The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1934-04-04
CLUB HOPES DEPEND
MUCH upon ROCKIES
FOR short, SECOND
Heffner and Rolfe Will Have
Steadying Influence Of
Cehriq and Lazzeri
PITCHERS IN GOOD SHAPE
Mentor Of New York Nine Opti-
mistic as He Sums Up
Chances for Season
BY BILL BRAUCHER
NEA Service Sn0rfS Editor

N6A SERVICE SpOFtS E0ltOf
st. Petersburg, Fla, April "A
lot Of the experts have counted us out
Of the race but that doesn't scare me.
We not only have great chance to
win It but We may make 1t run
away"
The speaker was Joe Mccarthy,
manager Of the team that many writ
ers this year have been pleased to
call the "decaying Yankees and
Marse Joe wasn't laughing when he
said 1t.
Were gambling on rockies to come
through for us right in the middle Of
the diamond-short and second That's
the most important spot on the field
But how does anybody know they
won't click for us?
\ X X
Go back to 1926. I came from
Louisville to take over the Cubs. an
eighth place ball club In Is. The
team on paper that year figured to be
lucky II 1t finished seventh. BY no
manner Of means could we finish
sixth.
well. we never were worse than
fifth all season. And we were second
20 often we gave plenty of them the
filters. Finally In the last few weeks
we begged down. but still we had
enough to beat the Giants into the
1our-hole.'
Wasn't It q dangerous experiment
TO bring youngster from Baltimore.
such as Don Heffner and put him at
second to work with another youngster
from Newark, Red Role, at short
stop?
mot always" replied Joe. These
kids have been playing together so far
in the training season so we'll and
learning 50 much about each others
3nfield habits, they may become fine
double-play pair. There's Gehring on
one side and Tony Lazzeri on the
other side to steady them.
Both Of 'em can drive In runs too.
They're not sluggers, but you watch
the way that Rolfe lays into pitch.
He looks like . hitter. Heffner looks
little light, but he is a timely hitter
Drove in more runs last year than
Ratfe.
Besides, what like about both Of
them Is that they're snappy out in that
field and have all kinds Of fight.
Then we've got Crosetu and Larry
and Saltzgaver. you know, to pick
from II we decide not to use those two
boys
Last year the Yankee pitching had
been spotty. Would it be better this
year2
We'll, there we're good reasons for
It being spotty last season. We were
depending on Ruffing, Allen, Gomez
and Van Alta. The flu and injuries
cramped our pitching staff and we
couldn't get going.
This year all those fellows look
fine. ! never saw Ruffing looking
better than this spring. He'll win 20
games for US easy. Allen Is just start
1ng to hit his stride"
How about the rockies, especially
this Smythe from Baltimore who won
81 games last year?
II think Smythe and Murphy prob
ably will be the only new men. Smythe
Is no chicken. He's 30 and he'll know
his way around. Murphy turned in
some mighty nice relief work over at
Newark last year.
= + +
The little fellow you see over there
warming that fast one through there
you remember him Of course"
The little fellow" was Big George
Uhle, the Cleveland veteran who made
. fine comeback with the Yankees last
gear.
Hell be . regular" Joe went on.
~The other starter I don't know about.
Might be Danny MacFayden. who
ran into . bad season last year, but
who may find himself this year. Say
he was great up at Boston, wasn't he?"
Danny certainly had been great up
et Boston. And II he came through
the Yankees looked pretty we'll set,
didn't they, Joe?
you can say for mo that il Mac
hayden Is the pitcher he was for the
Red 6ox we'll breeze In without deep
breath. You know we've got the
power
Az he spoke, = fat person no had Just
made his sixth home run In training
camp, an unprecedented performance
even for him, waddled to the bench
Power? You said it-even at 10!