Evening star., 1941-03-08
Kids MayC|ick
Where Costly
Stars Failed
Cronin, Building Up
With Youths, Moy
Bench Himself
BY GAYLE TALBOT,
Associated Press Sports WrttaR,


SARASOTA, Fla, March s.-Ths
pressure finally is off the Boston
Red Sox, biggest disappointment Of
a baseball decade. Nobody expects
them to win the coming American
League race, and with that load of
their minds it wouldn't be surprising
to see them do better.
Manager Joe Cronin is SUMMER
than he has been for many springs.
Every time he turns to the sports
page and sees where another "ex-
pert" has given up on the Sox he
beams and says Good"
Owner Tom Yawkey appears TO
be fleshier and happier, too. It cost
him wad to learn he couldn't buy
a championship. The Gold Sox,
known sometimes as "Yawkey's
Folly" have about disintegrated
and in their stead is the nucleus Of
fine, young ball club.
Grove, at Al, Is Dean.
1t probably was symbolical the
other night when little girl, daugh-
ter of one of the guests at the So1
hotel here, marched into the dining
room during the dinner hour and
presented Lefty Grove with birth
day cake. There were only three
candles on it, but there should have
been Al
Among those who stood and sang
Happy Birthday to You" were q
couple of tables of the new crop Of
Red Sox rockies, the kids who have
come up to give the team new, VI
brant life. They choralled the pres
ence of new order.
One of the greatest problems fac
ing Cronin is what to do about him
self. Joe was the "goldest" sock
of them all when Yawkey began
building his fabulous team. More
cash is supposed to have changed
hands in his purchase from Wash
ington than in any baseball deal
in history. And don't let them tell
you he wasn't a great shortstop.
Pack Powerful Punch.
But now Joe is building a new
team. He has 21 pitchers IN camp
and if a few of them click and he
can give them a fairly tight defense
the Sox couldn't help being right in
the race-not with their tremendous
offensive power. Five regulars hit
over 20 homers last season.
At 35. Joe knows he belongs 10
the old order. The rebuilding pro-
gram demands that he take HIM
self out some day and become a
bench manager. He can't field quite
as he used to, as his 38 recorded
errors last year testify adequately,
but he still can hit that ball. Give
Joe your sympathy while he figures
out what's best.
The Sox were notorious last year
for the fact that their pitchers
couldn't last long enough to work
up a sweat. They we're in and out
Of the box so fast the official scorer
had to learn shorthand to keep
track of them. The Red Sox pitch
ing was held up to hopeful young
fingers as a horrible example. Yet
have it on the word of man who
saw every game they played last
year that it wasn't quite that bad.
Faulty Defense Costly.
Now and then one of those guys
would pitch a fine game" he recalls.
He would have it won and we
would be getting ready to 60 home.
And then all of a sudden we would
look up and balls would be hitting
| our infielders on their chins or 60
ing between their legs. That's why
we finished fourth"
SO Cronin obviously has prob
lem commensurate with his salary,
and we will leave him with 1t.
It is an interesting nature note
that the steaks the Red SoX inhale
each night are taken from the same
stack as those prepared for Toto the
lady gorilla, who is a lonesome
neighbor of theirs. The same chef
cooks them, too. Toto likes hers
well done on the outside and rare in
the middle.