Show IN TN TM THE general collision of the theA 1 A World Series and a new football season a crash between a budding cyclone and a dying tornado severa several several sev sev- era eral baseball details have come up for foi inspection One is that Casey Stengel as good goodas as he Is isn't going to win any pen nant or run second with the team teamS S S Bucky Harris carried car car- S S. S ned ried on his backS back back- largely aided by byJoe byJoe byJoe Joe DiMaggio Everyone knows i that Bucky Harris L wasn't fired for tor in in- in efficiency He was fired because he is isa isa c i c a friend of ot MacS Mac- Mac S S In our book STENGEL U it t was was' wasa a stupid move as Bucky has always been a high grade manager and the type of ot man baseball needs The selection of ot Casey Stengel was a smart move following a dumb one which doesn't often hap hap- pen Stengel is also a high-grade high manager who knows his trade But there wont won't be as many laughing stories written about Casey in 1949 1049 not not with the job he has ahead Cleveland the best team in baseball baseball baseball base base- ball won the 1948 world series The Indians should be the best team in j i baseball in 1949 and should win winI again unless again unless the Red Sox can locate lo Jo- I I cate a few pitchers Then it would I Ibe be different The Yankee farm system has bogged down in recent years and no matter how Stengel hustles hustles hus hus- ties he doesn't know where his players are coming from He needs one outfielder three infielders Infielders in- in fielders a catcher and three pitchers pitchers all all good This makes a total of ot some eight ball players good ball players better better better bet bet- ter ball players than most of ot those he has ex except ept DiMaggio Henrich Lindell and Yogi Berra Isa is isa isa a useful fellow to have around Infield Lacks Hitters Last season and Rizzuto Rizzuto Rizzuto Riz- Riz drove in 82 runs Gordon and Boudreau drove in runs Stephens Steph Steph- ens and Doerr drove in runs We are speaking now of ot second- second base combinations Rizzuto and were a brilliant defensive defensive defensive sive team But they were so far behind behind behind be be- hind Stephens and Doerr Boudreau and Gordon there was no compari compari- son You could trace at least 10 games in a tuck nip race to this missing clutch hitting Maybe 15 games The Yankee infield plus erratic erratic erratic er er- er- er Yankee pitching kept the Yankees from winning by 10 or 15 games There was certainly no outfield to match Joe DiMaggio lag Dil gb gio Tommy Henrich Lindell Keller and Berra They drove in over runs far more than the Red Sox outfield hammered in Here they are DiMaggio Henrich Berra 98 Keller 45 Lindell 55 Total What about the Red Sox Williams Williams Wil Wil- liams hams Dom DiMaggio 85 others others others oth oth- ers less than 80 Far below the Yankees So was Cleveland The Yankees had the outfield S S S Outlook for 1949 The middle of ot the 1948 football season seems to be a somewhat early date to be discussing the September September September Sep Sep- finish of ot pennant races for 1949 But no one can be arrested and shot for trying The two American D league teams to beat in 1949 19 should be bethe bethe the Cleveland Indians and the Boston Red Sox Thc They have by far the better infields which arc are the basic strength of a baseball team especially the play around short and second There isn't a chance the Yankees will have anything to match Boudreau Boudreau Boudreau Bou Bou- dreau and Gordon or Stephens and Doerr when you consider both the offense and defense Both sets are standouts Cleveland has the better of the pitching with Bearden Lemon Feller Feller Fel Fel- ler and Gromek Neither the Red Sox nor Yankees have a dependable pitcher The Tigers still have pitching pitching pitch pitch- ing possibilities but little else The Athletics can finish fourth or fifth fifth no no better Majeski and Joost are hardly likely to be as good as they were this year ear Both were extra good The Yankees only strength is in inthe inthe inthe the outfield the outfield the section he headed by byJoe byJoe byJoe Joe DiMaggio that carried the rest of the team DiMaggio Henrich Lindell Keller and Berra Kellers Keller's health is still uncertain Cleveland's outfield is only fair even with an improving Doby The Red Sox Sax could use new pitchers J 1 1 T League In the older league the Braves and Dodgers have the call for 1949 with with the Dodgers well in front The Braves need infield and outfield improvements in rather large quan quan- titles In Sam Sain and Spahn they have havethe havethe havethe the two best pitchers in their league the the best nucleus for tor a winning staff The Dodgers have added another years year's experience which is all they needed plus needed plus some saner handling |