Evening star., 1940-05-08
h Dixie Handicap Pmhco Fitting Prelude to Peaknes Pot Of Gold
The
SPoRTLIGHT
Aces Still Make Reds
Top Flag Contenders
BY GRANTLAND RICE,

Top Flag Contenders
BY GRANTLAND RICE,
Special Correspondent Of The Star.
A heavy charge of impending
blindness was thrown against us
from many sections of the map for
picking the Cincinnati Reds pitch
ing staff as the best in the country.
We were informed in many words
that Paul Derringer was getting old
and that Bucky Walters had lucky
year last season. Together they won
81 games.
We figured the two galloping aces
for something between As and so
this year. Well still trail along with
that prophecy. Both still are great
pitchers and both have gotten away
nicely in spite of killing spring
You don't have to worry about
Derringer and Walters. They are
two of the best, and neither is slip
ping. They have the stuff and both
are smart. They happen to know
what it's all about.
Derringer Is strapping big fel-
low who won't be "a years old until
October. He has one of the smooth
est of all pitching motions and still
has good years left. He still is seven
years yunger than Lefty Grove, who
is no setup for any of the swingers.
Bucky Walters is only 30 and he
has been pitching only five years.
He still has full supply of elastic
left in his right arm.
No Stoff Seen RivoIine
Reds Thus Far
And, once more, you may remem-
Der that fellow named Junior
Thompson will be heard from in even
louder tones this summer. Here are
three crack starting pitchers, with
Whitley Moore, Jim Turner and
Johnny Wander Nicer on hand to
help.
If you can name me better
pitching staff I'd like to get the
answer.
Just what may happen to the
Observation-Disclosures Dodgers in the
near future still is puzZling the non
combatants.
In the way of ball playing talent
they don't rate their spot. But they
have shown again what the old zip,
red-hot spirit and enthusiasm can
do. They have been playing heads
up baseball, with stout hearts to
make up for other deficiencies.
They had little to beat in the East
against the Giants, Bees and Phil
lies, the weakest sector I've seen in
years. They should face much
tougher riding in the West, where
the pennant strength seems to be
piled up.
If they can hold their own on this
drst Western invasion that same
spirit may give them a big lead.
They have the needed punch, but
It now is largely a question as to
r how their pitching will hold up.
Strosslers Had Better
Stort Closing In
80 far the Cubs, Pirates and Car
dinals haven't been any too hot.
The Cardinals especially have been
on the struggling side. They gave
the Reds a killing margin last sum-
mer-something like IA or Is games
and then almost nailed them at
the wire.
They had better begin closing in on
both the Dodgers. and Reds. Ball
games won in April and May still
count.
I'm not sure the Dodgers can lead
any pennant run. I think the Reds
can with the pitching they have.
In the last few days two leading
queries have come our way. What
happened to Bimelech? What's
happening to the Yankees?
Bimelech was a ID shot in Ken
tucky. Jack Doyle, the veteran bet
ting commissioner, rated the Yank-
ees 1-3 in the A. L. parade.
Bimelech proved he was no IL
horse and the Yankees so far
haven't looked the part of any 1-3
entry.
The absence of Joe Di Maggie
hasn't been any uplifting turn. One
great ball player can make one
great difference. But ball player
with bad knee is no hot gamble.
The first quick start or the first
sudden jolt can throw out knee
ligament in less than a split second.
BimeIech, Yankees Still
Roted Ones to Beat
think Bimelech is the horse to
beat in the Preakness, and I think
the Yankees are the team to beat
In the American League race. But
there is dark shadow over their
invinicibility. There are no super
men nor superhorses.
The long spell of cold, damp
weather has upset training plans
for both men and horses You
might say the same weather fell
upon them all. This is quite true,
but the fact remains such condi-
tions might affect certain human
beings and certain horses more
than it will affect others.
The type of March, April and
early May we have drawn has been
big factor in scrambling the dope.
So far it has affected headliners
more than the outside selections.
This frequently happens. The
more costly the bric-a-brac is, the
more brittle it is. That's what
makes it costly. You can't crack
q pewter mug by dropping it on
concrete.
The next few weeks offer us many
interesting moments in watching
the careers of the Yankees and
Bimelech, two Of the hottest favor
ties that ever got away from the
barrier-and then took dip.
But the "red deeps of May" still
are ahead, and SO is another sum-
mer. The main idea is to find what
&A~ =. l.