You know have never favored the
development of defense in any club at the
expense of attack" said McKechnie. I'm
this day and age of base ball am firm
believer that the punch is the thing.
Ball games are won by the club scor-
ing the most runs. We may be out
scored a lot, but we will do consider
able scoring on our own account If
can find the boys with the wallop."
AS a result Of this policy of brute
force In practice, the natives and tour
lists on the outskirts Of Waterfront Park
have daily been sent scurTying to COW
er by the long-distance cloutS Of the
1880 crop of Braves. The club uni
form, with the fiaring emblem of an
Indian in war feathers in front as
well as on the back of the shirt, con-
tributes to the terrifying effect of the
boys from Boston, Beaverton, Greg. /;
Beaumont, Tex, and Crestview, Fla.
Position Switching Looms.
Neither is McKechnie particular what
position his players occupy so long as
they can hit. The star recruit in camp,
big, rangy Walter Berger, who hit 40
home runs for Los Angeles in the Pa
ciflc Coast League last season, came
East as an outfielder, but may start
the season at third base. Russell (Red)
Rollings, third baseman drafted from
Hollywood of the coast circuit, is hit
ting hard enough to warrant the pre-
diction he may replace the acrobatic-
heiding but light-hitting Freddy Ma
guire at the keystone sack. If Nc
kechnle finds any potential Babe Ruths
or Lefty ODouls in his collection of
pitchers he will not hesitate in the
least to shove him into an outfeld.
No doubt McKechnie has in mind
that the Yanks dubbed their way to
a number OF Championships and that
even the PhillieS by sheer force slug
ged their way into fifth position in
the National League last year. The
veteran manager has not the Slightest
illusion about where his team is going
If anywhere, for 1880. He knows as
do all the critics, that it will take a
1914 miracle even to get the Braves
out Of the celler. So far as that goes
he regards himself as a Cheerful pes
simist."
But with time land he has at least
four years of it at his disposaD Nc
Kechnie thinks something can he dove
about the situation. The man who led
Pittsburgh and st. Louis to remnants
losing his job after each victorious &C.
complishment. hardly could be i'm
mediately discouraged, even by the out
look for the Braves.
What the club needs more than any,
thing else at present is a first-strinp
capable catcher. Al Spohrer, a knock.
out victim of Art Shires during the
Winter, is willing, but still perhaps a
little punch-drunk.
Hank Gowdy, nearing 40, probably
can do better job behind the bat
than any backstop in camp, but Hanks
future is behind him. McKechnie
hopes to land another mask man when
rival clubs begin cutting down.
With Berger slated for third and
Rollings for second, McKechnie has
two war horses to complete his regular
infield-the ubiquitous Rabbit Maran-
vile at short and George Sisler, still
a great hitter and in fine condition, at
frst. The 37-year-old Maranville will
start most of the games, even II Bob
though 80, IL not likely to experience
difnculty keeping ms JOB IN competition
with the eleYsE-helding Johnny Nsun