Evening star., 1940-03-30
Hall Bowling Team Decade Ago Meets Southeast Stars Tonight
From the
PRESS Box
PhiIlies Are Reported
Bosing Hopes on FilIy
BY JOHN LARDNER.
Special Correspondent of The Star

OoSinS IlOPSS Oi TuSy -.
BY JOHN LARDNER.
Special Correspondent of The Star.
NEW YORK, March 80 (N.AN.Ao.
The Phillies Of Philadelphia are
neither agitators nor gunner. but
there were rumors of a conference
early in the month between Mar
tin Dies and J. Edgar Hoover to
decide whether they should sweep
the Phils out Of Miami Beach with
the rest of the discontented ele-
ment. while they were about the
Job of cleaning up Florida.
Mr.. Dies, as you know. is death
on reds, pinks, vermilions. GRIM
sons, old roses and even pale tans.
Mr.. Hoover is the chap of whom
Mr.. Winchell proudly boasts that
he pays most of his own hotel bills.
But there is little doubt that be-
tween them they could have chased
the poor Phillies all the way to
Bermuda.
However. according to the story.
Mr.. Hoover suddenly was called
away to unmask crap-shooter,
while Mr.. Dies got wind of another
light scarlet doing business some
where to the north. So the project
fell through.
Personally, I do not believe any
part Of this narrative. 1t sounds
to me like standard Phillie gag
The Phillies have replaced the Ford
as the favorite theme of Iokes-with-
whiskers. There now are 457 gags
about the Phils. with more on the
stove.
PhiIs Got Pennont
When Regret Won.
One gag has it that the Phils are
waiting for a female horse to win
the Kentucky Derby. A female
horse-known to the trade as filly
won the Derby in 1915. Name of
Regret. That was the only time one
of her sex ever copped the rich and
famous Louisville stakes. BY wide
coincidence. 1915 also was the only
year in which the Phillies ever won
the National League pennant.
This gives the Phils strong root
Ing interest in this years Derby.
Their money, understand, is riding
on a useful lady named Little Risk,
from Warren Wright's Calumet
Farm, horse which won some good
races this winter and seems to have
the best chance of any Ally on the
entry list.
Most of the jokes about the Phil
lies are unkind in tone, and doubt
If the Phils deserve them Dr. Proth-
ro's mob does have the look of a
chronic cellar club, which was true
long before the worthy dentist came
up from the South to manage in
Philadelphia, but that's no reason to
unload every one-time Ford joke in
the docs lap. After all. he's trying
Shine on Bees Pants
Might Blind PhiIs.
I didn't see as much of the Phils
as did of some of the other hiber-
nators In Florida. because they
elected to work out thefr troubles in
the comparative privacy Of the east
coast, the Hoover-Dies belt But
couple of their number came over
to play In the all-star game at Tam
pa, and from these operatives I
learned that the Phillies profess to
see the silver lining Just ahead,
though it may turn out to be moth
ing but the seat of the Boston Bees
pants, which are notoriously shiny.
Were going to have good hitting"
said Morrie Arnovich, himself a
1924 hitter last year and one who
led the league for quite a spell.
We'll have hitting inf1eld, which
Is more than you can say for most
of the clubs in the league. Fellows
like Levey can be counted upon to hit.
This guy"-pointing to Merrill May,
his All-Star companion-"can ride
the ball. Our pitching will be all
right. Don't let 'em tell you that
Mulcahy and Higbe can't pitch with
the best in the league"
Mr.. Arnovich says that he himself
Just began to find his hitting stride
last season. and promises better
things for 1910. Anything better
than 324 is pretty good. And Arno-
vich will have to be good, for the
rest of the Phillie outfield is by no
means powerladen. Hershey Mar
tin and Joe Marty are not bad ball
players, but they don't bust down
fences.
Poir Of InfieIders
Likely to Hit.
The infield, as the witness says,
can hit. Ed Levey, purchased from
the Yankees. and the aging Augustus
Suhr are wrestling for the first base
job, with Levey slightly ahead. Both
are hitters. Merrill May at third
base, is real ball player, who
strokes a long ball. The second
base combination in Philadelphia
has been famous for several years
for its batting anemia. It still is.
Walt Miles heads the catching
department. Pitching to him,
among others, will be the celebrated
what-are-we-pr proving twins, Hugh
Losing Pitcher" Mulcahy and Wal
ter Kirby Higbe, who lost 16 and
IA games, respectively, last year.
Both these boys have strong equip
ment, and could be heavy winners
on winning club. Walter Beck is
pretty fair control pitcher. Ike
Pearson has real promise 81 john
son and Roy Bruner are the best of
the newcomers. Altogether, this is
fair staff, but it will get roughly
no place unless the Phils hit.
have hunch the Phils are 60
ing to narrow the gap between
eighth and seventh places, and may
be even catch the Bees. And If a
filly wins the Derby this May, we'll
all eat.
Celties Beot Clippers
BALTIMORE, March 80 CP.--The
Troy Celtics defeated the Baltimore
fSl{npnrc o7oA n, fha Am nopiean 40