Evening star., 1940-05-09
The
SPORTLIGHT
Yankees Main RivuIs
AIIWeok in Spots
BY GRANTLAND RICE,

NEW YORK, May 8 (NA.NA).-
At least three American League
clubs have a chance to pile in on the
unhappy Yankees this season and
apply the intercostal chive. The
main trouble they face is within
their own camps-not within the
Yankee corral.
These clubs are Cleveland, Bos-
ton and Detroit. Afflicted by certain
definite weak departments, all three
may blow the big spot, which con-
sists largely in moving down the
Yankees after four years of COM
plete power.
What are these weak spots?
No. /. Cleveland, with one of the
best ball clubs in the league, has too
many temperamental stars or near
stars. This isn't the fault of Man.
ager Oscar Witt.
Cleveland has an able catcher in
Rollie Hemsley-also one of the best
pitching staffs in baseball, headed by
Bobby Feller. Cleveland has a good
infleld. with star shortstop-a good
outfield.
But Cleveland also has at least
four ball players who don't belong in
team play-at least four men who
are hard to handle, who haven't one
fifth of the spirit that Brooklyn car
ries.
If these four men only could un-
derstand the true spirit of winning
competition-even if only they could
realize they are trying to throw
away more than 100000 in World
Series money-Cleveland would have
shining chance to win after 20
years in the wilderness, far away
from the milk and honey.
First-cIoss Catching stoff
Is Big Need Of Red Sox
No. 2. Red Sox. The Yawkey-
Crcnin team has the infield and the
outfleld. It has the scoring punch.
1t has a great combination around
short and second. It has Jimmy
Foxx and Ted Williams.
But the Red Sox haven't a first
class catching staff and they lack
pitching strength. Their main de-
pendence is 40-year-old left
handler who has been around 16
years.
Experts tell me that Joe Cronin, a
line fellow and fine manager, is
no marvel at handling pitchers.
This may, or may not, be true. May
be he doesn't have the pitchers.
But there is a distinct art in
working your pitchers correctly. Un-
Gle Wilbert Robinson was a past
master. Uncle Will McKechnie of
the Reds is another. But they are
few and far apart.
No. 3. This brings us to Detroit's
Tigers. They have all the scor-
Ing dynamite ball club needs. They
have pretty fair pitching. But they
have a second division infield-a
spotty infleld well below any normal
pennant showing.
InfieId Cops Offset Tigers
Ability to Moke Runs
Detroit can go out and get the
runs. But before the season is over
the Tiger infleld will show too many
gaps to match their run-making
offensives.
So these pennant weak spots
against the staggering Yankees in
clude these
l. Cleveland-Too much inside
dissension and trouble.
2. Boston Lack of battery
strength, always a vital need.
3. Detroit-A rickety infield.
What about the Yankees? Their
main control in the realm of rule. in
the kingdom of conquer, has been
balance. They have great catching,
good pitching, star infield. a fine
outfield-defensive and offensive
strength just about evenly matched
They came home in poor condi-
ton for two reasons-bad weather
in the South and killing spring
training tour that covered most of
the map below the Mason and Divot
line.
They also had four years of easy
success back of their fifth charge.
Each man on the club had banked
$25,000 in World Series cash since
1896.
They left big opening for some
well-rounded challenger, but If they
win this time it will be largely be-
cause their main opponents had too
many soft and spongy spots.
Ambers Guaranteed Trouble
In Serop With Jenkins
Swinging along to another sport,
the so-called art of self-defense, I'd
like to call your attention to Lew
jenkins of Texas. The Texas Tar
antula may not have quite enough
experience to take proper care of
Lou Ambers, the lightweight cham
pion, but unless there is a COM
plete blow-up in Jenkins medulla
oblongata, he will be in there fight
ing to the final punch.
Jenkins is a real fighting man.
He can throw and take punch.
There is no saffron in his system.
Lou Ambers is getting along on the
calendars chart. But he still is
no cream puff as Henry Armstrong
discovered. This time he will have
an extremely busy evening protect
ing the crown he won, lost and re-
covered.
A fighting man always has a
chance. So far Lew Jenkins has