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Cubs Hunt Pitching to Boost Club Ready to Deal Both Players and Money Home-Run Leaders Need Relief Hurlers to Climb Out Of 7th Spot; Hack Gives Hint By ED SAINSBURY United Press Sports Writer Stan Hacks Chicago Cubs are ready to deal both players and cash for pitching to help to boost the major league home-run leaders out of seventh place in the National League race. "Our pitching speaks for itself," Hack said. "What we heed is relief pitching. Were trying to make some deals. Why, yesterday Wid Mathews talked to three clubs and we really offered one of them something for a trade. But they turned us down. "Im not going to mention any names, but we made a darn good offer. But everybody seems to be afraid to deal with us. Maybe they think if we get some pitching, well be too dangerous. "Weve contacted everybody in the league and cant do anything. And what you can get on waivers, I cant see them. Weve got better kids in the minors than some of those and were thinking of bringing some of them up." 66 Homers in 46 Games Pitching has been the major problem for the Cubs all season, with the result that the slugging which has produced 66 home runs in 46 games has meant only 20 wins. Should the Cubs continue at their present home-run pace, they could tie or perhaps eclipse the major league record of 221 four baggers hung up by the New York Giants in 1947. And the Cubs in overall hitting have been running one-two in team batting for most of the season with an average hovering around .288. "We havent been hurt on defense," Hack said. "Oh, at times weve had to give a little in the outfield to get hitting, but, actually, I wouldnt say that its hurt us at all. "Weve had some real good relief jobs, but not too many of them. And that job Hal Jeff coat did for us yesterday was the first real relief job weve had in some time. "We arent too deep in starting pitchers either. We could use some more, of course, but if. we could get some good relief men, it would help a lot." Despite the booming bats, the Cubs have steadily fallen behind the pace-setting Brooklyn Dodgers in the past two weeks and currently trailed the leaders by eight and one-half games after losing four straight games to the Bums. The Cubs hit throughout the series and lost by one run, five runs, three runs and two runs, even though collecting five four baggers, two of them by Hank Sauer to make his total for the year 18.
