Evening star., 1938-03-18
CHICAGO BANKING
ON SPEED, POWER
lazzeri Sees Fine Reserve
important to Club Long
Hit by Injuries.
By GRANTLAND RICE,

iliid dlld AshS ALikSlCS. "A lOuI
race-and We'll be right in the mid
ole of it"
I'm the middle of what?" we asked
First. second. third or fourth?"
We'll be up there knocking at the
top" cut in Gabby Hartnett. the mas
sive veteran. one of the best catchers
and most valuable club ball players
OF all time. Knocking at the top
Il think so. too cut in Tony LaZ-
zeri, the eX-Yankee. who knows what
the Giants have--and also what they
haven't, This is a good, all-around
ball club. It's well-balanced and it
has reserve strength. which is always
important through 154 games"
You've always got to beat the
Giants" Grimm said. Carl Hubbell
is still around and that big Cliff Mel
ton may be even better this year. I
also like the Cardinals. They will be
better than most people think. es-
pecially If Paul Dean can win a few
games. Dizzy ought to have a much
better year-maybe another great
year. And Lon Warneke is no wash
out. And there's that Joe Med
wick-'
Problem Has Too Many Ifs"
What about the Cubs?" l asked.
This is supposed to be a story about
the Cubs. I used to know them when
they had Tinker and Evers and
Chance-when they had Mordecai
Brown and his three-finger twister-
when they had Johnny Kling-when
they had Circus solly Hoffman. Jimmy
Sheckard. Wildfire Schultz, Harry
Steinfeldt. That was ball club
they won four pennants in five years" 4"
You are talking about one of the
great ball clubs of all time" Grimm
said. Maybe the greatest. I won't
say We are that good But we have a
good ball club. We are we'll balanced
IN pitching and hitting and speed.
I'll tell you one thing about pick
Ing winners" Grimm said There are
always too many ifs If this-and il
that. That's something no one can
figure out in advance"
Just what are your big 'ifs'2" I
asked.
If our pitching staff holds up, As
1t should-if we don't lose too many
key players, as We did last year-if
Augle Galan comes back to his 1885
form-if Gabby can be with us in most
Of the games, And that isn't starter
baseball is full of ifs But I still
say We have a ball club good enough
to win this pennant.''
Another Angle
Here's another angle" Gabby Hart
nett cut in, If We could dig up one
good pitcher from the rockies. it would
make a big difference. I think We
have him in young Epperly. who has
Just about as good curve ball as
I've seen in long time This young
fellow has lot of stuff. He may be
just what We need. And I think you'll
hear lot more about Augie Galan.
He's had tough hitting luck the last
two years. He's due for better
break"
The Cubs, with seven-game lead,
appeared to be breezing in late last
summer before the crack-up came
Rip Collins was hurt. The pitching
suddenly fell away One or two Cub
stars took headlong dive. Just about
the same things happened to the
Giants of 1885 when the Cubs came
on with rush to overtake them.
We are banking on all-around
team strength Grimm said. I'VE
are we'll protected in every position.
we should have high-class pitching,
a good infield and a fast outf1eld
IN Demaree, Galan. Marty, stainback
ana one or two rockies. Our promis-
Ing rockies are Jim Asbell and Her.
mann Triplett. Asbell hit 1852 in the
minors and Triplett 1856. We should
work out a strong outfield combination
from this bunch-with any luck at all.
Lazzeri to Be Big Help.
We had good stuff to start with
and we've added the best we could
buy. On the other hand Gabby Hart
nett has caught over l,7OO ball games
Tor the Cubs and last year he batted
1854. Gabby is 81 years old. There's
the big spark plug-but no one can
60 on forever"
what part is Tony Lazzeri, the ex-
Yankee star, playing in this Cub
roundup?
Tony, as usual is making no attemnt
70 push himself forward. Here is one
OF the most self-effacing of all ath.
letee. Tony looks on and absorbs all
he can get.
but ne Will be big help one way
or another, before the season is over
You can't take player who used to be
an American League star and toss him
into the middle of a National League
picture And Tony isn't going to
rush affairs.
he wants to help any way he can,
Tor here is team player not an in
d1Ndual exploiter of circumstances.
he realizes his job is to help the Cubs
any way and every way he can
The main strength of the Giants
has been on the defensive side. Their
main world series trouble was that
they had no defense that could stand
up against the loud explosion from
Yankee bats.
Cubs Need Fire in Attack.
Lazzeri must know that what the
Cubs have needed is a more aggressive
of1ense. They haven't had the flame
and fire a winning team needs-not
Tor the last two years, anyway. They
still have better balanced strength
than any team in their league. But
the vital spark too often has been
missing
AS Grimm says. this should be a
four-club race among Giants, Cubs,
Cardinals and Pirates The Cub out
look depends upon the spirit, the fire
and the dash they put into their play.
The old hustle-the spirit Of the old
Cubs-could pull them through.