Evening star., 1936-02-16
FINE HILL STAFFS
SHINE IN RECORDS
st. Louis Has Slight Edge
on Detroit-0ther Clubs
Need "No. a." Men.
BY ALAN GOULD,
Associated Press Sports Editor.

N EW YORh, FeDruary lo.-u
nj pitching is at least so per
" cent of the major league PEN
4 nant battles, as most of the
games sages insist, the st. Louis
Cardinals and the world champion
Detroit Tigers figure to hold an edge
over all rivals this year
The Cardinals had no excuses when
they yielded to the closing rush OF
the Chicago Cubs last year, but they
have filled a pitching gap by acquir-
ing Roy Parmelee. II the erratic for
mer right handler of the Giants
steadies down, st. Louis Is likely to
show the best four-man staff in the
National League, with the two Deans
setting the pace and Bill Hallahan,
veteran southpaw, rounding out the
front-line quartet.
On the records. these four top the
best in either major league. They
collected rs victories last season, two
more than the big four" of the
Tigers, Bridges, Rowe, Auker and
Crowder, and four more than the
Cubs melodious quartet of Warneke.
Lee, French and Root.
Comparison Favors Cards.
THE comparison in favor Of st.
Louis does not end here. ALI four
Card aces figure to do as well or bet
ter than in 1885, whereas, the Tigers
may have to worry about the aging
soupbone Of Alvin (GeneraD Crowder,
while the Cubs face the possibility of
furnishing relief for the elderly Char.
ley Root
The Boston Red Sox, New York
Giants and New York Yankees, all
entertaining pennant hopes, share q
common pitching problem Each has
three fingers who can be depended
upon for steady sharpshooting. Each
mas number of eligibles for the vital
No. position on the staff, but the
big question won't be answered until
later.
The Red Sox. for example, rely
upon Wes Ferrell and Lefty Grove as
top men, with Johnny Marcum. a IT.
game winner with the Athletics. an
otner established quantity. The much
needed fourth may be Fred Oster-
mueller. the youthful Southpaw, or
Johnny WEIGH.
The Giants are optimistic of a come
back by Fred Fitzsimmons, the Old
knuckle-baller who cracked In last
season, but Southpaw Al Smith NAV
prove a better bet to round out a
quartet with Hubbell, Schumacher and
Castleman. There also is Harry Gum.
bert, the International League recruit.
Tor Prof. Will Terry to consider care.
fully.
Gomez Key to Yank STAFF.
HE Yankees hardly can get any.
where unless Lefty Gomez doubles
his total of IL victories scored last
season. To work with the eminent
southpaw. as well as big Charley Ruff
fing and bespectacled Johnny Broaca,
Manager Joe Mccarthy can pick from
veterans like Bump Hadley and Monte
Pearson, or youngsters like Vito Tam.
ulis and Johnny Murphy.
Rated on effectiveness, Pittsburgh
had the top two fingers in the Ma
tional League last year, Cy Blanton
and Bill Swift. Brooklyn has taken
conspicuous steps to bolster its hurl-
ing by getting Fred Farmhouse and
Dutch Brandt from the Braves, to work
with Van Mungo, George Earnshaw.
Watson Clark and perhaps Dutch
Leonard. The Dodgers, if they get
results from this array, may be the
surprise club of the league.
The Cards, Cubs and the Giants all
bid unsuccessfully for Curt Davis,
right-handed star of the Phillies. Cleve-
land acquired temperamental Johnny
Allen, who may prove just what the
Indian staff needed to show consistent
results, with Mel Harder pace-setting.
The White Sox will be well equipped
if Ted Lyons sustainS his comeback
and the two youthful sensations, John
Whitehead and Vernon Kennedy, full
fill their 1885 promise.
Tigers Lawson Bright Rookie.
nETROIT has one of the likeliest
prospects in Roxy Lawson, who
came up from Toledo late last season
to make sensational debut. The
Cubs believe they have a prospective
starter in Fabian Kowalik, Buffalo
product.
Jesse Haines, 42-year-old Cardinal
warhorse, still is the oldest finger on
any major league roster. Huck Belts
of the Boston Bees and Tom Zachary
Of Brooklyn are each SO, Charley Root
and Bob Smith of Boston 81 each,
George Earnshaw, Waite Hoyt Of the
Pirates and Fred Marberry Of the
Giants So each. William Jeffocat, l8-
year-old rookie from Richmond, on
the Giants roster, is the younge.
finger on the major league list.