Evening star., 1933-04-08
WELL OFF AS ANY
FOE. SAYS SHOTTON
Breaks Will Decide, and His
Club Will Make 'Em for
Itself, He Holds.
By Stan Correspondent Of The Star.
nHILADELPHIA, April g.
Burton Shotton, silver
L thatched optimist who

hHILADELPHIA, April B.
r Burton Shotton, silver
L thatched optimist who
ma ages Philadelphia's
Phils and likes the job, faces the
impending National League pen.
nant push without fear or trem,
bling, or any confessed miSgiv,
ings.
No club in the league has a better
chance to win than mine," he said
SO I'm picking it to run first.
It's going to be a five-club race. al
least. The team that wins Is going to
need q lot Of breaks, and there Is our
edge.
ity to make it hot and interesting for
all opposition, have q bunch of night
ers. They agree with me about our
prospects and they'll give themselves
all the best of 1t when 1t comes to max
ing the breaks break right for US.
With or without Don Hurst at first
base. the club will be strong. I'm not
saying that I would rather start the
season without the player who led the
club in batting in runs last season, but
I am prepared to go ahead without him.
II will carry six inf1elders through
the season and two of them. Whitney
and Bartell, ere as good as any in base
ball. We could not be better of at
third base and shortstop.
Finn will be the second baSeman. He
is q first-class workman at bat and in
the field. I liked him last season, and
whatever doubts I had about being
after the right man when we traded
him away from the Brooklyn club last
Winter, disappeared when found that
several other clubs were trying hard to
get hold Of him.
..THE three-man battle for the other
i two infield jobs Is hot, and right
now 1t has me guessing. Mallon
is not taking his demotion lying down.
Delker Is a great fielder. but he has
fit for heavy DUTY again.
Jackie Warner Is new around here,
but I like the way he plays ball. He
knows his business, and 1t was q leg
injury that cost him his last major
league job with the Detroit team.
''I don't waste my time thinking and
talking about the outfielders. There's
Chuck Klein in right, and that Is that,
and it's too bad for all the other clubs.
Lee Is the fellow from whom I'm ex-
pecting a great season. He Is In the
right frame of mind about his job now,
and with a world series purse to shoot
at, he will be big producer.
Last year my team got great lift
from George Davis in center field. He
was the big Spring question mark and
his start was slow, but from nnid-season
on he was one of the reasons We were
flrst-division hall club at the finish.
..VIJHEN we made the trade that
w took him away, 1t looked as II
we had made a stiff sacrifice Of
outfield strength to balance the team
elsewhere. don't admit 1t now. Chick
Fullis came to us rated as a good man,
and he's better than I thought he was.
He will be our center fielder and his
work will have to fail far below its pres
ent quality before take him out Of the
lineup.
II am going to keep nine pitchers,
and any Phil follower can name seven
Of them now.
Collins, Holley, Hansen, Rhem, Dud-
ley, Elliott and Berly are pitchers
enough to take this ball club where it's
going. Dudley is not sore arm this
year, and Elliott Is physically right
again. Fourth place would have been
too small to hold us last year If Jim had
been in condition to perform as well as
he did in 81.
"Liska suits me as relief pitcher.
OF the youngsters we are trying, Pickrel,
Pearce and Grabowsh show the most
promise.
"No ball club can go wrong with my
three catchers, Davis, McCurdy and
Todd. I'm all set there.
Last year I had to tell the fans I
had first division club. Nobody else
would do it for me- We made good.
This time I'm telling them we have o
genuine pennant contender, with the
Pirates. Giants and Dodgers to beat. ]
pick the Phils."