Evening star., 1939-03-28
yankees,Tigers,
Red Sox Held
Improved
Mats May Be Better
If Rockies Provide
Starting HurIer
BY GAYLE TALBOT,
Associated Press Sports Writer.


ATLANTA, March 28.-The base
ball teams. brown and full of orange
juice, are about ready to break
camp and head back north, so now
is as good a time as any to have a
look at the general situation.
First, it seems apparent after
visiting II teams in Florida and
Louisiana that the American League
has, If anything, increased its su-
periority over the National League
as whole, granting for the sake of
argument that it is for the time
being stronger circuit
The Yankees are bound to be bet
ter, even with Lou Gehrig playing
on a dime at first base, and the
only thing that might keep them
from winning their fourth straight
world championship would be for
something to happen to either Lefty
Gomez or Red Ruff1ng, or both. They
were making bets around St. Peters,
burg. incidentally, that Gehrig
would be replaced by Babe Dahlgren
before the season ends.
Bosox and Tigers Stronger.
Both the Boston Red Sox, who
finished second to the Yanks last
year, and the Detroit Tigers, who
finished a fast-coming fourth, ap-
pear to have strengthened, too, and
my guess is they will fight it out for
second place this time.
The Sox have a potential star in
their rookie outdelder, Ted Williams,
while the Tigers will be sounder at
shortstop and third Ease and might
have great pitching if Schoolboy
Rowe and Fred Hutchinson both
come through. Cleveland's fortunes
admittedly rest in the right arm of
Johnny Allen, who had an elbow
operation during the winter. If he
doesn't make a comeback they could
even drop out of the first division.
None of the other four American
League clubs, from what I've seen
and heard, has made any important
improvement. though the Washing
ton Senators could make it tough
on the leaders If Bucky Harris
should find himself starting
pitcher among all those rockies.
Reds Have Best Club.
Cincinnati is the hot club in the
National League, the only one that
has taken on a load of strength and
already is making gestures at the
pennant. VIII McKechnie's fine
young outft yaulted from last place
in 1887 u touI.h last year, and
there's no law that says they can't
jump four more notches this time
There is the sort of team that
might take charge of its league for
several years and give the Yankees
real scrap in the world series, to
boot. Some observers think the
Reds lack balance" All I know is
they have good fielding. fine hitting
and remarkable collection of
pitchers, now that Lefty Grissom is
back in form. Also, they have the
pennant bug.
Maybe I wouldn't be so high on
the Reds if there were any real rea-
son to believe that their chief rivals
will be better than last year, or even
as good. The feeling around the
South is that the Chicago Cubs. last
years champions, stripped their
gears when they let Bill Jurges go
to the Giants. One pretty compe-
tent baseball man offered to bet,
given the proper odds, that the Cubs
wouldn't finish in the first division.
Pittsburgh Missed Chance.
Pittsburgh's veteran club probably
had its last big chance when it blew
the flag in the closing days of the
1888 race after holding what looked
like safe lead. A team that un-
dergoes such an experience seldom
snaps back. The Giants have to be
considered third-place team. at
best, until it is seen for sure that
Hubben and Schumacher can win
again.
So what's to keep the Reds out of
there, providing they get their share
of the breaks and do not lose their
key men by illness or injury? Their
pitching stands-bys-Johnny Wander
Nicer, Paul Derringer, Bucky Wal
tiers, Whitley Moore and Grissom-
form perhaps the most formidable
group in the game, and it looks like
they've got two or three others just
about as good.
Have Two Fine Catchers.
They have the best catching in
their league, Ernie lombard and
Willard Hershberger. Frank Nc
Cormick is, barring Dolph Camiln
Of Brooklyn, the leagues top first
baseman. They have a tight infield,
now that Bill Werber is on third,
and two sweet outflelders in wal
Goodman and Harry Craft. Wally
Berger isn't so bad in left field,
either, even If he can't throw very
far.
If any of last years leaders drops
out of the first division the Boston
Bees are the logical team to move up.
1t looks like they might have two
300 hitters in their lineup this sea-
son, an increas Of one.
Torbett Defends Diving