Evening star., 1940-03-18
Club, Short Of Stars,
Must Apply Magic
To Perform Feat
Rich in Yankee Custoffs,
But Is Horborine No
Lost-PIoee Complex
BY the Associated Press.

SAN ANTONIO, Tex, March 18.-
Squat Fred Haney. the quiet citizen
with a flock of New York Yankee
castoffs, some chattering kids and
general yen to get off the spot, may
pull his magic act this season.
Nothing short of the Hindu rope
trick would help the st. Louis
Browns, last-place flnishers Of the
1899 American League chase, but
Manager Haney says he'll even teach
his Brownies that one If necessary.
One thing is certain-the Browns
are going to give the old college try.
For a bunch of gents with shoulder
burns from holding up the rest of
the league, they are extremely spry.
Good spirit" beamed Haney.
BEST I've seen in years. There's no
last-place complex around here.
Everything is peaceful and the boys
seem satisfied.
Glenn Is Only Holdout.
"Only one holdout-Joe Glenn,
the catcher, and we're not worrying
about that. Of course, there is
definite need for a catcher and re-
gardless of whether Bobby Swift, the
fine kid from the. Texas League. or
Sam Harshany come through, we'll
make a deal for another catcher"
Right here it may be pointed out
that Glenn, former Yankee who hit
only 273 last season, is an irritat-
ing subject around the Brown camp.
The management leaves the definite
impression that Mr.. Glenn will be
longer getting to first base in his sal
ary squabble than he was with his
bat last season. A trade is almost
certain.
To casual visitor the infield sit
uation seems to be we'll in hand, with
hard-hitting George McQuinn at
first. distance hitter Harlond Cliff
at third Alan Strange, the Pacific
Coasts most valuable PLAYER of '39,
at short and either Don Heffner, the
ex-Yankee, or Johnny Berardino,
sensational freshman of last year, at
second, not to mention Johnny
Lucadello, graduate of the San An
tonic farm, who led the Texas
League in hits last year: Bobby
Neighbors, one of the slickest kid
short fielders to come un in seasons,
and Sig Gryska, power hitter from
San Antonio.
Wants Another Infielder.
But Haney isn't satisfied.
iv,
fielder. Some of these youngsters
we have-Lucadello, Neighbors and
Gryska-have distinct possibilities
But we need experience, possibly in
the utility role Berardino and Heff-
ner will have scramble for second
base, but this Berardino is definitely
major league stuff"
The most comforting thing to
Haney is the prospect of having
five-man starting pitching staff.
Nothing like this has happened
in years around the Brown camp
I'm actually enthusiastic. Why,
I've got Eldon Auker, Vernon Ken
nedy. Howard Mills. RoXie Lawson
and either Jack Kramer or Ed Har-
ris. And behind them? Look at my
relief pitchers-John Niggeling, John
Whitehead, Slick Coffman. Bill Trot-
ter and Nathan Andrews. Better
still, I might have a surprise-if
Emil Bildilli. my San Antonio left
handler, delivers"
Boasts Outfield Power.
Power drips in the outfield. Joe
Gallagher, the laughing Irishman
sold down the river by the Yankees;
Myril Hoag, ex-Yankee: Walter Jud-
Mich, ex-Yankee farm hand of New
ark; Chet Laabs and old Rip Rad
cliff, the White SoX veteran
It's the do-or-don't year for the
best club the Browns have had in
years. They're = loose-laughing
clowning, hustling.
Strangely, the feriest of the lot
are those who came to them in
trades from better clubs-Gallagher
Auker, Radcliff, Coffman, Judnich
ct al.