The Wilmington morning star., 1940-09-26
Detroit Holds Balance
Of Power In Outfield
Greenberg, McCosky, Fox Are
More Dangerous In Offense
Than Indian, Red Patrol

More Dangerous In Offense
Than Indian, Red Patrol
This is the third in q series
analysing prospective World
Series rivals.
BY JUDsON BAILEY
NEW YORK, Sept. 25.-REThe
outfeld should be the power plant
of a baseball club and the Detroit
Tigers outfield has more power
than your light company.
The experiment that switched
Hank Greenberg from first base in
leftfield was just like stepping up
the current in Briggs stadium
about 500 volts and it had Just as
jolting an effect on the American
league. Is
It made room for both Green
berg and first baseman Rudy York
in the Tigers lineup at the same
time, and spanked Detroit to the
top of the circuit with the best
team batting average in the major
leagues.
This murderous punch is exem-
plifed by Greenberg with a $40
batting average, 40 homers and
149 runs batted in. That kind Of
hitting will cancel a multitude Of
sins afeld, but Greenberg has be-
come a highly satisfactory defen-
sive player, too
Therefore, because of big Hank
us Pankus, if for no other reason,
the Tigers outfield must be con-
sidered superior to the fine-fielding
patrol of the Cincinnati Reds as
well as the capable but not brill
liant brigade Of the Cleveland In
dams, who still are struggling for
the series nomination.
The difference would have been
overwhelming if the Reds hadn't
picked up Jimmy Ripple in August.
The faux paux by which Brooklyn
lost him on waivers is now well
known, but it still is a modern
miracle to the Reds, who stumbled
along for two years with blunder-
buses in left field.
Ripple is a streaky player, but
he's usually hot when the moneys
on the tablecloth. He batted $40
in two World series for the New
York Giants and has hit 1903 for
the Reds. In 81 games he hasn't
made a fielding error.
His advent made it possible for
Bill McKechnie to m o young
Mike Mccormick into center field,
where he has been playing steady
if not spectacular ball and batting
900. The veteran Ival Goodman
with a modest yet dangerous .255
average will be in right again.
The defense kingpin Of the De-
troit outfield is Barney McCosky,
second only to the Yankees Joe
DiMaggio as a center-fielder He
helps Greenberg cover a lot of ter
ritory and supports him at the
plate, too, with a 1886 batting aver.
age.
In rightfield Detroit has the vet
eran Erwin (Pete) Fox, who batted
1886 in the 1885 World series and
has been hitting 1892 this season.
He stands up under inspection bet
ter than Goodman or Beau Bell,
rightfielder for the Indians, and
batting 1888.
Cleveland has a much better than
average centerfielder in little Roy
Weatherly, who covers everything
in sight and has been batting .306,
and a versatile, if eccentric, per-
former in Ben Chapman, currently
stationed in leftfield and batting
.285.
All three teams have done con-
siderable outfield shuffling this sea-
son and a easily insert expert
enced hands during the series.
Harry Craft of the Reds is n
of the best defensive centerfielders
in the National league and a regu-
lar last year and most of this. He
has played in 100 games without
an error but the memory of his
miserable lack of batting in the
series with the Yanks last year
probably will keep him benched ex-
cept in an emergency. He is hit
ting .239.
Bruce Campbell has been used
in 100 games by the Tigers. and
hit 2.87. He is Detroit's No. LEFT
handed pinch hitter, making him
a sure bet to face those Cincinnati
righthanders frequently if the IL
gers get into the series.
Cleveland's chief outfield reserve
is Jeff Heath, who. hit .343 in 1888
and was counted upon for regular
leftfield service this season until
he slumped to a'.223 average. /
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