Evening star., 1940-03-26
Bosox Not So Respectful
Of Yonks They Throshed.

buffaloed should take look at the
record last summer, when we went
into their ball park and beat them
five games in row at the top OF
their stride. None of my players has
been very respectful of the Yankees
since then.
Naturally. it's going to be a hard
club to beat. The YankS have
strength in every position, and they
won't crack all of sudden. But l
think they'll play a little slower
every year from here on In other
words, they're going, and we're COM
ing.
Some of our pitchers have got
to come through, but that's not ask
ing much. We have a lot of good
pitchers, and some of them are
bound to come through. Grove?
Grove should win IL or IS, all right
but the time is past when he can
carry this pitching staff, and we
don't expect him to. We're going
to have couple of 20-game win
ners this year.
Exactly who these phenomena will
be, Mr.. Cronin hesitates to say. He
has fairly copious hand to draw
from. Jack Wilson, Jim Bagby and
Woody Rich, young pitchers with
some big league experience, must do
better things if the Sox are going
to win. Wilson and Bagby already
have shown they can turn in vic
toUes, though Wilson never has fully
realized his promise. He has the
stuff to be one of the leagues lead
ers. Rich had arm trouble last
year, and still is on trial.
Cronin Seems to Rely
GreotIy on Hash
Fred Ostermueller and Denny
Galehouse are pretty good" pitch
ers. There are lots of pretty good
pitchers The Yanks have very good
ones, which makes a difference.
Ostermueller. though, did show
signs of finding himself last sea-
son, and he may graduate to a high
er class.
Cronin seems to be relying on a
newcomer, Herbie Hash, handsome
hero of the American Association
last year, to win for him. Myself,
prefer a young southpaw named
Mickey Harris, though I'll admit
that Mr.. Cronin has been looking
at the two of them longer than I
have and may know better.
In fact, that may be the reason
why Mr.. Cronin Is worth $3.50, 900,
while no major league club ever has
offered more than $4,000 for me
with bonus clause, to be sure).
Harris is faster than Hash, and
seems more confident and spirited
Against him is the fact that Cronin
has two good left-handers already
and needs to strengthen the right
handed wing of his staff. All that
is Joseph's problem. He has to win
with the Red Sox. All I have to
do is pick them.
InfieId Most Powerful
To Be Found in Come.
The Boston catching is what the
drama critics call adequate" It
may be better than that If big
and powerful rookie named Charley
Lacy turns out to have what it
takes. So far, Charley looks no bet
ter than adequate himself.
Get away from battery problems
though and you have a nice ball
club here. Foxx, Doerr, Cronin and
Tabor-that's the most powerful in
field in baseball, and Cronin and
Doerr make a fine defensive COM
bination. Williams, Cramer and
young Dom Di Maggie, with Lou
Finney in reserve, are pretty much
all you want in an outfield.
Some of the boys have quarreleo
with Mr.. Cronin for wilfully spend
ing a wad for Di Maggie against
the advice of dozen scouts. III
string along with Cronin here. You
have only to look at young Dom
mick, spectacles and all, to know
he's a ball player. He won't hit
'em quite as far as Giuseppe, his
unspectacled brother, but he'll dc
everything else.
It takes a lot Of nerve to pick
any team to beat the Yankees
But I'm edging around to 1t.