The Daily Alaska empire., 1940-04-09
If Tanks
 Just Slip,
 Watch Out
Three Team Gangs Ready 10 PounCe on that
 New York Outfit
By Dillon Graham


 Sports Editor, AP Feature Service
 LAKELAND, Fla, April $. = The Tigers, Indians and Red Sox re- mind me of a trio of young kids waiting for the tough guy of their gang to stumble and fall so that they may bounce upon him. You can readily guess that the Yankees are the Bully in this gang.
 When you visit the training bases of these American League chal- lengers from Detroit Cleveland and Boston you find the players full of optimism-and hope that the worst will befall the Yankees.
 If you pin them down they'll admit that the Yankees are the class of the league but they can't figure how the Tanks have held out so long. Baseball history shows that these marvellous clubs just don't hang together forever and they think the Tanks are overdue.
 Given as good breaks as their rivals the Tanks probably will win their fifth straight world champ ionship. That's generally conceded. But there is feeling that the Yankees luck can't hold out foi- ever.
 If Bill Dickey should fall apart or suffer an injury or if Gomez and Ruffing should bump into a disastrous year or perhaps if Joe DiMaggio or Charley Keller should run into long slump the Red Sox, Tigers and Indians figure that one of them might win the flag.
 If something should happen to chop them down to our level mid way of the race we would have a fine chance of beating them" says Joe Cronin the Boston manager.
 Hurling Must Improve
 The Red Sox, the Tigers and, to a lesser extent, the Indians figure that they have the power to chal- lenge the Yankees but none of these clubs has the pitching to stand off the Yankees nor catch CT to equal Dickey
 We would have great chance if our pitchers, the youngsters as well as the veterans began click ing just when the Yankee corps went into a slump one Ameri- can coach believes.
 The Red Sox and the Tigers have lot of power this year. Boston's big two punch supplied by Jimmy Foxx and Ted Williams about equals the Yankees DiMag gio and Keller. Bobby Derr doesn't knock in as many runs but he'll furnish batting average higher than Joe Gordons. Joe Cronin hits much harder than Frankie Croset- ti and Jim Tabor isn't too far be- hind Red Rolfe. Roger Cramer is a good batter and the Red Sox hope that Dominic DiMaggio will be a sensation. Anyway they have plenty of punch.
 Lots of Punch
 Detroit also has more power. York should have big year at first. Charley Gehringer is the hardest hitting second baseman in the league Gehringer has been bothered by sore back but opin- ion seems to be that he'll work out of it and be in shape opening day. The veteran Dick Bartell has been one of the standouts of the camp in the spring exhibition hit ting and Pinky Higgins seems ripe for good year. Fox, Green berg and McCoskey offer pretty fair outfield slugging crew.
 The Indians. too, have a punch with Troskey, Keltner, Heath, Weatherly and Ben Chapman. They believe that with Oscar Grimes at second and Lou Bou- dreau at short their infield is greatly improved and in Bob Eel Ter Cleveland has the outstand- ing pitcher of the league.
 All these clubs figure that they are so close behind the Tanks now that breaks will decide the race. The Tanks will win unless they are hit by injuries or slumps but, if they are, the Indians, Red Sox and Tigers are willing to bet that it will produce the best American League race in years.