Evening star., 1944-03-13
Club Out Front in July
May Trail al Finish,
Declares Connie
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, Mar. 13.-The start
of spring training officially opened
baseball's third wartime season to-
day.
Although the future is uncertain
with many familiar faces in the
armed services and more expected
to go as the season progresses, Com
missioner Kenesaw M. Lands, as
well as Ford Frick, president Of
the National League, and Will Har-
ridge, president of the American
League, have asserted that the
game will be played as long as nine
men per club are available.
The departure of stars into the
Army, Navy, marines and merchant
marine while reducing the quality of
play is expected by club owners to
make more competition. They do
not look, for instance, for the st.
Louis Cardinals to win in the Ma
tional League again by 18 games
over Cincinnati or for the Yankees
to sweep to another American
League flag by the 1874 games they
did last year over Washington.
Sees Ill Wind Blowing Good.
Tall, lean 81-year-old Connie
Mack, leader of the Philadelphia
Athletics. expressed the general
sentiment in these words yesterday
at Frederick, Md, where his AS
have pitched camp.
while all of us have lost some OF
our stars, that might be the means
OF having real championship race
this year. We're all losing players
and it may be that the team in first
place on July will be last when the
season ends. I feel that we have a
chance since the players that we've
lost are not quite equal to those lost
by some other teams"
The leader of the AS may have
been thinking especially of the
champion Yankees. The Bronx
IBombers already have lost such
players as Charley Keller, Bill john
son, Marius Russo. Ken Sears and
Roy Weatherly and, in addition. face
! the probable loss Of Joe Gordon,
Spud Chandler, Bill Dickey, Johnny
Murphy and Rollie Hemsley.
We'll just have to wait and see"
remarked Manager Joe Mccarthy as
he arrived at the Yanks' Atlantic
j City base. Things are unsettled all
over"
) The baseball training picture at a
! glance:
} American League.
Atlantic City (Yankees)-Only
i two players, Pitchers Floyd Bevens
; and Johnny johnson, on hand as
Yank officials arrived.
7 Frederick. Md. (A's)-Bob Es-
!, talella. traded to Indianapolis dur
ing winter, will be with the AS be-
cause Jojo Moore, for whom he was
swapped, has been drafted. Outfield-
er Rip Radcliffe also may play part
Of season.
Lafayette, Ind. Gndians)-Man-
Iager Lou Boudreau indicated Stephen
Gromek may be switched back to
inf1eld from pitching.
Il National League.
i Lakewood, N. j. (Giants)-Sev-
enteen players, including Pitch
ers Rube Fischer and Cliff Melton,
reported for first workout. Manager
Mel OFT said Shortstop Billy Jurges
, still was unsigned and that Pitcher
Johnny Wittig will take his pre-in-
duction physical examination on
March %.
Bloomington, Ind. (Reds)-Frank
: Mccormick, Cincinnati first base
:, man, at Red camp with l3 other
!, players, disclosed he had been re,
: classified la. He said he planned
? to stay with club until called for
induction.
: Most of the other big league clubs
Will start training later this week
D. with the Cardinals and Browns not
. scheduled to begin until next
Monday.