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WE'LL BE BETTER THAN LAST YEAR,’ EXTENT OF LEO'S FORECASTBoots Poffonborgcr, Too Hot for Detroit to Handle, Added to Hill Staff; Reiser May Be Sent Out for ExperienceROOKLYN, N. Y.-For better or for worse, the first edition of Leo Durocher’s Dodgers and the second I edition for Larry Mac-Phnil arrives home in Flat-bush this week. The 1939 Dodgers are to be introduced to the Brooklyn bugs in the traditional, preseason exhibition scries with the Yankees, world's champions for the past three years. Certainly, the Brooklyn club picks no setup for its home debut.On the final stages of the trail northward through Dixie, Durocher found most of his personnel problems working themselves out, but the manager remains non-com-mital about where his team will finish. He promises that the Dodgers will be better and that's as far as he will go.As this was written, the Brooklyn pitching stall, which has looked none too robust, took on a new member in the person of Clctus (Boots) PofTenberger, who was loo hot for Del Baker, the Detroit manager, to handle—or something. He was purchased from the Tigers for something like the waiver price after he had been sentenced to Toledo. PolTenberger is an A-l hurlcr, they say, but his extra curricular activities have kept him in hot water. Bools should feel right at home with the Dodgers.Right now, Leo says, four pitchers, not counting PolTenberger, are in shape to travel nine innings. He names Luke Hamlin, the veteran Fred Fitzsimmons, the colorful red-headed Russell Evans and Bill Crouch. That doesn’t mean, however, that this will be Brooklyn’s starting array very far into the season. Fellows like Vito Tamulis, Ira Hutchinson, Whitlow Wyatt and Tot Pressnell cannot be ignored. Hugh Casey, a newcomer hampered in Florida by a leg injury, will be, given o further chance.Where Van Mungo eventually will fill in, no one can say. The big fellow’s improve- i ment in training, while slow, apparently has been steady.LnMnslcr Lost Indefinitely.Another lame arm is completely eliminated from present consideration. The eft-handed Wayne LaMaster, whose pilch-ng elbow has bothered him for almost a rear, pitched to only three Detroit hitters la the South. The next day, LaMaster was In his way to St Louis, where an cxamina-|on by Dr. Robert F. Hyland showed that operation was necessary for the removal I* bone chips. It will be at least six weeks Wore LaMaster will be able to throw a kill.|Afler n long succession of experiments, :o has more or less returned to his orig-|?1 idea of an outfield. In recent games, i*ne Moore has been playing right and Inie Koy has been in left. But Goody {■sen is still challenging Tuck Slainback the center field berth, jrhe infield stands just as it was planned. |lph Camilli has had no serious opposition ‘first base and the Italian slugger's :at spring seems to presage a far better lar than Dolph had in 1038. Pete Cos-Irart again gels the play at second base. Harry Lavagetto, whose work in the ear-|r games was marred by a back condition •ally diagnosed as toxi-lumbago, is back action and playing better ball at third Isc. Durocher, of course, plays shortstop Inself and his fielding is as slick as ever. The chances are that Durocher will string |ng with his more experienced reserves ’ony Lazzcri and Johnny Hudson—meon-that Pete Reiser, the Class D sensa-[n of the Clearwater camp, probably will sent somewhere on option. The 19-lir-old boy, while he hasn’t continued his Mier achievements, keeps hitting them |en enough and hard enough to justify I; theory that he has great natural batting lent Playing shortstop or second base, he |o comes up wih a fine play often enough J show his mechanical talent in the field, it what Reiser lacks is experience.Leo considers his catching more than sat-(actory. Since A1 Todd joined the club, has been dividing the bulk of the work 1th that other big fellow, Babe Phelps. Iske Sewell and Roy Hayworth, both ten-nr men, rate behind the first pair.TOMMY HOLMES.
Newspaper Details
St Louis Sporting News
St Louis, Missouri, US
Thu, Apr 13, 1939
Page 8
Full Page
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MD, USA 15 Mar 2024
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