The Waterbury Democrat., 1936-03-21
.COCHRANE CAN'T SEE HOW TIGERS
 GAN LOSE FLAG
Simmons, Ross, and York to Aid Detroit Silent
 on Greenberg
BY STUART CAMERON United Press Sports Editor

Lakeland, Florida, March 21 - (UP) = Responsibility of managing Q world championship baseball team rests lightly upon the muscled shoulders of Mickey Cochrane, who figures his Detroit Tigers to repeat, but only after a "heck of fight"
 Catcher, manager and vlce-presi- dent of the Tigers, smiling through Q million dollars worth of sun bronze, Michael was found in his winter lair today just as he was taking off to Clearwater for . try with Brooklyn's daffy boys.
 "Of course it's only a guess or hunch," he said, "but I don't sec how they can stop us. We figure for better pitching than we had last year. We've got some rockies who may give us a better infield, and we've got Simmons for the outfield. Our catching is at least as good as 1t was. On form and with an aver age set of breaks, we figure to come through"
 Cochrane makes but casual men, tion of Don Ross, third baseman from Beaumont, but grapefruiters know this rookie is the hope of the Tiger chief. If he lives up to prom ise of excellent fielding, plus near 300 hitting, Ross will supplant the veteran Marvin Owen at third. Even If Ross doesn't completely push Owen of fthe infland, his bid for spot should add fire to the playof the Californian, who has turned in two good league seasons and who has been disappointment in as many world series.
 Silent on Greenberg
 Cochrane asks to be excused from commenting upon the holdout tac- tics of Hank Greenberg, his slug ging first baseman. While Hank waits in New York, Cochrane watches the efforts of Rudy York, a powerful wrist-hitting rookie from Beaumont. York, oddly enough, earned his major league bid on the same club as Greenberg, and in do- ing so, during his last year in the Texas League, bettered all Green berg's marks.
 Cochrane won't compare them, but baseball men believe that York, while splendid prospect, isn't des- tined for the heights Greenberg should achieve sometime, and may be this year, is due to become a great player in the true sense.
 The rest of the Tiger infleld is set, with Billy Rogell at short and Charley Gehringer at second.
 There is no real problem in the outfield. The aged Goose GoSlin will start at left. Al Simmons, &C., quired from Chicago, will be in cen- ter, and Erv Fox in right. The vet- erans Gerald Walker and Joyner White are available as replacements for Simmons, and @ newcomer, Chet Laabs, will be on call in case Goslin slumps. Laabs has had only one year in professional baseball. Short, stocky and fast, he's powerful hitter, and probably will take the Goose's place next year or the year after, if not this.
 Few Complaints
 Cochrane has few complaints on pitching. Shoolboy Rowe, he says, looks better than ever. So does Eldon Auker. Between them they scored 37 out the Tigers wins last season. Al Crowder is an uncertain ty. He's complaining of sore arm. There's talk that he may be sent down the river, and will be unless his ailment is merely 8 dodge to keep from bearing down in the fruit belt.
 Tommy Bridges, whose 2l winds topped Tiger pitching records last year, looks grand. Brightest pros- pect is Clarence Phillips of Okla homa City, who has added 30 pounds to last seasons l65. Phillips, who won 30 with Beaumont last year. may stick.
 Tiger catching is veteran with Cochrane at No. 1 and Ray Hay worth and Frank Reiber in reserve.