Season Preview: Pittsburgh Pirates

Last Season: 62-92, T-7th in NL

Manager: Billy Meyer (1st season in Pittsburgh, 1st total)Offseason: After just one offseason, the Pirates are almost completely unrecognizable from last year. The changes started in mid-November, when they purchased a pair of bench players, Stan Rojek and Ed Stevens, from the Dodgers who will immediately start in the infield for Pittsburgh. Four days later, they traded three players to the Braves for Johnny Hopp and Danny Murtaugh. December saw another pair of minor trades with the Dodgers and Indians in the first week. Then, on December 8th, they finalized a big trade with Brooklyn. Billy Cox, Gene Mauch, and Preacher Roe were sent east for Hal Gregg, Vic Lombardi, and Dixie Walker. Two days later, they purchased starting pitcher Elmer Riddle from the Reds. A few more purchases in the winter continued to add new faces to the roster. In total, the Pirates will have 13 players they acquired in the offseason on the Opening Day roster, most of them in starting roles.Catcher: The Pirates split the catcher role almost evenly last year between Dixie Howell and Clyde Kluttz. With Howell traded to San Francisco in the PCL, the job now belongs to Kluttz. He will still receive plenty of days off, when rookie Ed Fitz Gerald will fill in. Fitz Gerald hit .363 in the PCL last year and may see increased playing time if that success carries over to the majors.
Infield: The only infielder on the roster returning from last year is starting third baseman Frankie Gustine. Gustine has bounced around the infield during his nine years in Pittsburgh, but last year he finally made the full time move to third. He has has been selected to the All-Star Game in the last two years and hit a career high .297 in 1947. Stevens takes over first following the retirement of Hank Greenberg. Even though Greenberg was struggling at the plate as his age caught up to him, this will still leave a big hole trying to replace his 25 homers and league-high 104 walks. Stevens was the primary first baseman for the Dodgers in 1946 but only played in five games last year. Rojek at shortstop also saw limited work with Pee Wee Reese locking down the position for the Dodgers. The Pirates will now put him at leadoff and believe his speed and glove will make him one of the top shortstops in the league. Second base will see a mix of rookie Monty Basgall, who will make his major league debut on Opening Day, and Danny Murtaugh. Murtaugh led the NL in steals for the Phillies back in 1941 but has only played in nine games over the last four years. Billy Meyer will also make use of newcomers Eddie Bockman and veteran Don Gutteridge.Outfield: With all of the trading done, Ralph Kiner's 51 home runs last season were more than the rest of the position players on the roster on Opening Day combined. After leading the NL with 23 homers the year before in his rookie season, the Pirates expected big things from the young slugger. But no one could have expected his 51 home runs at just the age of 24. Though Greenberg is now gone, his one year on the team paid off in any many ways as he may have trained his successor as baseball's top slugger. While Johnny Mize matched his total for New York, Kiner is only at the start of his career and still has room to grow. Longtime Cardinal and recent acquisition from the Braves, the solid hitter and speedy Hopp will start in center. 37-year-old Walker will start in right, but don't let his age fool you. He has been an All-Star for the last two seasons, including finishing second in MVP voting in 1946, led the league in RBIs in 1945, and won a batting title in 1944. He does not show signs of stopping anytime soon and may have a couple more quality years left, though expect more days of rest. This will allow Wally Westlake back in the lineup, the only player on the roster other than Kiner with double digit homers last year. His rookie season went well so he will still get plenty of playing time despite the suddenly crowded outfield. Max West, a strong player for the Braves around the start of the decade, will also factor in in his return to the majors.Rotation: Gregg was an 18-game winner for the Dodgers in 1945, but he has just ten total wins over the last two seasons. With a wide open rotation, he will still be given the honor of starting the first game of the season. Kirby Higbe was also once a successful pitcher for the Dodgers, leading the league in wins at 22 in 1941 and also winning 17 just two years ago for them. But since being traded from them early in the season last year, he has struggled to win with a weaker lineup behind him as he lost 17 games. Fritz Ostermueller returns at 40, though not on the roster to start the season. The veteran is 41-31 since joining the Pirates four years ago and has never had a losing record in any season over that span, even with the Pirates struggles over the last two years. Older than him as he turns 41 next month, Rip Sewell returns once again to the rotation. Sewell had back-to-back 21-win seasons during the war and hasn't dropped off that much since then, only he struggles to pitch as much with just 32 starts over the last two years. Riddle won 21 games himself in 1943 and had the best ERA in the majors in 1941, but the years since have him on a short leash as a starter with his new team. Riddle has a total of four wins over the last four years and an ERA of 6.96 over that time. One more former 21-game winner, doing so in 1942 for the Yankees, Tiny Bonham returns for his second season in Pittsburgh after a quiet but solid campaign in '47.Bullpen: Lombardi had three good years in Brooklyn and should get some starts, but expect to see him out of the bullpen as the Pirates try to find someone they can turn to to preserve their leads late in games. Mel Queen saw 12 starts for the team last year but will have to prove himself through relief work before earning more. Elmer Singleton and Nick Strincevich also return.Outlook: Back-to-back seasons with more than 90 losses were unacceptable for the Pirates, so the total overhaul of the roster was done to try and put the club back on a competitive track. While the league has already taken notice of Kiner, they may have to look out for the rest of the team with some of the moves made this offseason. The Pirates should be more competitive than they were the last two years, but whether they can compete for a pennant just yet remains to be seen.

Season Preview: Philadelphia Phillies

Last Season: 62-92, T-7th in NL

Manager: Ben Chapman (4th season in Philadelphia, 4th total)Offseason: With one of the worst teams in the league and plenty of room for qualified players to get a chance, the Phillies were very active in the Rule 5 draft. Johnny Blatnik makes the jump to the majors and should see playing time in a very young outfield. Monk Dubiel was selected and returns after a couple of seasons with the Yankees during the war. He should make the rotation. They also claimed Ed Heusser off of waivers to add to their bullpen and purchased Bama Rowell from the Dodgers.. On the trading market, they dealt veteran pitcher Tommy Hughes to Cincinnati for another veteran, Bert Haas. Another trade two months later saw Johnny Wyrostek sent to the Reds for slick-fielding shortstop Eddie Miller. They also traded Ralph LaPointe for Dick Sisler, son of legend George Sisler. In total, Philadelphia has 11 men on the Opening Day roster that did not play for the Phillies at all last year.Catcher: The Phillies have a young prospect ready to join the starting lineup at just about every position except catcher. That's because they have Andy Seminick, who is 27 and approaching his prime. He has averaged over 100 games per season over the last three years and led the team in home runs last year. His consistency at the toughest position could lead to some All-Star game appearances in the near future. The backup catcher will be Al Lakeman, who has a career average of just .210 in six seasons.
Infield: The only starter that was on the team last year is Emil Verban. The former All-Star's days may still be numbered, though, with rookies Granny Hamner and Putsy Caballero on the bench and looking for playing time. Verban may be a prime trade target mid-season for a competitor looking for a second baseman with great defense. Haas will start at third base but has also historically played out in center field and first base, as well. Miller will be the new shortstop coming off what was quietly one of the best seasons of his career. Miller led the league in doubles and had career highs in homers and RBIs. Sisler rounds out the starters at first base, like his father. He will finally get the chance to be an every day starter unlike his two years with the Cardinals. Rookie Willie Jones may see some playing time, too.Outfield: Last year's batting champion, and probably baseball's most improved player, Harry Walker, returns out in center field. Walker hit .237 in 1946 and was traded after just ten disappointing games from the Cardinals to his new home in Philadelphia. His majors high 16 triples and .363 average seemingly came out of nowhere and gave the Phillies faithful a reason to come out and see an otherwise underwhelming offense at Shibe Park. Del Ennis also flashed his potential out in left field with 29 homers and 154 RBIs in his first two seasons. This year, he will move over to right field to make room for 21-year-old rookie Richie Ashburn. Ashburn will make his major debut on Opening Day as the leadoff man after hitting .362 in Utica last year. He has speed and, if his minor league success can carry over to Philadelphia, could one day challenge Walker as the best contact hitter on the team. Rowell will act in a reserve role after a wild March that saw him traded from the Braves to the Dodgers and then purchased by the Phillies. Blatnik, like Ashburn, has never played in the majors, though at 27 his future doesn't look quite as bright.Rotation: The oldest rotation in the majors is surprisingly still going strong for the most part. After some impressive years in Washington, Dutch Leonard saved one of his best years yet for his first campaign in Philadelphia. Leonard is 135-113 over the last decade and shows no sign of slowing down at age 39. His 2.68 ERA last year was the best of his career. One year younger, Schoolboy Rowe did not have the ERA of Leonard, but he still found success with his second 14-win effort in his last three seasons. Rowe's best days as an ace on the Tigers dynasty in the mid '30's are long gone, but Rowe can still be counted on for at least 25 starts where his team has a chance to win. Older than both at 40, Oscar Judd may be in his final season and will only see limited starts after a 4-15 season as the outlier. Blix Donnelly is young by this group's standards at 34 and will be a regular starter. Dubiel will also join the rotation. On the other end of the spectrum, 18-year-old Curt Simmons has earned a spot and begins what looks to be a promising career. Simmons threw a complete game five-hitter in the final game of the season last September after a 13-5 record in Wilmington in the minors.Bullpen: By using Donnelly as a starter, the Phillies have no returning reliever with an ERA below 4.00 with at least 20 innings pitched. Ken Heintzelman will also get some starts but has been relegated to relief work to start the year. Veteran Heusser will also be in the mix. The Phillies will also throw plenty of rookies out on the mound, including Charlie Bicknell, who has been called up at the age of 19.Outlook: The Phillies are a team finding its new identity after a long period of struggle. They have not won 70 games in a year since 1932, and that streak does not look it will end this year. However, with its veteran players still around mentoring its plethora of young talent, Philadelphia's future may look brighter by the start of the next decade. They will have to fight to avoid last place this year but the lessons learned could proved handy for the 1950's.

Season Preview: New York Giants

Last Season: 81-73, 4th in NL

Manager: Mel Ott (7th season in New York, 7th total)Offseason: New York purchased Jack Conway from Cleveland, who will start the year as the leadoff hitter due to an injury at second base. They also signed a pair of veteran pitchers in their 40's to help out one of the worst pitching staffs in the league last year. Thornton Lee and Bobo Newsom have a combined 321 wins in their two careers. The Giants hope this experience can help out their under-performing group of arms on the mound.Catcher: During the war, Walker Cooper was an MVP-caliber backstop who had the rare combination of hitting ability and expertise calling pitches behind the plate. But last year, he added something new to his game: power. Cooper nearly equaled his 38 career homers that he started the season and at one point in the year hit a home run in six consecutive games, tying the all-time record. With Ernie Lombardi gone, the Giants will now turn to rookie Wes Westrum when Cooper rests.
Infield: Johnny Mize gave up three prime seasons of his career in the war. If not for that, he could very well be headed to 500 homers. In perhaps his greatest campaign yet, Mize eclipsed the 50 home run barrier and became the first player ever to do so without striking out at least 50 times in the process. Mize is now 35 and could start declining soon, but the National League is a better place now that one of its most dominating sluggers is back at the top of his game. The rest of the infield is a puzzle, though, that Mel Ott will have to work out to have a shot at the pennant. Conway will hit leadoff and fill in at second base for Bill Rigney until he returns. Conway is not expected to do much, but Rigney is after a breakout sophomore season last year. His 17 homers were only fifth on the team, but combined with solid defense it made him one of the most important contributors on the team. The left side of the infield is the big weakness and does not have the experience compared to the rest of the team. Jack Lohrke did not do much to secure the third base job in his rookie campaign and the Giants may look to replace him with someone else if he continues to struggle. Rocky Rhawn will start at shortstop on Opening Day, but it is Buddy Kerr's position, as it has been for the last four years. Kerr hasn't done much at the plate but his defense is top notch. Buddy Blattner can fill in in the middle infield and veteran Johnny McCarthy makes the roster to back up Mize as needed.Outfield: Utility man Sid Gordon will bounce back and forth between left field and third base as the Giants try to get him in the lineup most days. Whitey Lockman will go for his first full season starting the year in left field but able to play anywhere out there. He made his debut as an 18-year-old in 1945, playing 32 games for the Giants and impressing with a .341 average. The Scotsman Bobby Thomson had an amazing rookie campaign, slugging 29 home runs at the age of 23, and has adjusted well to covering center field. Willard Marshall is the old man in the outfield at 27, but he only has three seasons of experience due to the war. He was an All-Star as a rookie six years ago and then again last year, when he finished third in the league in homers and fifth in RBIs. In addition to Gordon, rookie Les Layton will see some time in the outfield. He hit 20 home runs in Jersey City at the AAA level and looks to make the jump like Thomson, though he is actually two years older.Rotation: If not for Jackie Robinson, Larry Jansen would've been the runaway Rookie of the Year. In his first season, he had the best winning percentage in baseball, going 21-5 even though he didn't make his first start or get his first decision until mid-May. In his final 22 starts of the year, Jansen went 17-1 in one of the most memorable summers ever by a rookie pitcher. There is certainly no way his success can be entirely a fluke, but the Giants have to be prepared in case he does regress as the luck did go almost entirely his way in that stretch. Last year's number two starter, Dave Koslo, is still recovering from elbow surgery and will not be in the rotation to start the year. This will be a problem for New York, as he was the only pitcher other than Jansen to win at least ten games for the Giants last year. Veterans Lee and Newsom will be called upon frequently to help fill this hole. Sheldon Jones and Ray Poat, who have a combined total of 31 career starts, will be given chances to start, as well. Clint Hartung will see some action, too, though his underwhelming results in 20 starts last year may relegate him to the bullpen if he cannot improve.Bullpen: With 110 total appearances, Ken Trinkle has led the majors in games pitched in both of the last two seasons. That has resulted in 244 innings of work as one of the most trusted relievers in the league. New York will continue to turn to him with its limited options in the bullpen. Like Hartung, Andy Hansen will make some starts but will mostly pitch late in games as he cannot be trusted to start. In three seasons, he has a 4.98 ERA, though there's plenty of room to grow at age 23. Veteran Joe Beggs never had a bad season this decade until last year, when Cincinnati traded him to New York and he struggled to limit runs. Barring injury, rarely should the Giants use anyone else out of the bullpen.Outlook: The Giants absolutely shattered the team record for home runs last year, beating the previous record by 39 for a total of 221. Unfortunately, that did not correlate with success as the crosstown Dodgers cruised to the pennant even with just 83 total. Even with the historic season at the plate, their pitchers could not keep up and allowed the second most runs in the National League. The offense would need to have another incredible season, Jansen would need to win another 20 games, and the remaining pitchers would have to significantly improve their game for the Giants to have a shot at the pennant. While one or two of these things seems possible, it is nearly impossible all three happen at the same time. Games at the Polo Grounds will surely be the most exciting in baseball with all the runs scored by both teams, and it would seem New York will finish either above or below .500 depending on whether their offense can succeed more than their pitching, minus Jansen, struggles.

Season Preview: Cincinnati Reds

Last Season: 73-81, 5th in NL

Manager: Johnny Neun (2nd season in Cincinnati, 3rd total)Offseason: The Reds got a little younger in the offseason with the few deals they completed. First, they sold Elmer Riddle to the Pirates. All-Star Bert Haas, nearing the end of his career, was traded to the Phillies for Tommy Hughes, a pitcher who probably would've finished a whole lot better than 4-11 last year on a more competitive team. Another one-for-one trade with the Phillies saw Eddie Miller swapped for new center fielder Johnny Wyrostek. Almost no one is left from the World Series champions squad in 1940 as Cincinnati moves to embrace the future with these moves.Catcher: Ray Lammano was an All-Star in 1946 and only needs one or two days of rest per week. Lining up sixth in the batting order to start the year, Lammano is better than the typical catcher batting. He took the job from Ray Mueller, who is still on the team but is now 36 and four years removed from his own All-Star appearance in 1944.
Infield: The youth movement in the infield seems to have Cincinnati set up for the years to come. Grady Hatton has 30 homers in his first two seasons while hitting .276. He also draws a lot of walks compared to his strikeout rate. With Miller out of the picture, rookie Virgil Stallcup takes over. He had just one at bat last year in his debut. He also hit .338 for Jersey City at AAA level. With Benny Zientara sidelined to start the season, Bobby Adams will get the chance to make second base his. Adams has already played a full season's worth of games at the position over the last two years and handles himself well on defense and at bat. The lone veteran is Babe Young, who came over from the Giants last year. He has some power but the Reds may still look to deal him themselves. Rookie Ted Kluszewski has already worked his way up to the majors at 23 and Cincinnati would like to get him on the field. The only place they can do this is at first base.Outfield: Wyrostek will bat in the two spot behind right fielder Frankie Baumholtz. Neither have shown much power but both have speed and solid batting averages. The wild card is Hank Sauer, who is 31 but only appeared in 47 games in his major league career. Sauer slugged 50 homers and 141 RBIs last year in Syracuse at the AAA level, but how much of a drop off there is when he moves up to Cincinnati is anybody's guess. Veteran Augie Galan survived all the trades but will enter his fifteenth season primarily in a reserve role. Galan has hit over .300 in each of the last four seasons and is great at getting on base, drawing walks far more often than striking out, but he is a liability on defense and the Reds believe he may be slowing down.Rotation: They expected big things from him, but Cincinnati was stunned by the sudden emergence of Ewell Blackwell as one of the top pitchers in all of baseball. A year after going 9-13 in his rookies season, Blackwell led the majors with 22 wins, led the National League in strikeouts, and had the third best ERA in the MLB. He finished second in MVP voting at the age of 24. Unfortunately for Cincinnati, the rest of the team's starters are far worse. No other returning pitcher who started for this team last year had an ERA below 4.00. Johnny Vander Meer was once the ace of this team and is still only 33, but he hasn't had a winning record since 1942. Ken Raffensberger was probably the number two starter after he was traded from the Phillies last June, but he has never had a winning season with a career record of 36-60. Howie Fox will get a shot in the rotation. He wasn't on the team last year and pitched just five innings in 1946. Hughes, another starter who has never had a winning record in four years with the Phillies, will round out the rotation. Still around is Bucky Walters, who is coming off the worst season of his career. Walters more than doubled his ERA from the year before, signalling his playing days may be coming to an end.Bullpen: Veteran Harry Gumbert moved full time to the bullpen and found some success finishing games for the Reds. He averaged about two innings per appearances and was the pitcher at the end of 34 games. The team also like to turn to Kent Peterson last year, who started 17 games but also made 20 appearances out of the bullpen. Peterson is only 22 and should continue to get plenty of work whether starting or as a reliever. The same goes for Buddy Lively, who is just a year older.Outlook: The Reds are a hard team to read for 1948. Several significant moves have shaken up the roster. With their team getting younger, there is more uncertainty. However, they still have possibly the best pitcher in baseball in Blackwell and a strong core in the middle of the lineup. The Reds now sit at three straight losing seasons, and the range of possibilities goes from that streak ending to a last place finish depending on how all of the question marks are answered.

Season Preview: Chicago Cubs

Last Season: 69-85, 6th in NL

Manager: Charlie Grimm (12th season in Chicago, 12th total)Offseason: The downward trajectory of the Cubs may continue as the club only made one trade during the offseason. In March, they sent utility infielder Bobby Sturgeon to the Braves for veteran third baseman Dick Culler and reliever Walt Lanfranconi. Neither should make any real impact on the team and are not even on the roster to start the season.Catcher: The batter for the catcher spot in the lineup has gone back and forth between Bob Scheffing and Clyde McCullough since 1941. Scheffing played in 110 games last year, but it is McCullough, who appeared in 86 games, who will start the year as the number one backstop. Both are decent and the catcher unit in Chicago is one of the better ones in the National League. Rookie Rube Walker should also enter the mix after tearing up the minors.Infield: For a couple of weeks, the Cubs will have to make do without Peanuts Lowrey. Lowrey moved to third base last year from the outfield, which also describes his replacement. Andy Pafko moves from center field to third for an interesting experiment. When Lowrey returns, one will likely be sent back to the outfield. Veteran Don Johnson has been replaced at second by rookie Hank Schenz. Schenz hit .331 in Nashville at the AA level and has had limited playing time in each of the last two seasons. The time for the change comes as Johnson turned 36. It's a similar story at shortstop as Lennie Merullo heads to the PCL, opening the spot for another rookie Roy Smalley. Smalley is just 21 and slots at the bottom of the lineup but plays solid defense. Eddie Waitkus returns at first base. He doesn't have a lot of power for someone who plays at first, but he hits for a high average and has a little bit of speed, too.Outfield: Pafko's move opens up center field, at least for the time being. Rookie Hal Jeffcoat will make his MLB debut on Opening Day as the new starter after batting .346 in Nashville last year. Once again, Bill Nicholson will start in right field. He's been there for a decade and rightly so as a two-time home run champion during the war. Since then, though, he has lost his power and contact. His 26 homers last season were more than his previous two seasons combined, so maybe he has found a way to recapture his youth. Phil Cavarretta has been here even longer and will start the year in left field but can play any position here or even first base. He's been an All-Star in three of the last four years, with the only exception being his MVP campaign in 1945. At age 31, Cavarretta has spent nearly half his life in a Cubs uniform as he gears up for his 15th season. He is starting to require more rest but otherwise does not show immediate signs of slowing down. Cliff Aberson will also help back him up in left field.Rotation: The Opening Day starter will be Russ Meyer, a young prospect who pitched 45 innings last year mostly out of the bullpen. Johnny Schmitz is the closest thing to an ace on the team with his relatively low ERA, but he led the majors in losses last year with 18. Hank Borowy was a hot commodity just a few years ago but is now coming off his worst season by far. A pair of rookies who have never played in the majors, Bob Rush and Cliff Chambers, round out the rotation. Chambers went 24-9 for Los Angeles in the PCL last year.Bullpen: A pair of starters from last year, Bob Chipman and Doyle Lade, are expected to work mainly out of the bullpen. They are the only two relievers on the roster to start the season who pitched in the majors last year. Emil Kush should be ready to pitch by the end of April, as well. The Cubs have nothing to lose and will keep trying to find pitchers they can trust by giving experience to rookies Jess Dobernic and Dutch McCall.Outlook: Their pennant in '45 is a distant memory now as the Cubs face a grim future. It only took two years for the Cubs to fall to sixth place in the league, and in 1948 they could very well finish last. Rebuilding will take longer than it took for this team to fall this far, so Chicago will likely continue to struggle as they enter the 1950's. If their abundance of rookies come through, the Cubs could fight to finish at .500, but fans will mostly be attending games to see the veterans from that '45 campaign to relive the good times since the product on the field is lacking.

Season Preview: Brooklyn Dodgers

 

Last Season: 94-60, 1st in NLManager: Leo Durocher (9th season in Brooklyn, 9th total)Offseason: Brooklyn was very active in the offseason with Pittsburgh, making several different deals. The one with the biggest impact for 1948 was a three-for-three deal. The Dodgers gave up right fielder Dixie Walker along with pitchers Hal Gregg and Vic Lombardi in exchange for third baseman Billy Cox, middle infielder Gene Mauch, and pitcher Preacher Roe. Cox and Roe should see plenty of playing time while Walker will need to be replaced in the outfield. Then, in March, they traded Eddie Stanky to the Braves to make room at second base. Along with cash, they received Bama Rowell, who they then sold to the Phillies later in the month. Not wanting to mess with success, Brooklyn did not make any major additions to the lineup that won them the pennant last year.Catcher: Bruce Edwards finished fourth in MVP voting last year, but his job is in jeopardy after injuries. He should still see plenty of playing time when healthy, but it is rookie Gil Hodges who will start at catcher on Opening Day. Hodges did appear in 28 games last year but with a crowded catcher's unit may see some playing time at first base during the year. It's crowded because another rookie, Roy Campanella, will also look to get plenty of playing time this season. Campanella played in the Negro National League for nine years and also spent all year in Montreal last season for Brooklyn's AAA team. Bobby Bragan, the starter for two seasons during the war, is also still around on the roster.Infield: Stanky was dealt so Jackie Robinson could move over to his natural position at second base and show off his glove. Brooklyn's big experiment to integrate the majors was a resounding success, as Robinson withstood the negativity directed at him and thrived, winning Rookie of the Year and finishing fifth in MVP voting. He played nearly every day and led the league in steals while hitting just shy of .300, the perfect number two hitter. With last year's leadoff man Stanky gone, Robinson will take his spot at the top of the batting order. Taking over Robinson's old position at first is 20-year-old rookie Preston Ward. If Ward is not up to the task, Hodges may move to first. Spider Jorgensen did pretty well for himself in his rookie year last year, but the Dodgers have made the move for Cox to start. Jorgensen should still see some playing time but the move has to come as a blow. Pee Wee Reese is the anchor of this infield and helped make Robinson feel welcomed to the club last year. Now, they will work together in the middle infield. Reese is an amazing fielder and excels at getting on base. The starting shortstop for the Dodgers for the whole decade minus his time in the Navy, he should remain so for the foreseeable future. Mauch and Eddie Miksis can both play any position and will be available off the bench.Outfield: Arky Vaughan returned from retirement last year and was rewarded with his first World Series appearance. He did not see much playing time but will be out in left field on Opening Day. Carl Furillo returns in center field for the third straight season. With Walker gone, the Dodgers turn to Dick Whitman in right field. Whitman had experience in the outfield for the team in 1946 but only appeared in four games last year. This outfield situation is fluid and the Dodgers have a deep bench to back them up. Pete Reiser was a batting champion and led the league in steals twice in his career, but the injuries have added up and he is not capable of being an everyday starter anymore. Gene Hermanski has seen plenty of playing time the last couple of years and started in left field in all seven World Series games last fall. Rookies Duke Snider, Don Lund, and Marv Rackley will also be in the mix.Rotation: He had just eight wins in his first three years with the Dodgers, starting 26 games in that time, so Ralph Branca's performance last season came as an unexpected but delightful surprise. Branca won 21 games, one for every year he had been alive, as one of the youngest players in the majors. For a franchise with some great pitchers in its history, Branca may very well be the next to join that list. Joe Hatten at age 31 actually has time in the majors than Branca but has won 31 games in the two years he's been with Brooklyn. They were the only two pitchers with more than 20 starts on this club last year. With exactly 20 were Lombardi and Harry Taylor. Taylor won twice as many games as lost last year in his rookie season. Rex Barney joins the rotation and will actually start on Opening Day. One year older than Branca, Barney has not had many chances to start but did so once in last year's World Series (losing game five) and appeared out of the bullpen two more times. The first time the Dodgers need a fifth starter, they will turn to rookie Jack Banta, but expect that to change over the course of the season unless he can stand out. Roe had plenty of experience starting in Pittsburgh, but his ERA has been above 5.00 in each of the last two years. He will start the year in the bullpen for this reason.Bullpen: In a close game, the Dodgers know they can turn to Hugh Casey. Casey has made 91 relief appearances, normally around two innings at a time, in the last two years and given up just 54 earned runs in that span. Clyde King also stood out last year with a lower ERA than anyone on the team other than Branca. Hank Behrman should also get plenty of work but was not quite as successful as his teammates out of the bullpen. The Dodgers continue their youth movement with a plethora of rookies to call upon, as well.Outlook: Even though they won the pennant, the Dodgers are calling upon many rookies to help turn their run into a dynasty. There are so many questions marks this year, though, that the Dodgers may not even be the favorites in the NL. Their success will depend on these young players to live up to their expectations. Leo Durocher returns after being suspended last year but is on a tight leash. His job depends on the team matching its run from last season since he was not around for it.

Season Preview: Boston Braves

Last Season: 86-68, 3rd in NLManager: Billy Southworth (3rd season in Boston, 10th total)Offseason: It was a busy offseason as the Braves made a flurry of moves to improve on their third place finish from last season. In November, Boston dealt Johnny Hopp and Danny Martaugh to Pittsburgh. In return they received Hopp's replacement in center field, Jim Russell; backup catcher Bill Salkeld; and reliever Al Lyons. December's big move was purchasing Jeff Heath from the Browns. Heath becomes the top slugger on the team after crushing 27 homers last year. But the biggest move of all had to wait for March. With Heath on the roster, the Braves could afford to move last year's left fielder, Bama Rowell, along with Ray Sanders and cash for Eddie Stanky. Stanky is one of the best second basemen in the game, but the Dodgers needed to make room for Jackie Robinson to play his natural position. In the end, the Braves will roll out three new starters in the lineup on Opening Day.Catcher: Longtime catcher Phil Masi returns for his tenth season with the organization. He has caught in 373 games over the last three years as one of the most dependable backstops in the game. Salkeld will be the only other catcher needed on the roster so long as he and Masi are healthy.Infield: Connie Ryan has been a solid second baseman for the Braves over the past few years, but there was no way the team could pass up a deal to acquire Stanky. Ryan will now spend most days on the bench as a reserve infielder. Stanky has been nearly automatic at getting on base, hitting a mediocre .260 over the last three seasons but drawing over 100 walks each time. He also has a good glove and his coming off of his first All-Star Game appearance. Sibby Sisti, who primarily played at third base for the team before the war, will start the season as his double play partner at shortstop. Sisti can play anywhere in the infield, though, which may be useful as rookie Al Dark will be gunning for the job this campaign. Dark starts the year in a reserve role but will surely see playing time after hitting .303 at Milwaukee in AAA level ball. Earl Torgeson returns at first base for his sophomore season, after finishing as the second best slugger on the team last year. He was still nowhere as good as Bob Elliott. In Pittsburgh, Elliott never hit more than ten home runs in any of his eight seasons. But the Pirates now regret trading him before 1947 after Elliott had a career year with 22 homers on his way to winning the MVP award. Frank McCormick will get plenty of playing time platooning with Torgeson at first and Bobby Sturgeon can be used as a utility infielder like Sisti when needed.Outfield: With Heath and Russell joining him in the outfield, the only returning starter is Tommy Holmes. Holmes was runner-up in MVP voting in 1945, when he led the league in hits, doubles, homers, and slugging percentage, but has since declined in power. He is still hard to face at the plate, where he has hit .310 and .309 over the last two seasons while hardly missing a game. The right fielder led the league in hits for the second time last year, but otherwise had a disappointing season by his high standards. Mike McCormick has normally played in center field, but Billy Southworth can put him anywhere as the fourth outfielder. Veteran Danny Litwhiler returns, as well, but the Braves may look to move him with nowhere to play him if everyone stays healthy.Rotation: Between Warren Spahn and Johnny Sain, the Braves have the best one-two combo in the majors. The problem is figuring out which one is which. Both pitchers won 21 games last season.  It was Spahn's breakout year, as he led the majors with a 2.33 ERA in the first season he pitched the minimum number of innings needed to so. He also had a majors-best seven shutouts. Sain is 30 but only has two full seasons himself due to the war. He's made the best of them, also winning 20 in 1946. Boston wishes either could pitch every day, but someone else will have to to in at least half of the team's games. Red Barrett led the league with 23 wins in '45 and had an ERA almost identical to Sain last year, but he ended up with a losing record. Bill Voiselle won 21 games for the Giants in 1944 but has not had a winning record since. Southworth would like to avoid using a fifth starter too often, so don't expect to see Johnny Beazley much at the start of the game. He will still get a few chances to start the year and is the fifth starter with a 21-plus win season at some point, doing so back in 1942 for the Cardinals. 27-year-old rookie Vern Bickford may also get a chance to start if one of the men in the rotation doesn't work out.Bullpen: It's a good thing Spahn and Sain finish most of their starts because the Braves do not have a dependable bullpen to support them. Veteran Clyde Shoun is the best bet, but he hasn't had a sub-4.00 ERA since the war. Other than the top four starters and Shoun, the only returning pitcher with at least 30 innings on this team last year is Ed Wright, who had major control issues on the mound. Newly acquired Lyons was even worse. Boston needs someone to step up and so will also turn to some rookies such as Bobby Hogue, who won 16 games last year in the minors.Outlook: Boston's 86 wins last year were the most they've earned in a season since 1916, which was also the last time they finished third in the standings. The Braves were not content with this, though, and have made the trades that may be the key to improving their finishing position. Any game that Spahn and Sain start should be a great chance at a victory, and the Braves will hope their improved offense can get the job done when they need to rest. St. Louis and Brooklyn both seem to be within reach in their race for a pennant.