The Washington times., 1936-02-07
By FRANK BUCK" O'NEILL

ObbO NUSC sSSSS tNSN~N N~''
BY FRANK BUCK" ONEILL
Jimmy Dykes, leader Of the Chi
cago White Sox, is a man who be-
lieves that a team which starts
the season in the best possible
condition is the team that will
have to be beaten. Jimmy isn't
cherishing too many pennant
hopes. but he thinks he has a fine
chance to finish in the first d1vt'
sion.
Which team will he oust? Well,
Jimmy will tell you that the
Yankees will not be too strong
this year. He may ease into the
first four by easing them out.
Please do remember moreover.
that the Chicago White Sox led
the American League for quite .
while last summer.
Now about this conditioning
business. The Sox will play q
games from Santa Monica to Com
iskey Park. They will tour Texas
and way stations with the Pitts
burgh Pirates, playing the bold
Buccaneers 13 games. They play
the Cubs three games in Los An
geles and three more in Chicago.
Now, if association with the cham
pionS Of q rival league doesn't aid
q club, nothing will.
They're Rugged FOemen
The White Sox will be rugged
foemen, regardless of the fact
that they cannot be entered as
pennant possibilities. In the first
place, if you draw the line that
baseball critics must draw from
home plate to center field, you
find some better than average ball
players there.
There are Luke Sewell, catcher:
Ted Lyons "a fifth inflelder),
pitcher; Jackie Hayes, second
base; Luke Appling, shortstop,
and Null Haas in center field.
OF course Lyons isn't always in
the box, but there are some other
pitchers who are pretty fair
workers.
With that established, let's open
the book. Silent John Whitehead,
who started the 1885 season with
a run of eight consecutive VIC
tories, only to fade out in mid
summer, may turn to and hold
| his form through the season. If
! he does, he probably will improve
upon his record Of 13 victories
won last year.
Lyons Is Great Player
Ted Lyons not only is a great
pitcher, but a great bali player.
He is q cat in the field and q
power at the bat. He won IS
games last year when a very baf-
fling ailment in his right arm
cleared up and his effectiveness
returned. Vernon Kenn edy
pitched a no-hit game last year
and finished the season with II
victories and the same number Of
defeats.
The White Sox are placing not
a little confidence in two rockies.
One of these is Monte Stratton.
the 6 foot 5 baby from Celeste,
Texas. Stratton won II games
and lost nine with st. Paul and
Chicago. Russell Red" Evans, Of
Oklahoma City, who won "a games
and lost eight last season with the
Oklahoma team. Italo Chelini, q
boy from San Francisco, is an
other pitcher who may make the
grade for the South Side rooterS
this year.
Luke Sewell had to move to the
White Sox to make Washington
fans appreciate his worth. Luke
Steadied those Sox pitchers no lit
tie, and Ted Lyons, a Nestor of this
game in wisdom If not in years.
gives Sewell plenty Of credit for
helping him to come back to form.
Merv Shea is another good re.
ceiver.
Dykes Plays Third
Jimmy Dykes will take another
turn at third base if his legs hold
out. The old-timer still is a fac
tor in baseball, and can rap that
ball as hard as the next one. Zeke
Bonura, the hard hitting Italian,
is q good first baseman, although
not the greatest that ever lived by
q long shot. zeke is a powerhouSe
who makes good use of .295 bat.
ting average.
Tony Piet Is a good infielder and
played good ball both at second
and third for the White Sox.
Jackie Hayes is sweet second
baseman, although not a great hit
ter. Luke Appling, shortstop. will
do until better man comes along.
Joe Morrissey, of Toronto, is the
reserve infielder.
The White Sox will not miss AL
Simmons. It is the contention of
the writer that no ball player who
isn't working at top speed will be
missed. Therefore, even If Sim
mons has q great year for Mickey
Cochrane, it does not follow that
he would have had the same sort
of year for Chicago. Simmons is
temperamental.
Radcliff and Mule Haas are the
two leading outfielders, with Wash
ington, Mauldin, Kreevich, Nc.
Culloch and Stumpf in the fight.
Americans Take Third