Evening star., 1938-07-10
FRESHMAN SQUAD
RICHEST IN YEARS
Great New Talent Two or
More Deep at All Posts
Except Shortstop.
BY SID FEEDER.
Associated Press Sports Writer.

BY SID FEEDER,
Associated Press Sports Writer.
NEW YORK, July 9.-Two or more
deep in every position except short
stop, the rockies have taken over the
big leagues this season like they
haven't done in years.
Paced by fine collection Of out
felders, half dozen or more better
than-average pitchers and inflelders
who have won regular jobs on seven
of the 16 big league clubs. the fresh
men squad contains more talent and
class in larger numbers than for
some time in the past.
Nine Of them are batting 800 or
more. another half-dozen or so are
right around that mark. 10 pitchers
have won regular starting assignments.
To name any one rookie of the
year is about as easy as picking 1898
Derby winner. Almost every club
has candidate. Cincinnati has come
up with the unprecedented double
no-hitter' Johnny Wander Nicer, and
big husky slugger on first base in
Buck Mccormick; the Yankees boast
the classiest fielding second baseman
In years in Joe 'tthe FASH Gordon:
the Cleveland Indians have Ken Kelt-
ner on third base, and he's hit Is
homers to date. In the outfield there
are such regulars as Hank Stein
bacher, $50 hitter for the Chicago
White Sox Swingin Sammy Chap
man. the Athletics recruit from the
University of California; Enos Slaugh-
ter OF the Cardinals.
An-Star Rookie Lineup.
Having given some idea of their
ability in the nearly half of the season
already completed, An all-star rookie
lineup might read something like
this. with batting and pitching aver
ages up to. but not including, Fridays
games:
Pos. Player. Club. Ave Rbi
ID Buck Mccormick. Reds 1888 SO
2b Joe Gordon. Yankees- 1891 81
Sb Ken Keltner, Indians- .29l 81
SIS Justin Stein. Reds s--- .28l )
of Hank Steinbacher, White
sox Observation-Disclosures .352 AZ
Of Sam Chapman. Athletics .3l8 30
of Enos Slaughter. Cardinals .3O9 80
c Will Hershberger, Reds - 1852 6
w. L.
. Johnny Wander Nicer, Reds 10 3
. Bob Klinger. Pirates l
p Tot Pressnell. Dodgers 7
p Jim Bagby. Red Sox 3
tStein. of course. is the shortstop
simply because there isn't any other
who has handled the job more than
q game or two)
Mccormick Stars Afield.
Taking them by position, there's
Buck Mccormick, 6-foot-4 walloper
tfrom the Bronx. who is regarded so
highly among National League first
oasemen that he was the only one
dominated for the job in the senior
circuits triumphant all-star squad
He has been one of the mainstays in
the drive that has made the Reds
pennant factor. and, with 96 hits in
fl games up to last Friday, figures
to be the first National Lacquer of the
season in the. l00-hit club. Afield. he
has made only three errors. Definitely.
he gets the call in the all-star lineup
over George McQuinn of the st. Louis
Browns. who is no slouch himself,
with q .295 average.
At second base three candidates for
the job are on hand. For some time
during those weeks when Gordon was
cousin" to every pitcher in the
league. Dario Lodigani of the Ath-
1etics looked the top man. But the
Flash" has learned to hit a high
inside pitch, fields head and shoulders
above any Of the others and has been
travelling at 400 clip at bat since
his comeback Therefore, Lodigiani
and the exist. Louis batboy, Emmett
Mueller of the Phillies, will have to
tight 1t out for runner-up,
Keltner Alone in Class.
AT third base there's no one can
give Keltner real fight for the lob.
without him the Indians never would
nave been up there in the thick of
the pennant scramble. He's his clubs
Leading slugger, with Is homers, and
although he's no fielding wonder on
the hot corner, he'll do. Mickey Coch-
rane has two candidates for the Job
with the Tigers, Don Ross and Mark
Christman, but neither of them hits
hard enough.
The outfleld presents the toughest
problem. Steinbacher, a slugger from
Sacramento, must be placed. You
can't leave $50 hitter for So games)
of any lineup Chapman has been
something less than Iris Speaker
IN fielding his position. although the
TACT that he's the rawest of the rook-
les, with no previous experience in or
eanlzed ball, has something to do
with that Both he and Slaughter
have slight edge on such other fresh
men as George Washington Case of
Washington, JEFF Heath of the In
dams. Ernie Koy and Rosy Rosen of
the Dogders. Johnny Rizzo of the
Pirates and Harry Craft of the Reds.
Behind the plate. with Hershberger,
up with Cincinnati from Newark's
wonder team" has it all over the
others. but four more-Johnny Riddle
of the Bees. Cap Clark of the Phillies
Herb Bremen of the Cardinals. and
Tom Heath Of the Browns have shown
we'll.
Wander Nicer Far Ahead.
Naturally, Wander Nicer, the Dutch
hreballer. is the No. pitcher of the
year. Although he's technically not a
complete rookie. having appeared in
19 games for the Reds last season and