New York, Mar. 3.
His club finished last in the league face, last in club fielding and last in club batting but Manager Connie Mack has hopes and high ones of the Philadelphia Athletics moving up this year.
A wide-open fight for all positions, the largest spring squad in the club's and four regulars who hit 300 or better, are the three things that stand out about the 1939 edition of the A's.
Most cynical observers believe that Mack'c outfit will have to come up with a pair of Joe DiMaggios and and a brace of Bob Fellers from their rookie contingent, eighteen of whom are pitchers. But supporters of the movement to hold the next World Series in Shibe Park will tell you that A's finished dowa in the American League cellar, only two games out of 7th place while the National Teague's tailenders were so awful. they floundered 24% games behind the 7th place Brooklyn D
New Material Right after last s s Mack started buying and now has spent all of his surplus in bringing new and better players to augment last. year's crew. He has the largest by illness but took turns in the outfield and the pitching mound just to edge into the '.300 circle. Sam Chapman, the other fly-chaser, and ex-Pacific Coast football star, made a fast start but slowed down to 259 at ihe season's end.
When he thinks of his infield, board semi-finals. I had quarter-finals and all the t round of tour. grip-"dels more Min when Mack goes in an "open-mind-at-every-position" stage. Every spot has two or three candidates.
Dick Siebert is probably the most certain of his spot at first There Will be a survival-of-the-fittest with Dano Lodigiani having the edge at second. Bill Lillard, the Coast "wow" will have the first chance at ""scowled a fellow shortstop, and at the hot corner, Joe Gantenbelh from Toronto and Billi Nagel from Little Rock will attempt to beat Billy Werber out of his job.
And that is the mixture of faces, said. "I covered the old, new and otherwise that Mack will try to blend into a club that will climb, at least out of the cellar.—United Press.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.