The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-04-03
LACK OF LUCK
And | SLUGGER
ONLY HANDICAP
SOuthwOrth to Control Ex-
ceIlent Pitching Staff,
With Slick SOuthpaws
BY GEORGE KHRKsEY

UNITED Press Staff Correspondent
So. Petersburg, Fla, April 3-(UP)
--For the past three years the sc.
Louis Cardinals have been winning
the pennant in the spring and wind
ing up second. and third In the fall.
But this time the Cards may really
hit the jackpot In October. They
have the pitching, defense, speed
and the old-tiIne flaming spirit.
What can stop the Cards2 Two
things-C) lack Of long distance
punch and (2) Lady luck.
The Cards have half q dozen po-
tential 800 l1itters topped by slaugh-
ter, Moore, Musial, and Brown but
they have no gafne-breaker-uppe
or home run hitter since Johnny
Mlze was passed on TO the Giants.
Even so, Manager Billy Southworth
says the Cards will not miss Mize
and that the clubs superb pitching,
defense and spirit will pay off.
Last season the Cards were rid
died with injuries which possibly
cost them the pennant. It may be
that the Cards naturally are q
fragile group Of athletes or that
their hell-for-leather type Of play
always will incur an abnormal num-
Der Of accidents. Even allowing for
more than the average number OF
injuries they'll be better off than O
year ago because they now have
perhaps the best second line OF play.
ers In the majors.
TNssRnmva E~aMaInnA
The Cardinals have on excellent
pitching staff. They have so many
bright looking youngsters that
Southworth Is having difficulty
trimming down from his present is
to the necessary 10. The best look
Ing spring pitcher In Florida this
year was Morton Cooper, who seems
headed for 20-game winning year.
In the 10 innings he's worked thus
far he's allowed only one run. The
other two top righthanders are
likely to be Lon Warneke, the Ar
kansas humming bird, and Harry
qumbert, who Is expected to do big
things In the spring and fall. South
worth believes the hot Weather In
midsummer Is 10 blame for his In.
effectiveness during that period.
Clubs that can't hit southpaws are
going to yell murder when they face
the Cards. They'll have the best
southpaw corps anywhere, headed by
Ernie White, HOWE Pollet, Max
Lanier and either Clyde shoun or
Little Harry Brecheen, who won 10
games at Columbus last year. Pol
let, who came UP late last fall to
win five games and lose two, seems
primed to pick UP right where he
left off.
HOWE Krist, who had the fancy
record Of 10 wins and no defeats, Is
In line for the NO. relief Job. Muir
~ Dickson, WHO won II games for
Columbus last year and was the
strikeout king OF the American AsL
ISOLATION, seems likely TO stick. That
leaves Bill Lohrmaa, obtained from
the Giants In the Mize deal, and
three good-looking rockies unac-
counted for-John Bea2ley, Al Juri-
SIGH, and George Munger.
The Cards will start the season
with two rockies In the lineup. Stan
Musial In left field and Ray Sand
ers at first. Musial is the young
ster who batted .426 in IL games
with the Cards last September.
Many critics regard him as the out
standing young player to come UP
this season.
Sanders Good Hitter
Sanders, despite O weak throwing
arm, has shown power ut the plate
and will start the season in Mics
place. Johnny Hopp, who batted
1903 last season playing left field
and subbing for Mize, will be on the
bench. II either Musial or Sanders
falters Hopp will take over.
The rest OF the Cardinal infield Is
the same with Creepy Crespi at
second, Stats Marion at short and
Jimmy Brown at third. The infield
replacement ut second and short
and George Kurowski from Column
bus the hot corner sub.
Terry Moore will patrol center
again and Country Slaughter will
play right and hit cleanup. Estel
Crabtree and Coaker Triplett, to-
gether with Hopp will be the reserve
outftelders although Erv Dusak,
likely-looking hitter, may stick de-
spite the fact that his la draft
rating Is due for call In June,
The catching staff Of Gus MAN.
cuso, Walker Cooper and Ken ODea
Is one OF the best.
(TOMORROW-The Detroit Zig
ers.)