The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-03-31
RED SOK MAY IMPROVE SINCE
 GROVE IS OUT
CrOnin Also to Take H Easy"; COnrOy Looks
 Like Star Rookie
Editors Note: Following is the eighth of a series sizing up the major league clubs).
BY GEORGE KIRKsEY (TTnited Press Staff COrresnnndenfl

Bx GEOKGE AAbtASEx
 United Press Stan COrrespOndentl
 Sarasota, Fla, March 31--CUPl-- The days of lavish expenditures for ball players in attempts to make pennant-winner of the Boston Red SoX are over. Tom Yawkey spent some $4,000000 trying to buy pen- nant and all he ever got was second place. Yawkey has changed his tac- tics and probably will have just as good a ball club this season as he's had during his nine-year regime.
 There are no expensive rockies in the Red Sox camp this spring. The newcomers are largely youngsters developed in the Boston farm sys- tenn or bought at low prices. For irl- stance, one of the best looking rockies in camp is Catcher Bill Con- roy, picked up in the draft from the coast league for just under $5 900
 RumOr Stuff
 Missing from the Red Sox nneuys this season will be two of the standl- bys of the Gold Sox days Lefty l Grove and Joe Cronin. Grove hal | hung up his spikes and Cronin wila manage from the bench making onls , occasional appearances as pinch ] hitter or utility infielder. The dug'- 1. out gossip is that Groves absencV ] will help the Boston pitching stafS ] immeasurably. Grove was MT. Big ora ! the Red Sox staff. He was a pal or Yawkey's and could pitch when hM } felt like it. His whims caused thu : entire Red Sox staff to be throw1y ! out of gear, so the story goes. At any. rate that's the theory of some o9 the second guessers. The Red SoA may gain defensive strength by . Cronin's seni-retirement but they certainly will lose power at bat. Cronin drove in about 100 runs every year.
 The Red Sox were hard hit in the army draft, losing pitchers Mickey Harris, Earl Johnson, Larry Powell and Emerson Dickman and Al Flair, woh had the inside track for Jimmy F'oxxS first base job. Harris, John son and Dickman all were considered regulars.
 On the records the Red Sox pitch- . ing last season ranked fifth. There is some hope that it'll be better this { season. Dick Newsome, who won 19 games, and Joe Dobson and Charlie Wagner, who won 12 each, will be the leaders. Big things are expected from Tank Terry, who won 26 games for San Diego, and T. w. O. Judd, lefty who's back from Louisville with fine record. Ken Chase, a lefty obtained from Washington, can be winner if his control improves.
 Bill Rutland, Herb Hash and Tey Hughson, all of whom have had try outs before, are back battling for pitching jobs. Norman Brown, 8 youngster from Greensboro has looked especially good. Mike Ruba, last years fireman, and Mace Brown, bought from Brooklyn, will be the relief men.
 FOxx At First
 Although Foxx was ticketed for the bench, he is likely to be at first again. Ulysses Lupien, the Harvard boy, was given a shot at first but his hitting left much to be desired. F'oxx despite a broken toe which held him back, has trained hard and is in good shape otherwise. Bobby Doerr will be at second and John Pesky, who hit 1925 at Louisville and was voted the American Associations most valu- able player, will take over Cronin's shortstop job. Pesky has looked im- pressive. Jim Tabor will play third with Cronin and Skeeter Newsome as the utility men.
 Ted Williams, baseball only 400 hitter, is back in his left field fob and apparently set for a big yefr despite the early furore about his reclasSification from IA to 3-A in the draft. Dom DiNGaggio will play center and Pete Fox and Lou Fin- ney will divide the right field fob. Paul Campbell, a converted first oaseman, and John Welaj, from Washington, will be the outfield re- serves.
 Frankie Pytlak, classified in the IA group, will be the first string catcher until he's called up for ser- vice and Bill Conroy, the hard-hit- ting rookie from Oakland. and Johnny Peacock will be in reserve.
 (Tomorrow = Philadelphia Ath. letics).