The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1936-01-31

stories on how the major league
clubs UiU line up this spring. The
Yankees are discussed today. The
Red Sor wtH tollotO tomorrow.
Although the New York Yank.
ees finished in second place last
season, making a good fight for
the pennant most Of the season.
none but the brave will pick Nc.
Carthy's men to finish better than
third this year. They lack the
quality to beat Detroit, and unless
the Boston Red Sox go into COM
plete collapse, it is difficult to see
how the Yankees can beat them.
The Yankees, however are TAX
ing nothing for granted and are
conceding nothing as certain.
Rockies Report March
Mccarthy will marshal his
forces at st. Petersburg, the rst
squad comprised Of IA pitchers.
five catchers and the rockies re.
porting on March l. One week
later the veterans will start their
assaults on the Australian pine
trees that border Crescent Lake.
With the full force assembled, 80
players will be in action.
The strength Of the Yankees
will be found in the pitching
staff. Yet even here the New
York forces cannot be rated over
the champions. There still is a
question as to how badly Lefty
Gomez strained his pitching arm
when he fell in Miami not long
ago. Johnny Allen and Jimmy
DeShong have passed along to
Cleveland and Washington, re-
spectively, in trades.
We find ourselves fencing all
statements on the YankS with
conditionals. IF Ruffing has an
other good year, and IF Broaca
and the others pitch up to ex.
pectations, everything should be
all right. It will be remembered
that last year the Yankees had
Gomez, Ruffing and DeShong IN
the first six pitchers, based on an
earned run average.
Further conditionals must fence
all statements on the Yankee in
field. Lazzeri is starting his elev.
enth consecutive season with the
New York outfit. He has slowed
down no little in the last few
years. Sooner or later he must
step down. Will this be the year?
InfieId Called Mediocre
Frankie Crosetti underwent an
operation on his knee and reports
that lie is as good as new, or
maybe better. Fine, but what
price do trick knees bring on the
pennant market? BY and large,
the Yankee infield, with the eX'
ception of Lou Gehrig, is decid-
edly mediocre in calibre.
The bright hope of the Yankees
for the year is Joe Di Maggie, the
spaghetti bender from San Fran.
cisco. Di Maggie is hailed as one
of the greatest young ball nlayers
ever to be sent up from the Pa
cific Coast League. Joe missed
the 400 notch by single percent
age point last year.
Not only is Di Maggie a man Of
rare natural talent, but he has
his own ideas about the value of
records. The official scorer in
San Francisco gave him the bene.
fit of a very sour hit one day and
Joe created a worlds record by
protesting that the fielder should
have had an error.
With Di Maggie in left field,
Mccarthy probably will start the
fleet-footed Ben Chapman in cen
ter. If the latter will learn to
stop fighting himself and concen.
trate on fighting the enemy he
will be a real benefit to his club.
George Selkirk is the probable
choice as right fielder for the
Yankees. Roy Johnson is a prob
able alternate in left field, al
though it is possible that Di Mag
gio will be set in center field.
This is just possibility, in view
of Joe's lack of knowledge of the
major league hitters.
Pearson Should Help
Monte Pearson should be a good
pitcher for the Yankees. He was
held in high esteem in Cleveland,
but Steve O'Neil welcomed a
chance to get Johnny Allen. Allen
and O'Neill went through the In
ternational League wars together,
and Steve really made Allen
good pitcher.
Bill Dickey heads the atching
staff again, with Art JoigenS, Joe
Glenn, Bill Baker and Will Hersch.
berger on the staff. Dickey fig"
ures to remain as first string re-
ceiver with the rest in a scramble
for relief catchers. JorgenS is a
fine receiver who lacks a Wallop,
and this may hurt his chances OF
remaining another year with the