Evening star., 1942-04-05
Brooks, Cards Picked
To Press Cincinnati
IN Torrid Race
Bosox, Chisox Are Given
Only Slim Chance of
Botherine Champs
By DILLON GRAHAM,

Sports Eoltor, Wloe Worlo featureS.
NEW YORK, April AFTER four
weeks of hopping around Florida's
palm and palmetto baseball belt,
squirting at rockies and veterans Ca
vorting on scorched infields, this
sunburned, footsore correspondent
has escaped with the answers to the
upcoming pennant races.
Ready for the exclusive, inside au-
thoritative report? It's the Yankees
and the Reds.
That's my personal estimate and
I've doublechecked it against the
crystal ball and the ouija board, so
can't be wrong. (Notice-This in
formation carries no guarantee!!D .
Tossup in National League.
The Yankees have an edge in the
American League. but in the Ma
tional it's strictly tossup among
Cincinnati, Brooklyn and st. Louis
The Boston Red Sox or the Chi
cago White Sox have an outside
change of giving the Yanks trouble
and the Cleveland Indians and De-
troit Tigers may possibly turn out
well enough to make it four-way
battle with the Red Sox and White
SoX for second place.
Brooklyn has the power, st. Louis
boasts the best balance and Cncin-
natl has the super-super pitching.
Any one of the three is a good bet
I have hunch it will be the Reds.
No rival can touch their hurting
(and pitching will be more inpor-
tant than ever this year,. Gerald
Walker should strengthen the out
field and Third Baseman Bert Haas
bat should help.
Reds Apt to Be Better.
The Reds were feeble f1itters last
year and yet were contenders most
of the way. They can't be any worse
at bat and Boss Will McKechnie
looks for considerable improvement.
There's good case for Brooklyn,
last years winner. The Dodgers
have a better club, with Arky
Vaughan at third, Augie Galan and
John Rizzo as outflelderS and with
experienced Billy Sullivan to spell
Mickey Owen with the catching.
They have the leagues most val
liable player, runs-batted-in and
home-run leader in Dolph Camilli
and the batting king in Pete Reiser.
It's hard to vote against them, but
their pitching doesn't appear too
certain. Wyatt may not be the
sensation he was last year. Leo Du-
rocher may not get the results he's
anticipating from such oldsters as
Fred Fitzsimmons, Johnny Allen,
Curt Davis and Larry French, and
his rockies can't be counted on.
Cards Might Miss Mize.
This corner believes the Cards will
miss John Mize's long-distance wal
lops and that they can't again hope
for all the pitching breaks they got
last year They'll field the same
team, with either Johnny Hopp or
Ray Sanders replacing Mize at first
and with a touted recruit, Stan
Musial, in left field. Given consist
emily good pitching, they'll be hard
to stop.
The Pirates and the Giants should
battle it out for fourth place, with
the Cubs, Braves and Phillies bring
ing up the rear.
The Yankees are not as strong
but seem to have enough punch,
pitching and defense to stall of all
rivals. Joe Mccarthy is none too
pleased with Gerald Priddy at third
and Buddy Hassett at first. Neither
Red Ruff1ng nor Lefty Gomez may
win the Is games they did last
season. The White Sox, with excel
lent pitching. might make a race
OF 1t If their hitting improves.
Rex Sox Lose Power.
Boston has the power, although
not as much as last year, what with
Joe Cronin planning to warm the
bench, Jimmy Foxx a year cider
and Ted Williams trying to live up
to that .406 average. Cronin says his
pitching will be better.
The Indians and Tigers tied for
fourth place last year, and it looks
as though they'll probably be scrap
ping again for the same spot. How
ever, with little luck, either might
challenge Boston or Chicago for
the runner-up post.