The Washington times., 1932-03-05
FONSECA
F. PUZZLE AS
I, MANAGER
BY BABE RUTH


6s--I have been figuring out the
probable strength of the various
American League teams for an
article before the season opens,
predicting how they should fin
ish. and what team do you sup
pose shapes up as the biggest
puzzle?
Perhaps you have guessed it.
The Chicago White Sox.
cannot say here just where
] have placed the Sox in this
rating because that will be shown
in the predictions soon to come,
but ! will say that this team is
likely to fool anybody. It can be
quite a success or it may be as
great a failure as in 1881.
FOnseca Young
First of all we have a new
manager to guess about and
there are new pitchers who are
sure to take part in a lot Of
games, Lew Fonseca is young,
but he always struck me as a
very energetic bali player, and it
stick a long time as a leader.
You know some of the greatest
managers in baseball were in
charge of clubs while quite young.
Take Miller Higgins and Bucky
Harris who were well under 35
when they took command of big
league teams and both have been
pennant and world series winners.
The new pitchers Of the White
Sox will furnish the answer for
this team. There isn't a smarter
pitcher in the game than Sam
Jones and you can't tell me that
Sam is through as big Lacquer.
He showed me too much in some
of his games last year to be
ready for the exit now. Hadley
is still comparatively young, with
a lot Of stuff and one of those
pitchers who is likely 70 come
through in any year with 20 or
Is victories. The change in uni
forms may do for him what it
has. done for so many other pit
cherS, though know he will find
it more difficult to win games for
the Chicago club than for Wash
1ngton. The difference in hitting
strength of the two clubs makes
the task of the Chicago pitcher
more pronounced.
CASTOR OId-Timer
Milton CASTOR, like Jones, has
been around for many years, but
after all a boxman has to be
around a long time before he
really is good pitcher. CASTOR
in the past two years has given
the Yankees many an uncomfort-
able afternoon, and he still has
some good pitching left.
AS for Hayes, the new second
.baseman of the Sox, he is one of
the greatest defensive, players I
have ever seen. His hitting has
not been, so good, but occasionally
this type Of player hits his real
stride and comes along with a
bang. I'll say right here that
there will not be a better fielding
second baSeman in the league
than this former Senator who
went to the Sox in the Reynolds
Kerr deal.
Two Great Pitchers
Take Lyons and Thomas, the
White Sox veterans. Some people
expect one or the other to be
traded before the season opens in
a move tt add batting strength
to the club. but they are still with
the Sox and must be so consid-
cred. Either is a great pitcher in
spite of a bad season, and any
time either is in good pitching
form the Sox are tough, indeed.
1t would be no surprise to see
either one of them chalk up 20
victories in any season. Lyons did
1t not long ago, with the Sox
Second-d d-diviSion team all the way.
This is the bright side of the
picture. Any, or all, of the players
I have mentioned may be of
great value to the team all season.
Then, again, any, or all, may run
head-on into another bad year.
Jones and CASTOR may be nearer
the finish of the big league trail
than I think. That is why I call
1t a mystery team, one of those
clubs that would cause no surprise
by finishing anywhere between
fourth place and the bottom of
the second division.