The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-01-13
CHI WHITE S0x MYSTERY CLUB OF 1S41 SEASON
Dykes and RueI Doing Great Job With Pitchers;
 Scramble for End Base
Editors Note = Following is the fifth of a series of winter stories on the 16 major league clubs.)
BY GEORGE KIRKSEY United Press Staff Correspondent

New York, Jan. II - (UP.) = The Chicago White Box are always one of the hardest clubs in the ma jors to dope. Nobody ever expects much out of them but they usually have surprise in store when the pay-of comes.
 The 1941 outfit runs true to form It doesn't look too impressive on paper. On the material at hand it seems doubtful that the White Sox can equal their 1940 record when they won 82 games, lost 72 and tied with the Red Sox for fourth place. However, Jimmy (SvengalD Dykes has a way with him with castoffs, misf1ts and pitchers unable to win elsewhere.
 Dykes success with pitchers may be due to the fact that that the White Sox have one of the best handlers of pitchers in the business working quietly an dtirelessly in the background. His name is Muddy Ruel, and if a pitcher has any tal- ent he is likely to bring it out. Last season only the Indians had better pitching than the White Sox, a great tribute to Dykes and Ruel. The entire Chicago staff had an earned run average of 3.74.
 Free For All
 There won't be many changes in the White Sox. Definite improve ment is likely at second base, where they were patchy last season be- cause of Jackie Hayes eye trouble and Eric McNair's temporary retire. ment. Four men will battle for the second base job-Don Holloway, who hit .281 for Oklahoma City; Bill Knickerbocker, obtained in 8 trade with the Tanks; Dario Lodi giani, obtained in tride with the Athletics; and Jimmy Webb, who played "A games there in 1940. The three leftovers are likely to be re- tained as utility infielders.
 The rest of the infield will be the same, with Joe Kuhel at first, Luke Appling, picked as the All-Amer- ican shortStop on the Sporting News team, and Bob Kennedy, last years 19-year-old rookie sensation, at third. Kennedy is likely to blossom into 8 fine third baSeman.
 The outf1eld will be Moose Sol- ters in left. Mike Kreevich in cen- ter, and Taft Wright in right with Larry Rosenthal the No. 1 reserve Dave Short, who hit .291, and Thur man Tucker, who hit .257, both from Oklahoma City, will battle for the other utility post.
 Like the rest of the White Sox, the pitching staff isn't impressive on paper. But they have a group of cagey veterans who know what pitching is all about and are tough to beat. This group includes Ted Lyons, who is still rolling along at 40; John Rigney, who recently mar ried Miss Comiskey, the clubs treas urer; Thornton Lee and Edgar Smith, lefties; Bill Dietrich; Clint Brown, and Pete Appleton.
 Most promising of the new group are Jack Hallett, who beat the Atll- letics last September, 8-4, on eight hits after winning 12 and losing 21 at Shreveport; Orval Grovd, who won 10 and lost g at Oklahoma City; Orville Jorgens. who won and lost 4 at San Francisco; Joe Haynes, bought conditionally from Washing ton; and Bob Weiland, from St. Paul. Most of the other pitchers are from Jonesboro and Waterloo and are too green.
 The catching is top-notch, with Mike Fresh, the No. man, and Tom Turner, bright rookie last season, the second string receiver. George Dickey, brother of Bill of the Tanks, will hold down the third-string job. He hit .3l5 for Ok lahoma City.