The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-03-11
BOSTON'S BEES GIVEN OUTSIDE
 BID FOR FLAG
Improvement Last Season RenIafkabIe-CIub Has
 I6 Pitchers
EditOFs' Note: Following Is the HlvsN of . series from the major league spring training camps.)
By GEORGE KIRKsEY InikaA Preaa GkaR COrreanNndentl

By GEORGE KIRKSEY
 United Press Stan COFFespOndent)
 St. Petersburg, Fla, March 1l.- (UP)-The Boston Bees could win the National league pennant If they showed as much improvement in 1887 as they did in 1036. They boosted their percentage .2l3 points, winning 8 more games than they did in 1895.
 The Bees chances of doing that are slim. Nevertheless, indications point toward definite improvement in the sixth-place Bees of year ago. It's going to be a hard battle for them to shake loose from their second division moorings of the past 17 of the last 20 years, but the cause is far from hopeless.
 Manager Bill McKechnie is opti- mistic. So is Bob Quinn, president and business manager.
 we have a better squad than last year." said McKechnie. "If we solve our infield problems we'll do well. We started combing the minors last July for players and have brought in some of the best men available. I believe I can say that the present pitching staff IS the best I've had in my eight years at Bos- ton"
 With i6 pitchers in camp, the Bees have the National leagues biggest collection of hurlers. Danny Mac Fayden, who made one of the finest comebacks of l936 to win l7 games and finish second to Carl Hubbell in earned runs, will be the No. pitcher. Behind him there will be a mad scramble between veterans and youngsters. It's entirely possi- ble that four minor league stars will round out the "big i've" They may be Lou Fette, who won % games for St. Paul, Vic Frasier from Dal- las, Ira Hutchinson from St. Paul and Bill Perrin, southpaw from New Orleans.
 Or they may be Bill Weir, a south- paw who joined the club late last season and blanked the Giants and Plhls in his last two games, Guy Bush, the old Mississippi mudcat, Johnny Babicl, recovered from an elbow operation which laid him up last season, and John Lanning, second-year man who won seven games in 1936.
 That leaves Bobby Refs, sinker ball artist, Bill Harris, a 36-year old rookie, Jim Turner, who won 18 for Indianapolis, Bob Smith, second oldest pitcher in the league at 39, Art Doll, fastest of the young ptich- CTS. and several others.
 The infield IS McKechnie'S night mare. He's set at first with Ebert Fletcher, 2i-yeay.old rookie who hit .343 for Buffalo, and has Tony Cuc- cinello, one of the leagues best dou- bie-play men, at second. Buck Jor- dan, who played first last year, is. a holdout and in bad graces. Short stop and third base are question marks. Rabbit Warstler, Bill Urban ski and Lou MenendeZ, a fielding demon from the Leeksvillc Bi.State league club, are bidding for the shortstop job. The Bees probably have to 90 along with Warstler even though he hit only .2li last season.
 Vincent DiMaggio. brother of the Tanks Joe, may be the regular third baseman although he came up as an outflelder. DiMaggio started his career as & third baseman. He hit only .203 as an outfielder with San Diego last year. If DiMaggio fails, Uybanski or Eddie Mayo, obtained from the Giants, will play third.
 Wally Berger in centerfield and Gene Moore, one of the best throw CTS in the league, in right, arc fix- lures. Frank McGowan, a 3e.year old recruit from Buffalo, Deb Garms, once with the Browns, and Jim Mosolf, formerly with the Pirates, who hit .3l8 for Dallas, will compete for the left-field berth.
 The Bees have only two catchers Al Lopez, who'll catch 100 or more games, and Ray Mueller.