Evening star., 1932-03-07
BY ALAN GOULD,
Associated Press Sports Editor.

Associated Press Sports Editor.
TORT MYERS, Fla, March
r 7.-Instead Of either being
broken up, as some experts
predicted, or showing any
tendency to disintegrate after
three straight years at the top of
the American League, as many
expected, the Philadelphia Ath-
letics now appear stronger than
ever.
If anything is going to stop them
from running up a record streak of
four straight pennants it likely will
have to be the old-fashioned law of
averages. This factor, aided and abet-
ted by Grimes, Hallahan and Martin,
accomplished the downfall of the Ath-
letics last October, but it has damaged
neither the class nor the morale of the
club. OF its seven rivals it fears only
the New York Yankees.
DARING accidents, Connie Mack
- will stand pat on the lineup that
spreadeagled the pennant field last
season. The only outside prospect Of
shake-up lies in the possibility of big
Jimmie Foxx being shifted to third
and replaced at first by Oscar Roettger.
now trying comeback after several
rides on base balls familiar shuttle
Unless there is some mishap, however,
the team will start the 1882 season with
Foxx, Bishop, Williams and Dykes
again composing the inner defense.
The twin factors upon which the
AS base their confidence in the forth
parent good health and strength of all
the seasoned stars, most of whom
suffered from illness or accidents last
year, and, second the acquisition of
several of the best young players the
club has had since Grove, Earnshaw,
Cochrane and Simmons established
themselves as the big four" The AS
are rich in reserve power.
THE training siege has revealed un-
l. usual pitching prospects in Lew
Rrausse, the 19-year-old Philadel-
phia boy, and Joe Bowman, 21-year-
old recruit from Portland of the Pacific
Coast League. Both are right-handers
They looked good in their exhibition
debut against the world champions,
allowing the Cardinals only three hits
| in six innings. Krausse has so i'm
pressed Mack that the veteran leader
ngureS to make this youngSter a start
ing pitcher. to work along with Grove,
Earnshaw, Walberg and Mahaffey.
Merritt Cain, from Harrisburg, Pa, is
another good right-handed prospect.
Grove and Walberg we're late in sign
ing contracts Grove is understood to
have obtained an increase, giving him
S25.000 salary and making him the
highest paid pitcher in base ball Earn
shaw has been getting into condition
at Hot Springs, Ark, along with the
mighty Al Simmons.
THE big three" of the pitching staff
i won nearly 70 games last season
and Mack believes they will come
close to duplicating this extraordinary
achievement. If any one of them
should crack" however, the burden
will fall back on the youngsters and
Mack's dream of four straight may be
shattered.
Outside of the pitchers, the outstand-
ing addition is Ed Coleman. a rangy
slugger from Portland, who will under
study Bing Miller in right field. Cole
man swings from the port side, is fairly
fast and handles himself well in the
field.
Simmons and Mule Haas, who seems
fully recovered from a broken wrist,
have no competition, of course, for the
other outfield berths Simmons. after
leading the league in batting for two
years, not only Is the power house of
the AS attack, but is regarded generally
as the most dangerous batsman in base
ball.