The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-04-05
PITCHING WILL WIN FLAG FOR
 OHIO REDB|RDS Cincinnati's Only Weak- ness at Second; Bartell
 Lost to Cubs
BY GEORGE KIRKSEY United Press Staff Correspondent


 Remnants are won with pitching.
 The Cincinnati Reds have the pitching, and that's why they'll win the National League pennant. The Reds have their weaknesses but what National League club hasn't?
 Sharpest criticism of the Reds is directed at their second base con1- bination. It's my prediction that the play of Billy. Myers and Lonnie Frey around the keystone bag will be one of the big surprises of the 1899 season. Myers is far from the dog" some critics hint he is and Frey will prove one of the leagues most improved players.
 The Reds main threats will come from the Chicago Cubs and the New York Giants. The Cubs will make a real bid but the rheumatic condition of Shortstop Dick Bartell is likely to be serious handicap to last years champions. The Giants can make trouble but their pitching and infield problems are likely to cause Sill Terry's club to falter in September or earlier.
 McKechnie Astute
 The astute handling of Cincin. nati's pitchers by William Boyd McKechnie will play one of the big roles in deciding the race. Cincin- nati is the only club in the league which can show a good pitcher every day-Paul Derringer Bucky Walters, Johnny Wander Nicer, Lee Grissom and Whitey Moore. Behind the Big Five" the Reds have for midable group of second-stringers.
 Whitey Moore, who won only four games last year, has really ar- rived. Grissom's arm is strong and he looks like he'll threaten the 20- game class. Don't believe those tales about Wander Meer's physical con- dition. He'll be ready when the season opens. Walters is pointing for his biggest year. Derringer shows every indication of coming close to his 1898 success when he won 21 games.
 Addition of Bill Werber has made" the Reds infield. All talk about his being 8 troublemaker narrows down to the fact that his conversation is on a somewhat high CT lane than the average ball play CTS. He and McKechnie understand each other.
 Berger to Help
 Goodman, Mccormick and Lom- bardi are expected to pace the Reds attack, with help from Wally Ber- ger. Some question Berger's ability to go the 154-game route. If he fades, the Reds have an able re- placement in Lee Gamble. Harry Craft, the National leagues great est ball hawk, is due for big im- provement, especially at bat.
 The Cubs loom as a strong con- tender again, and are picked to fin- ish second. Bill Lee and Clay Bryant can't carry the entire pitching load. Gabby Hartnetts years and the bur- den of running the club will slow him down and the club will miss him plenty when Gus Mancuso is catching. Two Cubs likely to show big improvement are Joe Marty and Billy Herman, who had a sub-nor- nal season in 1898. The departure of Jurges weakened the Cubs superb defense and Bartell, even if he is healthy, can't match Jurges' fielding.
 The Giants have more punch but are weak in the infield and their pitching has gone back. Whitehead is a question mark at second, and Bonura at first and Myatt at third are no fielding wizards. Bonura's bat, however, is likely to give the Giants more kick. But the big prob- lem is pitching, where Carl Hubbell
 l Schumacher may have gone 0r the hill. Gumbert, Melton, Lohrman, Castleman and the rookie Salvo are likely to carry the pitch- ing burden but there's no meal ticket" in that gang.
 Cards May Surprise
 The surprise club will be the St. Louis Cardinals. Their youth, fire and punch will land them in the first division. You can't laugh of Medwick and Mize, and Enos Slaughter is going to have the year everyone thought he would last sea- son. If their young pitchers get hot the Cards might be tough indeed. With few breaks the Cards could very easily get into the pennant scramble.
 
 Al Schacht, baseball clown, made lnu II