Evening star., 1939-03-22
From the
Press Box
1877 Experts to Suffer
If Reds Miss FLAG
BY JOHN LARDNER,

Special Correspondent of The Star.
BRADENTON, Fla, March o.
BY now it's no secret that the Gin
cinnati Reds are going to win the
National League pennant. One hun
dred and eighty-seven experts have
smuggled the information to the
public, and the only dissenters ]
can find are Manager William Nc
kechnie and your agent.
I don't believe McKechnie is act
ing in good faith either William
is the sort of double -talker whose
right hand hires detectives to sha-
dow his left hand If the Reds
clinch the pennant on the fourth
of September, McKechnie will claim
that there still is much to be SAID
for the chances of the Boston Bees
on the grounds of triple jeopardy
nisi oonum and de juris de facto
with hard sauce.
Your agent. however, absolutely
Is on the level I don't think the
Reds will win. They are a sound
and solid team, on paper, with what
promises to be the best pitching
in the league. They have nothing
much to beat. Still. hunch is a
hunch, and years of study and re-
search in this particular field, in
which I finished Sl70 ahead with
three jacks on the last hand, con-
vince me that Cincinnati is doomed
Even Hitler Declares
They Are Donoerous
It's only fair to report that Hitler
feels otherwise.
The Reds are dangerous" said
the big fellow the other day.
Mighty dangerous, A. H agreed
his lovable crony, little Joe Goeb-
bells
They got pitching" said the
I chief.
Fielding" said little joe
Hitting" said the Fuehrer.
"Whos gonna beat emp"
Well, that's hard question to
answer. 1t might be ST. Louis. 1t
might be Pittsburgh But, because
the Reds are favorites, and de-
servedly so. they will have to be
examined closely pro and con from
the Latin, meaning for" and
against.
McKechnie's club finished only
six games from the top last year
without the full-t time services of
Lee Grissom and Johnny Wander
Nicer, two very effective southpaws
If they both work regularly this
season they should more than make
up the gap.
Furthermore. Whitley Moore who
won only six games in 1898, seems
about ready to realize his full pitch
ing promise. Bucky Walters will be
available for a full seasons work
Gene Thompson and Red Barrett
are handsome new prospects. Paul
Derringer, last years champion
workhorse, still is working, and
Peaches Davis is a handy spot
pitcher and strong relief man
Altogether. it comes to the best
balanced staff in the league.
Lombard Hos Broins
And Batting Punch
Ernie Lombardi is shrewd
handler of pitchers and a murder
Gus hitter when he gets his bat
on the ball. He, Frank Mccormick
Wally Berger and Ivy Goodman
gave the team plenty of power last
year.
Finally, and most important, Nc
Kechnie is manager who makes
few mistakes. He has the material
he wants, he doesn't have to ex-
pertinent bllndly, and he figures to
draw full value from the team he
puts on the field.
Wander Nicer, although he pro-
-, duced pitching miracle last year
with two consecutive no-hit games,
showed that his old faults-wild-
ness, inability to pace himself for
nine innings-still were with him.
And the sophomore year for start
ing pitchers is tough one. Girls
som may come back, or he may not
6outhpaWs are treacherous charac-
ters. Failure of either or both of
these fellows can wreck the Reds at
their foundation.
Derringer had his great season
last year. It's not safe to bank on
him for such another.
The same can be said for Lom-
bardi. Mccormick, I think, was
hitting over his head Nothing in
his previous record showed him to
be a powerhouse and a fence
buster. Berger is apt to be in and
out. The starting outfeld of Ber-
ger, Craft and Goodman has only
one first-rate defensive. member,
Craft.
The infield definitely is ragged.
No improvement has been made in
last years weak second base COM
bination. Bill Werber, bought from
the Athletics for S25 900 to play third
base. never was a ballplayers ball
player. In fact, Connie Mack sur
prised no one in the American
League when he peddled William.
To win in the National League
you need breaks. With the breaks,
any one of five clubs can beat Gin
cinnati.
The chief reason for picking
against the Reds, though, is that
187 experts are picking for them
One hundred and eighty-seven ex-
perts have not been right all at
the same time since Italy outpointed