Evening star., 1932-03-25
BY ALAN GOULD,
Associated Press Sports Editor.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla, March
25.-Faith in the New York
~ Yankees, hope in the Wash
ington Nationals and a char
liable belief in the potency of
precedent may combine to make
things tough for the Philadelphia
Athletics in this years American
League pennant race.
Even so, it Is extremely difficult to
figure just how Connie Mack's for
midable cast can be stopped from max
ing it four in row, and league rec
ord, unless the opposition has some
novel plans, hitherto concealed, to
check Grove, Earnshaw, Walberg, Sim
mons Cochrane and Foxx.
So long as the AS have this six-ply
backbone, they cannot be regarded
otherwise tkan as strong favorites again
to win the American League flag.
Their pitching outclasses that Of any
other club in the league. They have
the punch to slug it out with any rival,
even the Yankees, and Connie Mack's
reserve strength, on which he rode
down the stretch last season, looks to
be even better.
MACK is the only American League
lv1 manager who has ever held
championship combination vir-
tually intact for more than three sea-
sons. He made few changes in the
outfit that won four out of five PEN
three years of rulership Mack has made
only one alteration in the regular line
up-at shortstop.
Except for a reversible infield feature,
by which Foxx moves to third and the
newcomer, Oscar Roettger, to first, the
Athletics will start the 1882 season with
the same lineup that dropped the
world series to the Cardinals.
Mack admits real fear of the Yankees
and their ''murderers row." but 1t is
difficult to see how the New Workers
can displace the AS without big i'm
provement in the pitching corps.
The club was the biggest run maker
in the majors last season, but wound
up in second place, 1872 games back OF
the Mack men. The Yanks have
picked up real star in Shortstop Frank
Crosetti, who forms a new keystone
combination with Otto Saltzgaver, and
hope to develop some pitching help for
Gomez, Ruffng and Pipgras.
A LTHOUGH the rest of the American
"A League clubs manifest improve
ment, especially the Browns and
White Sox, Washington is the only
other one justifiably considered pen
nant possibility The Nationals couldn't
stand the pace last year, but they have
speed, pitching and defensive strength.
to which has been added the punch
of Outfielder Carl Reynolds.
If Cleveland could combine its best
features with those of Washington this
would be different story. The Indians
carry a real sock, which has been eSpe-
cially damaging to the Yankees, but
their defense is spotty and they still
lack first-class shortstop. Manager
Roger Peckinpaugh must dream fitfully
of the day when he may wake up to
find himself with a shortstop like Joe
Cronin and a southpaw like Grove or
Gomez. Still Peck has aces in Ferrell
and Averill.
THE Browns, best of the second divi-
l. sion clubs. have an outside chance
to crash the first four, with the
aid of excellent pitching and a fast,
aggressive attack developed by Bill
Killefer.
The Boston Red Sox, who surprised
even themselves by finishing sixth last
season, rely on pitching to keep them
there, despite the death of big Ed Nor
ris. To combat them. Detroit and Chi