Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1942-04-02
Browns Better,
Picked TO Gain
Fourth Place
Power Missing, Mats
Are Apt to Finish
Next to Cellar
BY GAYLE TALBOT,
Associated Press Sports Writer.

TAMPA. Fla, April 2.-This IS
getaway week in the baseball train
ing camps. and as the sun-tanned
athletes hit the exhibition trail lead
ing to opening day on April IA there
is talk of only one team that might
possibly inject little pepper into
an otherwise unpromiSing Yankee
dominated American League race.
That club is the St. Louis Browns.
Every manager who has met the
Browns this spring says they are
good, fast outfit that might cause
a lot of trouble" A couple Of pilots.
whose opinion the writer respects
highly, say that Luke Sewells outfit
is a cinch to climb into the first
division 1t was oae of the three
teams in the American League to
play better than 500 ball after
Memorial Day last season. the others
being the Yankees and Washington.
Here is the order, then, in which
the coming wartime campaign might
wind up:
% New York. ~ Chicago. 80
Boston, "a st. Louis, 80 Cleveland,
80 Detroit, Cd Washington, 80
Philadelphia.
No Rival Near YankS.
The Yankees. winners last year by
lop-sided II games, are funda-
mentally so much better than any
other team in the junior circuit that
there is no real comparison. Sure,
no 1orI - ~,
pions this spring, so what? BY mid
sumner they will have some rival club
owners pining secretly for a split
season.
The Chicago White Sox, who we're
third last year with exactly a 500
average, appear to have the pitching
to boost them up to second place
this time, say about IS games off
the pace. If they make it, then the
loud and persistent group which in
sists that Jimmy Dykes is the great
est manager in the world-not bar
ring even Joe McCarthy-will have
to be listened to with new respect.
Boston, despite the loss of Joe
Cronin'S power at the plate and the
fact that it is unusually allergic to
the draft, should have enough left
to grab third. Ted williams, one of
the really great hitters of our time,
probably could finish that high by
himself.
Browns in Upper Bracket.
Fourth does not appear too high
a goal for the Browns considering
the quality of this opposition.
Sewen has a pair of good-looking
southpaW rookie pitchers, Stan Fer
rens and Frank Biscan, and another
youngster named Vernon Stephens
at short who might turn out to be
the freshman of the year. The
club, however, is very susceptible to
the draft.
Cleveland has a popular new man
ager in 24-year-old Lou Boudreau
and the club is saturated with har-
mony, but that almost sums up the
assets since the great Bob Teller
climbed into Navy blue. Barring a
possible find or two among his
rockies, Lou is painfully short on
pitching and catching.
Detroit has lost weight steadily
since it won a pennant only two
seasons ago. and with the depar-
ture of 222-pound Buck Newsom the
other day the Tigers ribs began to
| show sure enough Del Baker
scarcely has enough pitchers left to
get up an interclub game. Bill
Richardson, the teams new short
stop from Kansas City, appears to
be a jewel.
Mats Hopes Held Blasted.
Washington's hope, if any, were
blasted when Cecil Travis and
Buddy Lewis went into the service.
That was all the hitting the club
had, and even if Newsom is retained
he can't help the situation much
unless they convert him into an out
fielder for his batting punch.
The selection of Philadelphia to
finish eighth is purely by instinct.
II is the position the AS have won
in five of the last seven years.