The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-04-16

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 American league winner: Yankees
 in 1936 and Tigers in 1884.
 BY GEORGE KIRKSEY
 United Press Staff CorrespOndent)
 New York, April 16.-tUP)- From "boy manager" to miracle man" with 12 barren years packed in between-that's the transition Stanley tBucky) Harris will make this season. He will pilot the Washington Senators to the Ameri- can league pennant in the biggest upset of the baseball season.
 After a dozen years of failure at Washington, Detroit and Boston. Harris, who, as 8 curly haired youngster of 28, managed the Sen- ators tot their first pennant in 1924 and repeated the next year, is ready to toss another surprise into the baseball world.
 The setup is exactly the same as in April, 1924. The Yankees won the world title in 1923 and the Sen- ators finished fourth. They were overwhelming favorites to repeat. But in October Washington ruled the baseball world, and the Tanks were dethroned. Last year the Yanks won the world title ard the Senators finished fourth. But October, 1897, will see the same story as in October, 1924.
 The Yankees will crash from baseball's highest peak to third place. The power which crushed all opposition last season will be squandered by New York's weak pitching staff. The Tanks can't win without Red Ruffing, bitter holdout who led the team last year with 20 victories. If, and when, Ruffing signs Manager Mccarthy will still be panicky for pitchers.
 Di Maggie Out!
 Then there's the case of Joe Di- Maggie, sparkplug of last years club. He's in the hospital recover ing from a tooth extraction and a tonsillectomy, two ailments which rendered his throwing arm useless. When he gets out there's no cer- tainty his ailing arm will be well.
 But DiMaggio's arm may not be his main trouble. There's something wrong between Joe and the Tanks other two Italians, Tony Lazzeri and Frank Crosetti. They shook hands recently and DiMaggio admitted, it was all my fault But the three San Francisco. Italians don't pal around together any more.
 The Detroit Tigers, armed with vicious array of hitters, will beat out the Tanks for second place. They lack the pitching to head off the Senators. The Tigers two stars are question marks. Tommy Bridges, a 23-game winner in 1886, is in a Detroit hospital with a mys- terious ailment. Schoolboy Rowe has sore shoulder and hasn't thrown a ball in 4 days. But there's no question about the Tig- CTS power, topped by the e mem -Greenberg, Goslin, Gehringer, G. Walker and G. Cochrane.
 Watch Cleveland
 Cleveland has potentialities and will close quite a gap in the 221s games the Indians finished behind the Yanks last year, but will get only fourth. The Indians have the power and pitching but lack leadership, spirit and defense; es- pecially defense, where then iilfield is akin to sieve Bob Teller, Cleveland's kid pitcher, will be, 8 sensation, but predictions of him winning 30 games is loose talk.
 Washington, Detroit, New York and Cleveland are the only ones with serious pennant chances. It'll be a much closer race than last season.
 The main factors why Washing ton will startle baseballdom are:
 1-Shanty Hogan, catching the smartest ball of his career. He didn't catch five years for McGraw for nothing.
 2.-Eight 300 hitters in lineup every day.
 3.-League's classiest defensive infield, Kuhlel-Myer- -Travis-Lewis.
 Al Simmons, hapy and hust- ling like a rookie, who supplies right-handed power lacking last year.
 5.-Buddy Myer, 1895 batting champion, who will regain his old form after last years illness.
 6.-Best throwing outfield in the league-Stone- Chapman Simmons.
 7.-Steady, surprise pitching staff of Deshong, Appleton, Weaver, New som, Cascarella, Cohen, .Lanahan. Linke.
 8:-Bucky Harris inspirational leadership.
 Below the four contenders we find Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia and St. Louis in that order. If any team this group is to crowd its way into first division itli be the White Sox. They have as good a team as last year when they finished third but the improvement of other clubs possibly will drop them to fifth. They have the bat ting champion in Appling, Q great pitcher in Kennedy and hustling manager in Dykes.