Evening star., 1938-03-21
PAUL DEAN LOOMS
AS AID TO 0REDB|RDS
Once Star HurIer Believes
Arm Sound Again-Baugh
Is Fans Idol.
BY GAYLE TALBOT,


ST. PETERSBURG, Fla, March 81.
1T looks little as If Paul Dean
might be back in there Jogging them
across for the st. Louis Cardinals
within another month. That's i'm
portant tidings to seven other Ma
tional League clubs.
Paul, younger and slightly less volu-
bic brother of the great Diz, has
been off the firing line for the better
part of two seasons with q catch"
in his money arm. It's gone now, he
says. Manager Frankie Frisch is
dubious, but hopes Daf1y is right.
I'm almost sure she's all right" ="
said Paul. II haven't felt even a
twinge SO far, and I've been cutting
loose pretty hard. There isn't much
stuff on it yet, but that will come.
Boy, wouldn't it be great If old Diz
and I got going together again? I
wonder how Bill! Terry would like that.
We're going to do 1t, too That Diz
is better and smarter than he ever
was"
Paul has got himself into surprising
ly good shape. A few months ago
he was hos-fat. up to 220 pounds,
and now he's down to 100. During
1884 and '35 when he was turning in
10 victories a season, his weight was
around 1875.
Spot to Be Found for Paul.
Paul looks good, all right" Frisch
conceded. But I've learned from long
experience not to bank on a lame
pitching arm coming back. Well take
it easy for a while yet and then I'll
find spot for him to give 1t a real
test. We won't talk about contract
until after that"
The exemplary behavior Of the
brothers Dean thus far is making
Frisch look years younger. There's an
improved spirit in the Card camp
since Diz Gained down, and everybody
is hoping it will last.
Sammy Baugh is the clubs big, new
attraction. Spectators at the exhibi-
ton games now point out the 1.-the
football star instead of the Deans and
Joe Medwick and Pepper Martin.
Frisch really thinks Sammy has the
makings.
"All he needs Is to learn to hit"
said the old Fordham Flash. Hes a
better player right now than I was at
the same stage. As far as his fielding
is concerned. he could step into third
base on any club. He simply hasn't
been taught how to hit properly, but it
won't take him long to pick that up.
It's just question Of showing him how
to use his feet at the plate"
Many IFS" About Cards.
Whether the Cards are going to be
a better club than last year, when they
finished a weak third, is difficult to
say. There are too many "ifs," the
principal one being, of course, Dizzy
Dean. II Dizzy does return to the Is
game class, it goes without saying that
the Red Birds will be flag contenders.
If Daffy comes back they'll be in the
World Series.
There's little doubt about their
power, not as long as Medwick and
the husky John r. Mize keep their
health. They're the best one-two
punch in the National League, and
you can add to this blasting attack
the name of Enos Slaughter, who hit
1892 for Columbus last year. Like
Medwick, he's not big man. Three
inches under feet But the way he's
walloping the ball in training games
leaves little doubt he'll make the grade.
Still on the credit side is Lon
Warneke, one of the games top notch
ers, and pepper Martin, who, despite
the loss Of much Of his great speed, can
be counted upon to hit handy 800.
Inf1eld Has Weakness.
The club is going to miss Leo Du-
rocher's deft fielding and fighting spirit
at shortstop. Already It seems appar-
ent that Brooklyn got the better Of that
deal. The whole left side of the Car
dinal infield is patchwork. Don Gut
teridge will start at short, and there
isn't third-basenan In sight except
Martin and some youngsters.
Neither have the Bird farms pro-
duced catcher of real merit in recent
years. The club Is painfully weak
behind the plate. An outstanding
catcher, say men, who are baseball
wise. Is an absolute essential Of q
championship team. Branch Hickey
still Is dickering with the Giants
about Gus Mancuso. He can get Gus,
all right, but the Giants want plenty
In return. They mentioned MedwicR
and Rickey's still Sasping.