The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-04-04
DETROIT TIGERS
NO LONGER GOOD
FLAG CONTENDER
Players Unhappy Since
Salary SIashes; Rookie
Pitchers Promising

United Press STAR Correspondent
Lakeland, Fla, April 4. (UP)-Tlae
Detroit Tigers, who came very close
to winning the worlds champion
ship in 1910, have come down faster
than skyrocket goes UP. They've
lost their punch, and most OF Their
stars are in the army or scattered
elsewhere.
What's more the remaining Tigers
aren't the most satisfied group OF
ball players in the circuit. Jack
Zeller, taking over command OF the
Tigers when owner Walter o. Briggs
turned his entire attention to max
ing tanks, slashed the Detroit pay
roll. None Of the boys liked 1t but
some Of them didn't yell as loud
as Bobo Newsom or hold out as
adamantly as Billy Sullivan, both OF
whom have gone elsewhere.
When zeller cut about $4,000 OH
Newsom,s salary or Bobo Stormed
and yelled until the Tigers sold him
to the Senators. Sullivan came very
close to quitting baseball before he
was sold to Brooklyn. Rudy York
had his salary cut so per cent to
$4,000 and signed under potest Only
one Tiger received q raise--Al Der
ton, who started out last season
q relief pitcher and wound up d
troit's best moundsman with o re
ord Of is and 6.
Slow AfOOt
Besides being an unhappy b.
club, the Tigers are slow afoot ha' :
little power and only q fair defence
Pitching Is probably the strongei
thing about o thoroughly tumble.
up outfit which will have to pull =
lot Of surprises to stay out Of sec
ond division.
A stronger club undoubteGl
could be built around the players
the Tigers no longer have-Hank
Greenberg, Pat Mullin, Freddy
Hutchinson and Bob Uhle Gall IN
the service, Newsona, Sullivan,
Bruce Campbell and frankie
Croucher (the latter two traded &c
Washington)
The Tigers infleld may be some
improvement over last years uni
although it's lacking in speed. York
Is slow at first and Plnky Higgins
at third isn't as spry as he once
was. Jimmy Bloodworth, obtained
from the Senators to play second,
Is no speed marvel. Billy Hitchcock,
rookie shortStop who was bought
from the Yanks' Kansas City Farm
Club for $4,000 and two players
looks like he'll help defenslvely but
he hasn't shown anything at the
plate. Murray Franklin, o team
mate of Lou Boudreau's at Illinois
will be the No. ! utility infielder un-
less he can crowd -Rloodworth gu
Of the second base JOB.
Detroit's outfleld Is a far cry from
those hard-hitting combinations OF
other years. Barney McCoskey will
patrol left and Doc Cramer, 3d.
year-old veteran obtained from
washington, viii play center. Dor
Ross, q converted third baseman
who hit $40 at Montreal, has tho
inside track on the right field jot
Rip Radcliff and either Ned Harr'
or Bob Patrick vii be the reserves.
Three Rookie Pitchers
The Tigers have three brigh
rookie pitchers In Charley Fuchs
Hal White and Virgil (Ftre) Trucks,
all right-handers from Buffalo
They'll all stick. Roy Henshaw, the
little lefty, who formerly was with
the Cubs, also is likely to hang Oh
after winning 10 games at Jersey
City.
Al Benton viii again pace the
STAFF with Dizzy Trout, Tommy
Bridges, Schoolboy Rowe, Johnny
Corsica and Hall Newhouser, the
young southpaw, also In starting
roles. II Newhouser can master his
control he should be q winner.
Birdie Tebbetts will do the bulk
of the catching with Ed Parsons,
who hit ,224 for Buffalo the second
stringer and Al Unser, picked up
from Beaumont after Sulllvan's
sale, the bull-pen receiver.
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