The Waterbury Democrat., 1941-09-29
BY GEORGE KIRKsEY

BY GEORGE KIRKsEY
 United Press stan COrrespondent)
 New York, Sept. 2o-(UP)-The Yankees are the best defensive team in baseball.' That's why Yankee pitching has been uniformly good ell season and they didn't need a 20-game winner to run away with the American league flag, Superb fielding converted Q mediocre pitch- ing staff into a penhant-winning mound group.
 But the Dodgers, with two 22- game winners in Whit Wyatt and Kirby Higbe, and two canny old- timers in Curt Davis and Freddy FitzStmmons, appear to be better equipped for pitching than the Yankees going into the series. If it's & long series Wyatt and Higbe can work two games apiece while the nature of Manager Joe Me- Carthy's seven-man staff makes 1t highly unlikely that any Yankee pitcher will start more than one game unless the series goes beyond six.
 On the basis of world series ex- perience the Yankee pitcher hold a big advantage. Red Ruffin, likely to pitch the opener, has pitched In seven series games, winning five and losing only one. LtSty Gomez, c logical choice for the second game, also has pitched in seven series games, winning six and losing none. Johnny Murphy, Yankee relief ar. tist, has had experience as fire man in four world series.
 Of the Dodgers ''big four" only Freddy Ftzsimmons has had world series experience. He's appeared In three games but never won. He pitched c four-hitter against the Tanks in 19S0 but lost Q heart- breaking 2-1 decision.
 B0nham and Russo
 Beyond Ruffing and Gomez, who hasn't been impressive in weeks, al- though he has won five of his last six starts, the Yankee pitching is a guess. Mccarthy has BonhaSn, Russo, Donald, Chandler and Breu- CT to choose from. Big Ernie Bon- ham is fancied by some aS Q fellow who'll tie the Dodgers in knots. In- aSTnnch as the Dodgers have been troubled by good left-handed pitch. ing 1t seems probable that Marius Russo will merit e star. Spud Chandler, with six straight wins in- cluding two four-hitterS and c three-hitter, will start somewhere along the line.
 Durochers pitching plans seem more certain. He'll go with WyaN and Higbe, toss in Davis and Fitz and then come back with Wyatt and Higbe with three days rest in the nth and sixth games. There's an extra day between the sixth and seventh games, Davis could come back in the final game with four days rest.
 One of the big things favoring the Brooklyn staff is the fact that It's members have e variety of stun, Wyatt specializes in Q slider, Hisbe in a fast ball, Davis in Q Sanker and Fttximmons in a control knuckler An-except perhaps Highe-are ex- tremely effective in keeping the ball low The Tanks are high ball hit- ters.
 Once the pitching Is set aside, the Yanks' defense takes on real class The Yank% down-the- middle line of Dickey, Gordon, Rixzuto and Di- Maggie has no rival. Collectively the Yankee infleld and outfield are superior to Brooklyn's. Individually the Dodgers have . wide edge only at first base, where Dolf Cam!lli has 1t over Johnny Strum like a tent, At third Cookie Lavagetto gets something close to a standoc with Red Rolfe but 1t will be his first series while Rolfe has been through four fall classics. Gordon and Rizzuto are superior to Herman and Reese. The Yankee outfield of Keller-D -DiMaggio-H can out field and out-throw the Dodger trio of Medwick- Reiser- Walker with room to spare.
 How far the Yankee infield out classes the Dodgers Is emphasized by the double play totals. The Tanks made l94 twin killings to tic the major league record while the Dodgers were last in their league with l26.
 
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