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Show ifi flAMI BEACH. The keen com-1 com-1 bmation of two Dodger mandarins, man-darins, Larry MacPhail and Leo Durocher. nominates two stars for an exceptional season. They are Ducky Medwick and Feewee Reese. M&cPhail believes that young Reese will be the star inflelder of the National circuit and that Medwick Med-wick will be the star outfielder for 1941. This may be peering Into the future with rose-rimmed glasses, but that happens to be the way MacPhail Mac-Phail and Durocher feel about it as the training season gets well under un-der way. "I've never seen a fellow train harder than Medwick has trained this sprlnf," Mar.PhsIl saM. "He Is not only in great physical shape, but he will show you more spirit than you've seen In a long time. There'll be no tightening up as there was last summer. lie is still in his prime, ready to move at top speed." The Right Way to Train "I've discovered," Medwick told me, "that the best way to gt in shape is to keep in shape. That's what I've done all winter. I was in shape before the bunch arrived. I DUCKY MEDWICK can honestly say I've never faced season with the keenness I feel now." "I'd like to bet somebody," Mac-Fhail Mac-Fhail said, "that Brooklyn will show you the finest spirit in either league. Every man on the club knows we are all shooting for a pennant, and that we have a first-class chance to win." "What about those Red pitchers?" I asked MacPhaiL "Meaning Walters, Wal-ters, Derringer and Thompson, to mention only a few?" "They may not be as tough this season as they were the last two years," MacPhail said. "Paul Derringer Der-ringer is still a great pitcher, but he isn't any rookie. "For that matter you are going to see much better pitching this season sea-son on the Brooklyn side of the fence. Much better. Higbe alone will make a big difference. I think he'll do better than 20 wins. He may even reach 25 with his share of the breaks. Hamlin will be more than useful. So will Wyatt. Out of the lot we'll get at least four good starting pitchers, with others who can help a lot, "And don't forget what I told you about Reese. He means a lot to a ball club." Brooklyn is still the "people's choice." No other club in baseball has so many far-flung hamlets work- ing along Rooters' Row, pulling for Brooklyn to win. The answer is that Brooklyn is baseball's daffiest baseball town, with the lone exception of Detroit Baseball to Brooklyn Is something more than a pleasant way to kin off a summer afternoon. It is a big part of the soul of the old city, where the average fanatic begins practicing qnick starts for the bag-house bag-house early In March. And now Brooklyn has a showman and a ball club that carry an even - deeper appeal than usual. Both Reds ' and Cardinals will have to be stronger strong-er than they were last summer to keep these Dodgers from boiling over. Their Main Problem According to most of the master minds connected with the Dodgers, their main problem is centar field. "If we get this spot fixed op in the right way I don't think any club can beat us," one of them told me. "If we don't, the Job will be a lot tougher. Ton know how Important center field play is to any champion- ' ship club. The line of winning strength runs through the middle catcher - pitcher - second base knd center. Both shortstop and second baseman are concerned with second-base second-base play. I think we'll get this fixed up. But it is the only spot now that is giving ns any worry." Larry MacPhail has worked out a Dodger spring schedule that will keep his earnest athletes hard at - ' work until opening day. "It's not as tough, however, as it looks," he said. "We've split the work up among two or three teams to give everyone a chance to show what he has under fire. No one will be overworked and I don't believe be-lieve there is any chance that we'll hit the old home yard tired or stale. This part of our training will be closely watched. We have enough reserve strength this time to send in relief when it is needed." |