The Waterbury Democrat., 1946-08-24
By LEO DUROCHER Manager. Brooklyn Dodgers

Manager, Brooklyn Dodgers
 Cincinnati. O., Aug 24-eUP4-H the Cardinals do not win the Ma tional League pennant this year and I do not think they can-We will win It at least four out Of the next five years
 l am not used to making predic- tions like that, but the handwriting is on the wall so large that a baby can read it.
 In another season. St. Louis will be an aging, slowed-up ball club, with men like Slaughter, KuroWski and Marion past their peaks And they have nothing coming up as they had in others years-Roches- ter, Columbus. Houston are in the second division in the minor leagues.
 Hill Ahead for Cubs
 The Cubs were an old" club last year when they won with creaky armed pitchers like Derringer, Pas seau and Prim. You knew they had to run out of gas this year, and they did. They have not re- stocked With youth, they have no gas, and there Ks big hill ahead.
 That brings us to our Brooklyn organization, of to a flying start for the years ahead, and with enough pep and jump to make the hill in to pennant-toW this year
 l challenge anybody to find a team with so many unknown names that was ever the firSt-p place success we have been this season. We banked on pitcher like Henry Behrman this year, on outfelders like Carl FTillo and Dick Whit man, and We have been catching Bruce Edwards every day. Ever hear of them before?
 Maybe you don't appreciate the problems we've had-these kids and l. I am going to bare some of these problems here and now.
 Empires Tough On Toughs
 First, Ford Tricks National League umpires are tough on a youngster. Some of the umpires have called our players "bushers, wartime players" The kids can t open their mouths to make a legiti- mate protest "Waltll you've been up here in the majors a while be- fore you talk to me- seems to be the umpireS' attitude.
 Opposing players make it rough on the kids too The other night ln Pittsburgh, Jim Russell, who should know better, was on second base and Hank Behrman was pitching for us. Russell called Behrman all sorts of names. and said he'd be back in the minors be- fore the year was out It's my guess that Russell will be in the minors before Behrman will. and I told him so, as loud as I could.
 And of course these kids of ours make mistakes. The other day in Brooklyn Bruce Edwards made a foolish throw trying to make a double play that was impossible and the winning run scored from thrd, We pointed out to him that he should have faked the throw to hrst, and he then would have trapped the man coming in from third.
 We'll, the same play came up here in Cincinnati Thursday night, and Edwards remembered. The way he made the play reminded me oi Gabby Hartnett Watch this Edwards. He will be a great catch CT some day.
 Vets Are Tops
 OI course We have some smart veterans on the club. who afe play ing their heads of. reewee Reese Is greater at shortStop than he ever was before the war, and You will nave to grant me l know about shortstopS. His roommate Pete Relser, is in my opinion the fastest man in baseball, and one of these once-in-a-lifetime players.
 That pair, with winning players ike Eddie Stanky ant Dixie Walk