The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-03-18
WHITEHEAD KEY TO CHANGES OF NEW YORK CLUB?
Bonura May Match Ott as Home Run Hitter; Dem-
 aree Will Help /.
By GEORGE KIRKSEY United Press Staff Correspondent

United Press Staff Correspondent
 Baton Rouge, La., March 18.-. (UP)-Building pennant winner in one year is quite task in any league, but Bill Terry, with cold gleam in his eyes, looks out at the 1899 edition of the New York Giants and tells you he thinks he's done the job. And Terry may be right. But right or wrong he has ripped the old Giants apart and come up with a rebuilt outfit that smacks of more power and potentialities than ever some of his pennant-winning combinations.
 There are still some question marks, but on the whole Terry has done well in rebuilding . disinte- grating ball club. The Giants of last August and September were hollow shells of Terry's pennant winners of 1896 and 1887. He gave up on the club long before anyone else did. And by the same token he's more enthusiastic about his new club than any one else.
 Ott Still There
 The old landmarks are still there Mel Ott, Joe Moore, Carl Hubbell, Hal Schumacher and Harry Dan- ming. Around them Terry has trans planted names strange to the Polo Grounds s-zeke Bonura, Billy Jurges, George Myatt, Manuel Salvo, Frank Demaree and others.
 Most important addition of all is Bonura, the big First -Baseman Terry maneuvered out of the Amer ican league. Bonura, no fancy Dan around first base, is expected to give the Giants a right-handed home run hitter to keep pace with Otis left-handed power.
 The Giant inf1eld is all new from Bonura on around. Next to Zeke is the big question mark-Burgess Whitehead, who is trying come- back after year of idleness result ing from an appendectomy and a nervous breakdown. Whitehead may hold the key to the Giants pennant chances. Terry himself says, '"The only thing want to see is the Whitehead of 1886 or 1887 out there"
 Whitehead'S future depends 1arge- ly on whether he can regain his shattered confidence. If Whitehead can go, the Giants inf1eld will reek with class. If he can't, Terry has to produce a second baseman out of a hat. Alex Kampouris is next in line but he couldn't fill the bill last year.
 Jurges, from the Cubs and prob- ably the best defensive shortstop in the league, teams up with George Myatt, fleet-footed lad from Jersey City, on the left side of the hfield. Myatt is likely to be the leagues top base-stealer. He's no Traynor at third but his arm is so good he can knock down balls with his chest and still get his man. If Myatt fails, Tom Hafey, a long~distance hitter from Knoxville, vill get the third base job.
 Demaree in Center
 The outf1eld is set with Moore in left, Frank Demaree from the Cubs in center and Ott in right. Demaree, whose batting average slumped 51 points last year to .273, is expected by Terry to hit close to his lifetime average of .307. With Moore and Ott flanking Demaree, Terry feels that the esp.Cub will be able to handle center despite the fact he slowed up considerably last year.
 For the first time since the Giants won the pennant in 1883 under Terry, Carl Hubbell won't be the No. man. Harry Gumbert, who won IS games last year, is likely to step into that role. Hlboell, how ever, is the best bet of the Giants "crippleS" to stage a comeback. His arm is progressing nicely and he can be counted on to win just as many games as can be expected from a 35-year-old pitcher with a stitched-up elbow.
 The other three fingers trying to make comebacks are Hal Schu- macher, Slick Castleman and Cliff Melton. If they all should be Suc- cessful, it would be "Katey bar the door" for the rest of the National league contenders. SchumacherS opera ation apparently was a success. Castleman's back no longer trou- bles him. And Melton's fast ball, which vanished in mid-seaSon last year, gives evidence of returning. Salv0 Looks Good Manuel SalVO, who won 22 games for San Diego, has shown enough stuff to indicate he'll make the staff and may turn out to be the years best rookie pitcher. Others bidding for pitching jobs are Fly Vanden- berg, John Wittig and Bill Lohr- man, Walter Brown and Dick Con- man again will be the relief men. Harry Danning, rated by many as the leagues top catcher will be aided behind the bat by Ken ODea, the pinch-hitting ace from the Cubs