The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-03-23
MANY 'HOLES'T TO BE PLUGGED IN CHICAGO CLUB.
Infield Big Problem to Manager-Outfield Set;
 Herring Up
BY JACK GUENTHER 

Noe|@S~N~
 Pasadena, Cal, March 23-(UP) For three seasons Jimmy Dykes has been working to pull the Chi cago White SoX to the top of the American League, but this year he admits he will be content to break into the first division.
 The Sox art farther advanced in spring training than at any similar date in several years but the bellig- erent manager with the big cigar says frankly there is many a hole to be filled and many gap to be plugged before his team can cope with New York, Cleveland, Detroit or Boston.
 Injuries Plentiful
 Last season Chicago was literally riddled with injuries. Some of the men. like Clint Brown and Luke Appling, are sound again. Others are not. The strongest pitcher, Monte Stratton, lost leg when blood poi soning followed gunshot wound. Minter Hayes regular second base man, is ailing after a knee opera ton. There are four candidates for the catching spot. but the position is open as wide as barn door.
 Only the outfield is settled. Hank Steinbacher, the teams hardest hit- ter last season, will break into the regular lineup at right, squeezing out Gerald Walker. Rip Radcliffe goes in at left and Mike Kreevich and John Rosenthal, will travel at center. Walker, Txlpe Thompson along utility men. There are no rockies to be retained.
 Bejma Gets Chance
 At present the infield is composed of Joe Kehel at first, Eric McNair up from Boston, at second; Luke Appling at short and Marvin Owen at third. Hayes will replace McNair if his knee becomes sound again. Al Bejma, who hit 1926 for St. Paul, may break in. The other relief man is Merv Conlor, who was brought in last year from Shreveport. Dykes is not cerain if Joe GedziuS of Lub- book will stay on or be farmed.
 The four catchers are George Ren- sa, Norman Schlueter and Mike Fresh who were with the team last year, and Kenneth Sylvestri of St. Paul, who may get the starting call. Luke Sewel was sold to Brooklyn and his place must be filled. Syl- vestri bats both right and left hand ed, and to date has handled his back-stopping duties capably. The pitching outlook is a head ache. With Startton gone, Dykes has no starter who won more than 13 games captured by Thornton Lee last year. John Whitehead, Ted Lyons, and John Rigney, who Dykes looks for fine year, will carry the heavy load. Brown and Bill Diet rich, both troubled with wrist in- juries, will be back in relief roles. Herring Up Again.
 The Sox are giving second trials to Vic Frazier and Art Herring, veterans who had fine records at St. Paul in 1888. Rockies who may make squal this year are Thomas Fleming, George Click of Lubbock, and Jess Dobernic, who was farmed to St. Paul, then to Anniston last sea- son. The other man is John Knott, veteran who came to Chicago from St. Louis last year. If Rigney and Whitehead pitch up to their promise, and either Frasier or Her ring come through, Dykes believes most of his mound problem will be solved.
 Practically everything that could happen to a team happened to us last year." he said. "We should be better unless injuries hit us again. Frankly. we will have to play good ball to best the Tanks, Cleveland, Boston and Detroit. I'm not pre- dieting anything"