The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-03-14
by r. r. Rocene.)

season of 1916 the Cleveland Indians
most of that period led the league
Then Morton and Coumbe, reliable
hurlers, were forced to the bench by
sore pitching wings, while Ed klepfer
who was going like a house attire. was
forced out for the remainder of the
eason by injuries sustained in pitching
an 49, inning game. About this time
Ray Chapman hurt his leg, and was
forced out, thus leaving a vacant space
between second and third, which one
of the utility infielders was able to
fill with Chapman's dash and pre-
cision
This year Lee Foil has high hopes,
but little material. a couple of weeks
ago President Dunn of the Indians
paid $4,000 for the release of Joe
Wood. crack right handed pitcher of
the Boston Red SoX, but this does not
mean that Cleveland will get $4,000
worth of pitching out of Wood Even
President Dunn admits that he is
merely making a gamble. Wood has
been out of the game for a year and is
said to be afflicted with a sore wing.
OF course Fohl has three good out
fieders, but his infield will never win
a pennant, and his catchers are. with
one exception. below the major league
standard. Clevelands hopes for the
1917 flag depend on the pitching ability
shown by Joe Wood. Stanley Covel-
eskie. Morton. Gould and Bagby. and
the smuggling of Speaker. Graney, Roth
and Guisto.
Foil Has High Hopes.
Lee Foil. veteran minor league
catcher and manager, will enter upon
his third season as manager of the
Cleveland team with high hopes of
finishing among the first three,
whereas last year the best the In
dams could do was sixth. F'ohl caught
later caught tor the Columbus
American Association club when the
team landed three successive pennants.
From 1908 until 1915 Folh managed
clubs at Lima in the Ohio state
league, Akron in the Central league
and Waterbury In the Eastern as
ISOLATION, winning pennants six times
in seven starts. In the spring of 1916
he acted as coach for the Cleveland
MtShers, and in mid summer re-
placed Joe Birmingham as manager
of the Indians, being reappointed al
the beginning of the 1916 season. Mr.
Foil is noted as an excellent coach OF
young pitchers and has already done
good work in developing the Cleve-
land pitching recruits.
Catching Staff Below Par.
The Cleveland catching staff, with
the exception of Steve O'Neill is OF
rather nondescript value. Tom DAILY
has been in the majors for three years
coming from the New England league
to the White SoX, and becoming {
member of the Indians in the trade
which brought Joe jackson to Chi
cago. DAILY has not played in over 2;
games in any of the three years tina
he has been up" as he has failed t
SIN" any batting dDllltS. josh bllllnSs
is catcher originally from the Cen
trail league, who has received sprin.
tryouts with the Indians for tire,
years. and has been returned to the
| minors each time. De Berry is D.:
younster from New Orleans, who look.
good and may win the third string
berth. steve O'Neill has been the frs
string catcher of the Indians for three
years, and is good for many more as
he has played bali only seven years
Steve is no wonder with the bat, bu
| is wonder behind the plate.
A Lame Arm Staff.
The pitching staff is of IA doubtful
quantity, due to the number of lame
arms possessed by the Indian hurlers
Joe Wood stayed out of the game il
1915 on account of salary differences
with the Boston management, but haC
| sore arm when he quit in 1915, ant
it is doubtful if he will show the form
that once made him one of the mos,
feared pitchers in the league. In 1915
Wood won IA games and lost five
| leading the pitchers in the league in
point OF effectiveness. with an average
OF one and one half earned runs pel
game. Much is expected of Stanley
toreleskie, the big right handler, who
won l6 and lost IS games last wear
Stanley pitched for Portland in the
iacilir Coast league in 1915 and fol