The Waterbury Democrat., 1932-04-04
STICK STRENCH, BADLY NEEDED, IS
 AID TO HURLERS
Pirates, Braves Due for Climb But PhiIs Look About the Same -Man-. agers Lean Heavily of New Men
By STUART CAMERON fTlwik<<xN Dvkxoe, Gvx<x.<e, UTAfAsru

I lOhAbCu ECoS ODOhLS
 New York, April 4-UP)- Lower division teams of the Na- tional league will start the 1892 season next week fortified with an abundance of hope for improve ment and some of them, with real reasons for making percentage gains. @
 Last years second division clubs in order of finish, were the Pitts burg Pirates. Philadelphia Phil- lies, Boston Braves and Cincinnati Reds.
 Of these the Reds have com pletely outclassed their rivals in the matter of probable individual player and team improvement. They have added strength. The Reds had fair pitching a year ago but game after game was dribbled away because the Cincy hurlers did not get the two or three runs neded to bring victory.
 Not So Bad
 Cincinnati was credited with having been the "goat" of the four-play trade with Brooklyn. Now it appears that this might not have been the case. In obtain ing Babe Herman the Reds got whole lot of the batting strength they need. Of course, it's possible that the Babe will sulk over hav- ing been traded downstream but the chances are that he will at- tempt to show those guys" And when Herman really tries he gets things done.
 Manager Dan Howley of the Reds will offer Harvey Hendrick, Taylor Douhit, George Grantham. Wally Roettger, Ernie Lombardi, Wally Gilbert and Clyde Manion as material added since the start of the 1891 season. Tony Cuc- cinello, Joe Stripp and Clyde Suke- forth are the chief losses. In other words, the Reds have gained bat ting power, which they sadly need ed, and lost none of their admitted pitching strength.
 Pitchers Must Win
 The Phillies of 1892 don't ap- pear to be greatly different than those of 1891. There has been only slight personnel change. They will continue Qargely because of Chuck Klein) to be one of the heaviest hitting teams in the ma jors, but their former pitching weakness remains. There is more than an even chance that Phila- delphia, which finished sixth last season, may be passed by the Reds or the Braves, or both. This is al most certain to happen if Phil Collins, Jumbo Elliott, the leading pitchers, do not have creditable seasons.
 Pittsburg, last years second di- vision leader, shapes up as a real gamble. This is because there seems to be no sensible reason for predicting significant advances, serious loss of ground or reten- ton of it's present position. E Manager George Gibson is now toying with the idea of substituting Dave Barbee, obtained from Hol- lywood, for Adam Comorsky in left field. Barbee might add the batting power the Pirates need. Elsewhere the club seems destined to remain virtually, intact. Pitts burg's, pitching staff, headed by Larry French and Heinie Meine, is a capable one, and is virtually un- changed.
 New Blood
 The Boston Braves, last seasons seventh place club, will pin their hopes to new material. Fritz Knothe, obtained from Seattle, is to play third, and Oscar Eckhardt, outfielder, bought from the Mis- sions and who was the Pacific coasts leading batter in 1881, promise to add batting strength. The Braves drafted Pitcher Wal ter Betts from St Paul, and he seems destined to earn regular place.
 Art Shires, one of the players fans always talk about-because he talks so much about himself will play at first and his neighbor at second will be that perennial infielder, Rabbit Maranvil}e.