Show 1 Agi rl g s As Doo Dm ned d dF For Fr F cp p Again J F This Is another In a series of articles on prospects of maior major league baseball teams tums B By Joe Toe WEST VEST P PALM I Fla Fin March larch 27 The Thc JT The aging Philadelphia Phila Phila- Philadelphia delphia Athletics who managed to finish as high as fourth place only once in the thc last 18 16 years ears appear doomed to retain their G second division ision franchise this year II 41 Of course should the As A's pick 1 I up where tl they ey left off l last st Sep they not only would he be assured of a first first division division berth but in all likelihood would be challenging the contenders for forthe forthe forthe the American League flag Buried in the basement the Athletics' Athletics went vent on a tear early in August and went through their last 18 series without losing one Never Ne did they lose more than two games in a row during that stretch that boosted them up upil ir il place P II Big Biff Pro Problem lem We won during the last two months because our hitting hilling and our pitching synchronized said manager Jimmy Dykes Our big problem this year is to get the thc hitters and pitchers to cooperate again right from the start In Inthe Inthe the thc first four months of last season season season sea sea- son we got no coordination If we wc got the thc pitching we didn't get the hitting and vice versa ersa The Thc majority of the experts look for the As A's to resemble their early rather than their late 1951 form The consensus is that Dykes worked a young miracle last year Theirs is an aging club First baseman Ferris Fain alone among the infielders has not passed 30 He lIe will reach that age in two days Shortstop Eddie Joost is 35 second baseman Pete Suder is 34 and third baseman Billy Hitchcock is 33 The catching catchin is weak the outfield outfield outfield out out- field is slow the bench is threadbare threadbare thread threadS bare hare and the rookie crop is meager I Main Asset Philadelphia's main asset is its pitching However it is Four of their proven starters starters starters start start- ers are arc left They are sized pint-sized Bobby 1814 18 Alex Kellner 14 11 Morris Morns Martin Martin Mar Mar- tin 11 4 and Sam 11 10 Bog Hooper 12 10 was the only winning right-hander right last year Dick Fowler 5 11 bursitis ridden bursitis ridden veteran and Joe Coleman 6 1 of oC little use since he lie developed shoulder adhesions in 1949 1939 have I been working slowly and smoothly smooth smooth- ly this spring but still need more of a test lest Right-handers Right II Harry a r r y Byrd 18 14 at and Ed Burtschy who underwent an elbow operation last summer appear ap- ap appear ap ap- pear to be the best of or the younger f. f f l M r Jimmy Timm D Dykes His outlook for Athletics isn't cheerful I crop Byrd throws the lie fastest ballon ball ballon ballon on the staff Holdovers Carl Scheib 12 1 and John Kucab 5 4 w take lake care of the relief relie work along with workhorse Hooper If advanced age slowness of foot and below par catching could be overlooked the lie As A's would field a mighty imposing line first team learn Their high cards are arc Fain who won the batting baiting title with a mark Gus the leagues league's home run rum I 33 and runs batted balled in king Joost the key man of the defense that amassed over double plays for the thc third year in a row I and Elmer Valo a fine defensive outfielder and a hitter hitler Joost I also performed well at the plate driving in 78 runs and hitting hilling 19 home runs Regular ular Trio frio Valo and Allie Clark are arc set sel as the regular outfield outfield trio Irio Valo is being heing switched from right to center field where he may find fewer fences to hinder Joe Joo Astroth Ray Murray l and Joe Tipton are back to divide hvide the catching chores Tipton appears to lo be the lie best at bat although he heI I h hit l a puny 39 last year Astroth hit 46 Murray The Th trio Irio hit only five homers and drove in 53 runs |