The Waterbury Democrat., 1938-03-31
YANKEES SHAKY AS TEAM HEADS TOWARD HOME
Crosetti, Gehrig, Heinrich Off Form DiMaggiO
 Angle Series
Editors Note: Following is the sixteenth of series from the ma jor league spring training camps.
BY GEORGE KIRKSEY United Press Staff Correspondent

\UnlteU fTeSS SLdH COTECSpOAuCAI' St. Petersburg, Fla, March 31.- (UP).-Gloom and doubt hung heavy over the world champion New York Yankees today as they broke camp and headed north on a long exhibition tour.
 It was one of the worst training sessions the Tanks have held since they became a power in the baseball world Are the mighty Yankees at last cracking up and getting soft under too much prosperity and toe many triumphs? Or maybe the jinX which sometimes attaches itself to two-t time pennant winners is just getting its claws into the Tanks early.
 These happenings may portend things to come:
 Monte Pearson has been massacred in exhibition games. His ineffective ness leaves the No. 3 spot on the pitching staff wide open.
 Frankie Crosetti has serious Charley horse and hasn't played all inning. His substitute at shortstop Billy Knickerbocker, has sore arm Record Ahead
 Lou Gehrig was out of action fo1 a few days with a bruised hand, the first exhibition games he's missed in years. Maybe father time finally is catching up with the iron horse who has a chance to reach his 2,000th consecutive game nj May. Tommy Heinrich has looked bad in the outfeld, particularly his throwing, and one time had to be benched. George Selkirk also has been throwing badly and not getting his usual long-distance hits.
 Rookie Pitchers Joe Beggs and Steve Sundra have sore arms.
 In their first 13 games the Tanks hit only four homers, an almost un- precedented paucity for them. Their long distance power has been miss ing this spring. They lost series to the Cardinals, four games to two the first spring series they've lost since 1926.
 And most of all, Joe Dimaggio, the man who made the present Tanks champions, is missing. A stubborn holdout. Col. Jake Ruppert says, T won't give Dimaggio one button of my vest more than the $25,000 of- fered." But the Tanks have looked so terrible that Manager Joe Mc- Carthy may persuade Ruppert to have Dimaggio meet the Tanks for a conference when they arrive at New Orleans, April 2.
 Worried
 "Dimaggio isn't doing himself, the Tanks or me any good by holding out any longer" says Mccarthy. "He should report at once"
 Right now the Tanks need Di- maggie worse than he needs them because he won't get a dime from his salary anyway until the season opens. The situation is definitely acute.
 The bright spots in the Tanks are Lefty Gomez's pitching, Red Rolfe's general all-round pay, Bill Dickey's hitting and Rookie Joe Gordon's favorable start at second.
 Gomez, despite his divorce trouble, is pitching as well as he ever did in his career. Rolfe, with bother some spur taken off his thigh in a winter operation, apparently IS headed for greater stardom than ever. Dickey is leading the club in hitting with a mark close to 500. Although young Gordcn isn't going to set the league on fire he appears capable of filling the second base gap. He's going to make lot of mad plays but he'll make up for them by making many good ones
 The absence of Crosetti has been a severe blow. He and Gordon will now have to get used to each other during the regular campaign. Nc one knows when Crosetti will be ready to play.
 The Tanks lineup probably vii be Gehrig, Gordon, Crosetti anc Rolfe in the infleld; Selkirk, Dimag- gio eff and when he signS), anC Henrich in the outfleld; Dickey Glenn ar Jorgens, catchers, anc pitching staff composed of Gomez Ruffing, Pearson, Chandler, Murphy Andrews, Stine and possibly Donald and Wicker, or Vance. Lee Stin' from Kansas City and Alley Don aid from Newark appear to be thu best of the young crop of pitchers However, Chandler, up last year bu farmed out again when he came Ill with a sore arm, looks great and i certain to be a starter behind Ruff fing and Gomez.
 The Tanks will have to come ; long way before they'll be in con dition and at full strength to opel the season. And until Dimaggio ap pears on the scene something vita will be missing.