Evening star., 1939-02-02
Softest Season
For Yanks Due,
Pilot Feels
Mccarthy Sees Rocks
Making His Club
Greatest Ever
BY SID FEDER,
Associated Press Sports Writer,


NEW YORK, Feb 2.-The "sylph-
like" figure of Marse Joe Mccarthy,
down to mere 1856 pounds, ambled
in from the banquet circuit today
and made no bones about his calm
confidence that the Yankees are a
shoo-in for their fourth straight
baseball championship.
II anything, Marse Joe feels his
world champions are going to have
less trouble and probably are going
to be considerably better ball club,
with the newly imported rookie
strength, than that which waltzed
away to titles in 1886, '37 and '38.
cleveland will be tougher" Joe
said, land Detroit should go good.
Boston's question mark is Young
Tabor on third base, now that the
Sox have traded Pinky Higgins. But
I'm not kidding myself think the
Yanks are the greatest ball club
ever put together"
Joe Trims His Figure.
If you didn't know Marse Joe Is
manager of the Yanks, and. as such,
has as much worry about his coffee
and cakes as Chicago snow
shoveler had finding work this week,
you'd think he was having a tough
winter of it. His tummy, which used
to be as prominent in the Yankee
dugout as Red Rulings hair, is no
more. The reducing secret, if you
girls want to know, was a simple
matter of passing whenever the beer
was served.
1t seems whenever Joe drank beer,
his appetite was whetted as well as
wetted. In that condition he was
sucker for cheese. lots of it. All
of which put the poundage on with
the greatest of ease.
But I haven't touched q drink
and I haven't touched cheese since
last fall" he said today. THE re-
suit is I've lost 20 pounds"
Joe figures, as every manager does,
his pitching will tell the story this
season. That Yankee pitching is
just about as good as you'll find in
the league. Thinking it over, Marse
Joe rubbed that big. square Irish
jaw of his and decided he'd string
along with Rufing, Gomez and
Monte Pearson as the nub of his
staff. Who wouldn't?
Likes Ferrell's Chances.
'Then we'll get a fourth starter
out Of Yves Ferrell, Oral Hildebrand
and Spud Chandler" he explained.
IF Ferrells operation after last
season worked he may have his fast
ball back, and if he does you know
how he can go. I saw him some
weeks ago and he said he's sure
his speed is back.
Don't worry about Chambers
broken ankle. From what I hear
the accident he had working out
at the University of Georgia wasn't
too serious and he'll be back on
deck before we break camp at St.
Petersburg"
Mccarthy is high particularly on
his rockies and definitely is sold on
Joe Gallagher, the walloping out
fielder from Kansas City. Joe is a
Buffalo boy. So is Marse Joe, and
Marse Joe has lot of pride in his
home town.
No Outfield Worries.
THAT Gallagher" he pointed out.
'hits as long a ball as you'll find
around, and that's the kind of ball
we play. With Charley Keller up
from Newark, well-the outfleld
won't be in such tough shape"
With Joe Di Maggie and Tommy
Heinrich fixtures in center and right
fields, it appears Gallagher and
Keller will battle George Selkirk for
the left-field spot. Then with
Buddy Rosar around to help Bill
Dickev with the catching chores
(who said he needed helpO and a
half dozen rookie pitchers showing
promise-well, Marse Joe probably
can spend all spring worrying about
his diet.