Show r ANK ES BANK B ON N IMPROVED i MOUND MOUN Sr STAFF AFF Ruth Hopes To Play in Battles I New Yorkers Yorkers' Depend on Gomez Gomez Go Go- mez and Ruffing for Victory Infield Changed By ALAN GOULD Associated Press Sports Editor ST. ST PETERSBURG Fla Fb March 29 With With a club that was the leading run getting machine in th the major l leagues gues last year ear and shows no sign signo o of 01 losing its us potency in this respect the New York Yankees rely upon a revamped infield end and much be belter beUer ter pitching t to keep them in the pennant race rac this year On both counts Manager Joe McCarthy McCarthy McCarthy Mc Mc- Carthy believes he has real reason to tobe tobe tobe be confident the Y Yank Yankees es cs will give the champion Senators or any other rival a battle down clown the stretch It lis Is naturally a question of how long the eminent Mr Ruth will cavort in right field on a Q daily basis but the Babes Babe's sensational streak tr k of spring hitting has buoyed his own conviction that he will do his share of 01 the chores in at least games Plenty of Punch Batting Baiting po power por r however is not what the club needs most With hitters hitters hitters hit hit- like Red Rolfe the sensational new shortstop Lou Geh Gehrig il Ben Chapman Chapman Chapman Chap Chap- man Tony Lazzeri and Bill BiJl Dickey in addition to Ru Ruth h. h plenty of 01 punch will be available but it wont won't do much good to average around seven runs per game unless the pitching department checks the opposition This puts the main issue squarely up to the big ret red headed right hander Charles Rufus Ruffing Rufling and Senor Vernon Lefty Gomez whose I decline in effectiveness last year represented represented represented rep rep- II I resented the difference between e fl world championship club in 1932 and anda I a second place outfit in 1933 I Promising I If It both Ruffing and Gomez Cornea return I to top form McCarthy will vill have plenty of pitching for Johnny Allen Allen Al Al- len and Ru Russ Van Von Alia Atta sophomore southpaw figure to do even better than last year e when Allen won 15 and Van Alia AUa 12 From the group including Charley Chancy George Gcorge Uhle Danny MacFaden Mac Mac- Faden Johnny Broaca Harry Smyth Floyd Newkirk and Jimmy de Shon Shong the Yankees will select four or five reserves for relic relief work and double he header double der duty With at ot least one and on outfielder to spare Lyn Lary and Myril Hoag Manager McCarthy has been anxious to fortify his pitching department by the trade route but so far his overtures to rival clubs have not been fruitful For the second time in three years the Yankees plan to start the season with two new infielders McCarthy McCarth appears to have decided Rolle Rolfe will do doall doall doall all the necessary and team up with Don Heffner Hellner the Baltimore Baltimore Balti Balti- more rc recruit ruit at second Larsen Lazur at Third The shakeup puts on third and leaves Cro Crosetti tU and as the likely utility infielders Lary may replace one of these two if he is isn isn n n ii t t. traded First base will be w well lJ taken care of b by the iron irth man Lou Gehrig who appears reedy for tor one of his biggest years Sam Byrd a great spring pring hitter probably will start in center field flanked by Chapman and Ruth but Earle Combs is still sUU available Dixie Walker is being groomed to succeed the Babe Bob if and when the great man makes his final gesture as a regular Bill Dickey ey minus his appendix will do alt all the necessary necessary necessary sary but he has a J. J promising young understudy in Norman Kies Kie up from the Newark farm Arndt Jorgens also is available |