Evening star., 1932-04-06
-FOUR CONTENDERS
TO GET HOT SCRAP
Giants, Cubs, Pirates, Cards
Due to Find Other Four
Clubs Troublesome.
BY JOHN B. FOSTER.

n IEW YORK, April 6.-As the
N major league teams swing
1 Y into home or near the
end of the long trips that
climax the Spring training season,
it becomes apparent that the
National League clubs naturally
split into two classes for the i'm
minent pennant drive.
Regarded as sure contenders, New
York, Chicago, Pittsburgh and st. Louis
will chase the elusive flag, while Brook
lyn, Cincinnati, Philadelphia and Bos-
ton, grouped in the second class, will
dog their steps and make life miserable
for them generally until September
draws the curtain on the conflict. In
juries, of course, would change this pre-
season estimate of the lineup.
The New York Giants and the Boston
Braves are representative teams of their
respective groups, so let the fan con-
slider their cases as they appear just a
week before the official opening Of the
1882 season.
Critz Big Help to Giants.
At first the prospects of the Giants
were clouded this Spring. That was
because of the uncertainty hanging over
the playing future of Hugh Critz, the
second baSeman. A fine sort of young
man, that second baseman. His reluc-
tance to try to exert that precarious
arm of his gave rise to the belief that
he might be useless this year. All who
know him deplored it and Speculated on
the means by which Manager John Nc
Graw would overcome that predicament.
Soon the manager announced he would
play Lindstrom at center field, and one
natural suppoSition was that Moore
would go to second base.
Gaining confidence slowly, CritZ final
ly assumed his regular position at Sec
ond and that is the very best thing that
happened to the Giants on their train
ing trip. 1t was the one great balancing
power the team needed, the element
that put the outf1eld and the infield
on even terms, and it will be the most
important factor in making the Giants
penant contenders.
The second most important develop
ment of the trip was the improvement
of Schumacher, a young pitcher. AL
ways confident that he had found a
Graw is now satisfied of the accuracy
of his estimate of this boys skill.
CritZ playing on the team regularly
and Schumacher's better skill are two
of the most important results Of the
Giants training. Another is the abil-
ity shown by Koenecke, who Is to play
left field.
Braves Gather Strength.
Contrast the Giants with the Boston
Braves. The latter team needed little
of everything for its infield and outf1eld
and the most important accession they
made was to procure Art ShireS for
first base. In that position they have
distinct advantage over anything they
had last year.
The Braves have not found better
second baseman than Mcguire, who Is
one of the best fielding second basemen
the National League ever had. Per-
haps, though, the infield is not def
nitely settled, and may not be for
month. 1t cannot be so long as Robert
Maranville is physically able to play
shortstop. The moment he appears on
the Boston inf1eld the inspiration OF his
presence spreads to all the team. In
respect to the years he has served as
an active player in major league base
ball, he Is the marvel of the present
season.
The Braves are like some other major
teams this year, in regard to their out
field. They have numbers and batting
strength. Berger has won his place
among the outflelders of higher skill
IN the league. None of his associates
is quite up to him individually, yet Bill
McKechnie, manager of the team, by
placing his men in one way and an
other to face other teams, always viii
be able to make fairly good fight. OF
the most recent additions to Boston,