The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-03-25
World Champs And Manager Admit 7heyAre Team To Beat
McKechnie, In Record Spiel,
 Cleans" On Mound Stars
Walters and Derringer Will Have to Pull Us Through Cincinnati Manager Insists in Rare Interview
 With Baseball Writer

I strength. MT. McKechnie thinlse Gleeson, obtained from the Cuhs, will help h.s 6aitneld, that Matticlk, another Cub, will help his infielo and that Pearson, Yankee discard, is g vital addition to his pitChs ing staff.
 He's the fellow who may save ue if anything should happen to one of the big guys"
 Pearson is a peculiar fellow. Wa suspect this Is one of the reasons the Yankees got rid of him. Jo4 Mccarthy doesn't waste . lot O time on eccentrics or temperament. tals. That's why he didn't hesitate to jettison fellows like WerbeE Chapman and Allen. Fine ball plays CTS but they demanded the services of wet nurse. Pearson is sornes thing of a hypocondriac. He neveJ had losing year with the Yankees Nobody ever beat him in c World Series. But Pearson always had the miseries or something and it was difficult to tell whether his condi. tion was actual or irnaginery. This made him Q problem child.
 MT. McKechnie faces the subject of Pearson with complete confldenc0 and equanimity. Problem children don't drive him to distraction. On the contrary, he seems to thrive on them. Werber has played his best big league ball under the deacon. He was o driving force in the last two Cincinnati pennant successes. T wish I had @ dozen nge him." MT. McKechnie tells you. This helps to explain why he is counting 90 heavily on Pearson.
 World Bet A Hat
 The Yankees, incidentally, have been both kind and urlkind to the deacon They've always beat him in the playoffs. In return their cast. offs have never failed to help his teams. Werber is one example. Beggs, the pitcher, Is another. He won 12 and lost only three for tho Reds last year. Now comes Pear. son. "I'd be willing to bet c hat he'll win at least fifteen," says MT McKechnie.
 The Reds may have one problem they hadn't anticipated. This would be back of the plate. 1ombardps ankle is giving him trouble again He injured 1t last year and wasne able to work the World Series. He had to give way to old Jimmy Wilson who became the hero, even to the extent of stealing c base Lombardi isn't the best catcher In baseball but he hits the long ball that beraks up games. Apparently he did nothing to condition his ankle during the winter and as soon as he started to bounce round In the spring camp the limp came back. Don't ask Us why these high salaried fellows who would be driv- ing trucks if they couldn't hit q baseball are so indifferent to their physical soundness. we'll never have the answer to that one.
 Lombardi has been 100 game catcher ever since he's been with the Reds. He has a life timesbatting average of .3l5. It is obvious that his absence in whole or part would handicap the champions in their drive for flag No. 3.
 But this is a problem MT. Ccs Kechnie promises to take in stride. Fortunately for him the Cincinnati front office is both solvent and spry. They won't hesitate to spend money or go after players that will help the club. This always simplifieS the job of managing. There is no telling, for instance, how far man. agers like Doc Prothro and Casey Stengel would go if their respective front offices had the dough and the disposition to lay 1t on the line.
 This is a point to keep in mind when you are rating managers. And please don't interpret this as . rap at MT. McKechnie. Baseball has known few better managers. He has a gift for handling pitchers and we know of no manager who is mare attentive to details This may be one reason why the Reds win so many close games. The frugal deacon seldom wastes anything, irl- cluding his breath.