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Show TT WILL be Interesting to not what will happen when baseball returns to a more normal way oi lite. We took ud this somewhal twisted matter with Bill Dickey, the Yankees' new manager. man-ager. "This has been one 6f the strangest seasons I've ever run across," the loose-jointed "Arkansas "Ar-kansas Traveler" said. "Suppose, for example, we had known back in I ) t 'i Florida during our BUI Dickey training season that the Yankees were going to get good pitching. That was supposed to be our weakest spot because so many of our men were troubled with bad arms. We would have been picked as one of the surest things of the year, rated well in front. "But suppose we had known that after six weeks of play our team batting would be around .240 with such fine hitters as Joe DiMaggio and most of the others hitting below be-low .260. Then, we would have been picked far down the list. Hard hitting hit-ting has been the Yankees' main factor in winning ball games, but as a team we haven't been hitting a half lick." "Yon don't think this hitting weakness will last?" we asked. "I certainly don't," Bill said. '.'No pitchers are going to keep such hard hitters as DiMaggio, Keller who has been our best Stirnweiss, Etten, Llndell, Henrich, Gordon and the others bottled up much longer. Those fellows can hit. They are naturals. I happen to know that Joe DiMaggio was banking on this season being his best year. I've never seen any one work harder, or try harder or train harder. His fielding and his home-run hitting have been exceptional. I don't believe be-lieve this slump in hitting can last. "We may have more trouble with our pitching, with so many really good pitchers bothered with bad arms or backs, but we are due to get much better hitting and we'll have to get it if we are to win again. We can't win the pennant the way we're going now." Dickey and the Red Sox We1 asked Manager Dickey what he thought of the Red Sox and the chance the Yankees and other American League clubs had of closing clos-ing the gap. "I'll tell you exactly what I think of the Red Sox," Bill said. "I never like to underestimate an opponent. In my opinion, they have a first-class first-class manager in Joe Cronin, who failed In the past because the winning win-ning material wasn't there. Cronin isn't going to lose any pennant for his club. Joe will do his share. "The Red Sox have the strongest team they ever have shown. They have a fine infield and a strong outfield. out-field. They have had the hitting and the pitching and I honestly think that so far they have out-hustled the rest of us. "In Pesky and Doerr, the Red Sox have a great mid-infield combination, combina-tion, both on offense and defense. Pesky today is a greatly improved ballplayer. Be means a lot to that club. ' Cronin certainly has a much stronger pitching staff than anyone looked for last March Hughson, Harris, Ferriss and Dobson are about as good as any manager could ask for. "This doesn't mean," Dickey said with a grin, "that I am picking the Red Sox to win the pennant. I think we can catch them, but I know we can't wait too long. They are too good to be given any big lead, and I believe the Yankees are just beginning be-ginning to realize this. They have been strong on both offense and defense de-fense and they've fine spirit. "What about the rest of the league so far?" we asked. "You can't overlook Washington," he said. "This is a good, steady, consistent club all along the line. You also will see Detroit get much better pitching than the Tigers have known thus far. Their pitching has been like the Yankees' hitting too far below normal to remain that way. When their pitching gets as hot as it can get, and they begin to hit nearer their stride, you'll see a big change." Dickey, who has the full support Df Larry MacPhail, and who has enjoyed so many years of training under Joe McCarthy the manager Bill ranks far above all others in baseball is giving everything he has to the job of making good. With a cool head and a stout heart with which to work, he doesn't expect to pick up all the needed managerial details in a few days or in a few weeks. Bill has the complete affection and respect of his players, and It Is my opinion that he will make few mistakes mis-takes in directing up to the hilt the material he has at hand. Like other great catcher-managers Bill Carrigan and Mickey Cochrane, for Example he has been In the best spot to know what Is going on, espe-jially espe-jially In the direction of a pitching ; staff that still Is uncertain. No one knows better than Larry ; MacPhail and Bill Dickey that the I Yankees need one or two more ball-players ball-players to carry anything like an j even chance to overtake Boston. |