Evening star., 1928-02-17
CHANGE MAY MAKE
! CLUB FLAG FACTOR
Tribe Has Likely Pitchers,
but Needs More Speed
in the lnfieId.
BY JOHN b. FOSTER.

NEW YORK. February 1..-At time
when ii is least expected, and perhaps
while the big league teams are in the
training camps the Cleveland club will
make deal that will amaze the base
ball world It will stir up such a big
splash that waveletS will roll toward
the shore for about a year.
When this deal is completed Cleve-
land will be on the high road to a VIM
ming team. Just where the deal will be
aimed. whether among pitchers, in
aelders or outaelders, is the factor that
provides the mystery in the case.
After Cleveland won the champion
ship in 1920 the team backed down the
hill because the policy Of obtaining
players was too r!gioly confined TO de-
Helop.rg a team from, youngsters. That
sort Of thing isn't done except once or
twice N every quarter Of a century
O. 50.
Pennants may come into port when a
team gets a good nucleus of youngsters.
and then buys or trades for two or
three old birds who have not lost their
cunning and who can bat. John J. Nc
Graw Cid that year after year. and
while the esteemed critics, especially of
Chicago. jeered his players as only ord!-
nary. McG-aw and his Giants won the
pennantS.
Mound Prospects Good.
The Cleveland club this year. under
General Manager Billy Evans and Field
Manager Roger Peckinpaugh. has de-
ie-Tnined to make strong bid for the
American League pennant. While the
big deal is in the off1ng. the Cleveland
management has sent word to young
army Of pitchers TO get ready for the
Ty,S
not always throw winning base ball In
1927 and some Of them did not throw
good base ball
Young Hudlin is reported to be seek
ing big salary boost. He isn't worth
st. He comes from Oklahoma. and
maybe the Oklahoma boys are getting
"sot up" because Of the success of the
waner brothers at Pittsburgh. But the
Taners. oddly enough. do not ask for
more than they are worth.
Levsen should be Cleveland star and
Is a mile away from it. He Is from
Iowa. Buckeye is never going to be
great pitcher until he gets command OF
the ball He comes from Detroit.
Shaute. Pennsylvania product. Is too
free and easy TO be the big pitcher he
should be.
Cleveland has an assortment of kid
pitchers. Bolton was with Terre Haute
last year. Bayne. who was with Toron-
10. promises well. Collard was with
New Orleans. where the pitching was
tolerable in 1927. Ferrell is free agent
from North Carolina. Some OF these
original free agents have become rafting
good pitchers as they grew older and
had 70 pay their own bills.
Has Infield Problems.
Harder is from Omaha. McKain
comes from Waterloo Of the Mississippi
Valley League. the sanest league in base
ball. Undernin is from Tyler, Tex. 1t
looks as though Cleveland viii have
cutie q number of pitchers on the op-
tional list in 1928.
Cleveland also has an infield prob
lem Il is a slow inheld as ii stands
on its records and merits, although
COMPOSED Of number OF merry gentle
men. George Burns IS never going TO
be anv faster at first base. Spurgeon
seemed 70 be On the ascendant In 1926.
bu. he slipped in 1927. Fonseca is q
most Hkahle Portuguese gentleman who
can hit like q pie driver and run the
same way.
Lutzke is gone He had q striking
resemblance at one time 10 the greatest
third baseman OF all, but he got SUM-
burned ard lost his complexion. Joe
Seve.I tumbies around like an apple
dumping. Jessee and Lind are recruit
shortstops. It is q hitting bunch. but
deliberate on its feet.
tCoDyright. 1925.