The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-02-11
STENCIL BANKS ON DEFENSE OF. BOSTON OUTFIT
Hitters Needed But Not Too Many-YOungsters
 Get Chance
By ROBERT WEBB
United Press Staff Correspondent

(UnIted Press Stan COrfeSpOn0ent)
 Boston, Feb. 10.-(UP)-Although he knows most of his players by reputation only because he was not signed as keeper of the Bees until the close of the 1887 season, Charles Dillon (Casey) Stengel has some pretty definite ideas about manag- ing a team that finished one game out of first division without BOO hitter on the club.
 we've got to have some hitters, , said the affable Bees mastermind who was paid $15,000 last season for not managing the Brooklyn Dodg- CTS, "but we won't sacrifice our de- fensive strength to the extent of losing ball games.
 "A man that lets in two runs by poor fielding, although he bats in a couple himself, is no better than a player who can't hit 300. Even if some of our new players are major league hitters, they can't make the grade with this club until they learn to field.
 Stengel has two fairly good hit terS, Second Baseman Tony Cucci- hello and Third Baseman Gilbert English, both dangerous batters with men on base. To round out the in- field are Hal Warstler, a light-hit- ting, defensively brilliant shortStop, and Ebert Fletcher, a smooth field ing first baSeman who ought to im- prove his PAT batting average by 40 points.
 There's a good possibility that Hal Maggert, .342 hitter in the Pied mont league last season, can break up this infield. Stengel will try him at third base. If Maggert can't beat out English for the hot corner job, then he is 8 possibility at left field.
 Lopez ranks as our best catcher even though his batting average has fallen off steadily in the last two years" continued Stengel. Al used to be a good hitter with me in Brooklyn. guess he just had a sour year in 1887. We'll give this Ray Mueller plenty of work. He came fast at the close of the sea- son and looks like a great prospect"
 Max West, a .330 batter for Mis- sions in the Pacific Coast last sea- son, should challenge for one of the outfield jobs. He'll be tried at left and right leaving the center open for Vince DiMaggio.
 Stengel has hopes of improving the batting averages of both DiMag- gio, one of the best ground-cover- CTS in the business, and Gene Moore, the fleet right fielder who had a disappointing year. Both these lads have been swinging for the fences too frequently and Casey hopes to sell them the idea of taking an easier cut at the ball.
 "As long as there's nothing wrong with their arms, Lou Fette and Jim Turner will win 20 games again for the Bees," said Stengel. "MacFay- den is our third starter. I don't know who will replace Bush. Ira Hutchinson should be better this year. Perhaps one of the left hand CTS, Billy Weir or Milburn Shoffner, will i'll the bill"
 Stengel doesn't want to make any predictions where the Bees will fin- ish. He's not too familiar with the capabilities of his players and he doesn't want to get of on the wrong foot in Boston by predicting a pennant for fifth place club that apparently hasn't been strengthened great deal. But he's got two pitchers who won 20 games a year ago and that's fairly sub- stantial foundation.