Evening star., 1940-03-14
From the
Press Box
'Rovoeed' Detroit Team
Big Question Mark
BY JOHN LARDNER,

BY JOHN LARDNER,
{. Special Correspondent of The Star.
LAKELAND, Fla. March 14.-Do
Joe Mccarthy, Joe Cronin and other
American League managers mean 1t
when they say Detroit can make
trouble" or are they just talking to
hear themselves talk?
Detroit after all, is the team that
was ravaged by Judge Lands and cut
into further pieces by Hank Green
berg's switch to the outf1eld and
Charley Gehringer's lame back. Be
1t ever SO full Of fight and f1re-and
the Tigers we're not famous for those
qualities last year-no team figures
to take decision like Landis' be-
tween the eyes and come back as
dashing as ever.
Yet there is power here, and pref
ty good pitching, and Delmar Baker,
the Tigers Quakerlike manager, has
hope.
I'VE won't be easy to beat" says
Mr.. Baker. Maybe we're year or so
away from the pennant, but the
Yankees and Boston and Cleveland
will know they've been in fight. I
don't see what's to stop us from fin
ishing somewhere in the money this
year"
With what?
All Set Except at Short
As Manager Sees 1t.
"Well," says Mr.. Baker thought
fully, 'the shortstop job is up in the
air, but aside from that this club is
pretty well set, and good, seasoned
outfit. We've got more f1rst-rate
outfield material than any club I
know of-Averill, Greenberg, Camp
bell, Fox and McCosky. just to name
five. The pitching will be better than
average, with Bridges and Newsom
leading the way. Dizzy Trout's about
ready to be a steady winner. Young
Hutchinson has chance to make 1t
this year. like his attitude"
And Schoolboy Rowe?
I'VE don't count on Rowe for sim
gle win says Mr.. Baker, 1--WE just
let him work out his own problems in
his own way. Anything he does for
us will be velvet. III say this, though.
There's plenty Of fighting spirit in
that boy, and notice that since the
end of last season, he's beginning to
rare back with his arm and let 'er 60.
That means his confidence is back,
and he's not worrying about arm
trouble. Rowe may surprise a lot Of
people"
Mr.. Baker does not deny that
couple of termites are gnawing away
beneath the handsome superstruc-
ture of the Detroit club. He has
problems He doesn't ignore them;
he just hopes that time will operate
in his favor by smoothing them out.
Tehbetts Doing Full Duty
Mckes Big Difference.
To begin with the team is stronger
Tor having Birdie Tebbetts, fine de-
fensive catcher, doing a full-time
job behind the plate The pitchers
like to pitch to Tebbets. They didn't
care so much for Rudy York's work
back there.
But how long will this happy con-
dition obtain? The great Green
berg York switch (Greenberg to the
outf1eld, York to first base, making
room for Tebbetts) may help the
team enormously. On the other
hand. 1t has potentialities that can
split the Tigers wide open.
Can Greenberg ever be an out
fielder, and will he be happy out
there? To date, he looks awkward
and he doesn't seem to like it. Sup
pose time fails to press out this
wrinkle? Will Greenberg continue
to take it? Will the Tigers stand
for rebellion by Greenberg? Can
they win without his big bat?
It's perfectly conceivable that
Henry, temperamental fellow and
fond of good press, will insist on
going back to first base before the
year is very old. Then what? Can
Detroit dispense with York? Can
they chase him back behind the
plate? Rudolph would rather catch
than play the outfield, but he much
rather would play first base than
catch. And the pitchers won't like it
to be cheated out of their Tebbetts.
Gehrineer Won't Perform
If His Bock Poins.
Thus. all Detroit's hope for sue
cess in 1910 lies in the success of the
new combination, precarious thing
at best. And there is further dan
ger. With Benny Mccoy gone the
way of all free agents, the infield
hinges on Charley Gehringer at
second base. Charley complains of
a twinge in his back. And he COM
plains bitterly. He won't play if his
back keeps hurting. To know how
serious this statement is, you have
to know how sincere Mr.. Gehringer
can be. He doesn't fool.
Without Gehringer, the Tiger in
field hopelessly is mired. Mike
Higgins is a good third baseman;
York can get away with it at first
base, but the middle zone, the all
important center, can boast no more
dependable shortstops than Red
Kress and Dick Bartell. Without
Gehringer to help, you can drive a
Russian tank through that hole.
And how about those outfielders,
Averill, Campbell, Fox and Nc
Cosky? Which two will give way
for Greenberg, and how will they
feel about it?
That's lot of questions I'm ask
ing, but all you can do about this
bali club is ask questions. If every
thing breaks right, the team can
finish second or third, probably
third. If everything doesn't break
right, it'll be black year in the
south of Michigan.
Fights Last Night
BY the Associated Press.
0AKr AND Calif-Yo,ins corhett a.