Evening star., 1942-01-28
Loss Of Key Players
Promises Screwy
Pennant Races
Tribe, Tigers, Red Sox
Hit in VitoI Places,
Points Out Honey
By GRANTLAND RICE,

Special CORRESPONDENT OF The Star.
LOS ANGELES. Jan. % IN. A.
NA).-Many odd, bizarre things
can happen in the wake OF war.
Fred Haney, the st. Louis Browns
manager brought up this point.
You know" Haney said, that as
q result of the draft and the big
changes that will take place in both
leagues this next spring and sum-
mer it wouldn't surprise me to see
the Browns move up into the first
division, and maybe see the Ph1llies
moving out Of last place"
This seemed to be drastic by
product, even for war mad and
making merry on its brazen cymbal
gongs" But Fred Haney stuck
to his point. What will happen
to Cleveland without Bob Feller
and several others?" he asked.
Bob Feller also meant more to
the club than the victories he turned
in. He was cushion against any
bad slump. He was a dead-sure
guarantee for so many victories.
Then there are Boston's Red Sox
minus Ted Williams and those
young, improving pitchers. Any one
can see how much strength this
will take away from Boston. The
same thing has happened to others.
But the Browns are an older club.
They have more married men
aboard. They won't suffer so much
from the draft. And they have
their share of good ball players.
There's a good chance they will
swing up into the first division.
Sees Pennant Scramble.
This should be one of the best
scrambles we've ever had" Haney
continued. by scrambles I mean
ups and downs and unknown
CANDLES.
Every club in both leagues will
be losing men from time to time,
especially the younger men. The
Yankees, of course, can stand 1t
better than any one else unless
the entire team has to go. They
have so many good ball players
that losing three or four or five
won't make as much difference.
cleveland can't afford to lose
Feller-the Tigers can't afford to
lose Greenberg-the Red Sox can't
afford to lose Ted Williams-but
the Yankees could lose both Di
Maggie and Joe Gordon or any other
two men and still be something to
beat. Teams with good veterans left
will have the call
The canter in the National will
run into the same snarls. Quite a
lot will depend on the break OF
luck from the draft. But Dodgers,
Cardinals and Reds-in fact, the
entire league-will find many a
bounding athlete missing by the
April getaway.
The Cardinals have major group
of married men, but also a greater
number Of younger stars. Just how
many of their younger pitchers will
be on hand by April or May is any,
body's guess.
Hurlers' Ages Help Dodgers.
The Dodgers get a break in the
number Of pitchers they have from
80 on up. But they also will lose
a group Of younger people who had
been counted on.
The same thing will happen from
top to bottom. 1t will be a tre-
mendous gamble, and for this reason
may help to make two more in
teresting races than we'd get nor
mally.
This new turn will give older men
and those below 20 cleaner shot
at some job. John Cooney of the
Braves at Al is in an ideal spot.
More than a few old-timers on their
way out will be held. or called back.
More kid ball players will get bet
ter chance.
The majority of those. especially
the unmarried, between 81 and %,
will be called The case is entirely
different from what it was a year
ago when we only were talking
war-not actually in 1t.
Along the Pacific Coast the be-
wilderment naturally is greater than
1t is anywhere else. The West
Coast has lived on night baseball.
Night baseball may be ruled out.
There also is the present order that
no crowds above 5000 can get to-
gether in any one place.
Even this combination of retard-
ing circumstances may not stop the
league race. In any event, the West
Coast hopes to get its season under
way. in one fashion or another. The
next few weeks will give us better
answer.