Evening star., 1932-04-11
YANKEES ARE DUE
TO PUSH MACKMEN
New York Expected to Make
Bold Pennant Bid-CIeve-
land Also Hopeful.
BY PAUL NICHOLSON.

@HICAGO, April 11.-Connie
| Mack and his Philadel-
~ phia Athletics hit the long
trail for a record breaking
American League pennant con-
quest tomorrow with we'll
founded suspicion that they are
in for a rocky journey.
They were slight favorites to win.
and thereby become the first Ameri-
can League team to capture four
straight flags. but tradition and at
least three improved clubs, shaken out
OF their apparent inferiority complex
by a National League victory in the
1881 world series, were little more
cocksure and confident of halting their
victory march.
A the managers, players and bat
"A boys finished their usual predic-
tionS before the big push starts
tomorrow, Joe McCarthy'S New York
Yankees. packing a dangerous punch,
better fielding and a good-looking pitch
ing staff, were labeled as the one team
to chase the AS from their corner on
pennants, while Washington and Cleve-
1dilQ lCIClNCO lIlC IdILlb POooIIAC
giant killers None of the other four
entries was bold enough to promise
flag, but wanted it understood that
Connie Mack's southpaw ace, Robert
Moses Grove, together with George
EarnshaW, Jimmie Foxx, Al Simmons
ard Mickey Cochrane, wouldn't promote
any pre-game panicS among their ranks
A defeat in the world series always
leads to little less fear Of league
champion, but none in years had
more stimulating effect than that ad-
miniStered the Athletics last Fall by
Pepper Martin and his st. Louis Car
dinal mates. They proved that even
the Athletic machine was stopable,
and Philadelphia's seven rivals in the
circuit the late Ban johnson built seem
to have learned the lesson well in Spring
training, training for daring base run
ming a la Martin and gaining conf
dence at every turn.
A CAREFUL sitting of the pennant
"A chances of the AS and Yankees
indicated that two left-handed
pitchers held the key to the riddle.
Lefty" Grove and Vernon Lefty
Gomez of the Yankees Grove won 80
while losing but four for the AS last
year, while Gomez captured 81 and
dropped but for the Mccarthy
crew But Grove is 80 years old and
hardly can be expected to pile up an
other similar impressive record, whereas
Gomez, only %, is tossing his smoke
ball faster and faster and promises to
improve with a tighter defense and
regulation rest afforded by a good
pitching staff Then there was the
uncertainty of the Athletic machine as
whole going at its top speed and the
almost certainty that the Yanks would
do at least as well as year ago, when
they finished fast for second place.
CONNIE MACK realized the pennant
~ path was rocky one but he wasn't
worried. Throughout the Winter
and Spring he has strengthened his
reserves, a weak unit in his 1881 ma
chine and felt confident that his boys
had lost their superiority complex He
was ready to shoot his full strength
against the Yankees in the opener
tomorrow at Shibe Park, probably
starting Big George Earnshaw on the
mound
Gomez or Charlie Ruffing were primed
to pitch the opener for the Yanks, who
had the league interested in their two
rockies Of the infeld-Jack Saltzgaver
at second and Frank Crosetti at short
or third. Sammy Byrd, in the midst
Of long-range hitting streak, may re-
lieve Earl Combs in centerfield as a
starter
WESLEY FERRELL'S big right arm
w and tighter infield buoyed Cleve-
lands hopes of providing some
excitement in the title chase. Ferrell
was reported to be in even better con-
dition than a year ago and was Man.
ager Peckinpaugh's pitching selection
for the inaugural against Detroit. The
Tigers refused to talk in championship
language. VIC Sorrell was their prob
able lid-lifter from the mound.
Chicago's White SoX, mystery team
as never before, with new manager
in Lew Fonseca and a Spring training
tour without one major league oppo-
nent, worried over batting punch and
another dependable catcher as they
awaited the invasion of the st. Louis
Browns. Manager Fonseca refused to
name his starting pitcher, but his choice
seemed to lay between Al Thomas and
Vic Frasier
The Browns. another team which re-
fuses to broadcast pennant hopes. were
expected to place their first-day pitch
ing hopes on either Walter Stewart or
Dick Coffman.