The Washington times., 1928-04-27
OVER HEADS
AS B||VBQ
SEES EN-
BY Babe Ruth

NEW YORK, April IL
The biggest surprise Of the
season thus far, so far as the
fans are concerned, / guess,
is the Cleveland Indians.
Here's a club, doped by most
Of the fans to finish near the
cellar, stepping out and play
ing 800 ball during the first
two weeks Of the season.
or course you can't figure 700
much on that early showing. LOT
of weak clubs get away with some
corking pitching or q lot OF hlttlng
il the early games-and then slip
back when the teams hit their
stride along In the summer.
Maybe that will happen to Cleve-
land. a lot Of wise ones seem 70
think It win.
BUT there's one thing you've
rot "a hand the Indians.
They've got great pitching and
and rs long as any club gets
good pitching its going to be
dangerous. On paper the Phila-
deIphia pitchers look like the best
IN the league-but out there on
the ball field those fellows in
Cleveland show about as well
~ any.
Back In 1895, you may remember,
the Cleveland team battled the
Yankees right down the stretch
ana came near nosing us out at
A. a. e.. oh
to repeat itself. Personally still
think the Indians are playing a bit
over their sheads--but mark this
down. So long as Uhle, Shaute,
Isevsen, Miller and Haudlin con-
tinue to pitch good ball that club
will be plenty tough. Particular
when they've got q few hitters like
Joey EeweIl, George Burns and
Charley Jameson in there to drive
runners over the plate.
Personally the team has surprised
me most Is Washington. I knew
Buclxy had q good team, and all
along I've picked the Senators to
finish in the first division. But
they started the season with a flock
OF injuries. Harris and Ruel were
entirely out and so was pitcher
Hadley.
GOsIin had q sore arm; Sam
Rice had q bad hand and was
In no condition to play. They
had kids at second and third
and short and kids in the out
held. IL even got so bad one
time that George SisleF was sent
into right field.
When q team can patch itself to-
gether like that and still continue to
win ball games they've got something
and you've got to hand it to them.
ny hats off to Bucky Harris. He
f1Iet naturally went out there, forgot
sH shout his bad breaks, and kept his
gang on its toes from the start. And
setting the old pepper is the first big
thing in playing winning baseoaIl.
The big disappointment, OF course,
has been the Athletics. Connie can't
seem to get his gang going. Cold
weather has hurt a lot. And his
pitchers aren't in shape and can't
seem to get started. That will ruin
any club, particularly in the spring.
And there's nothing more discourag-
ing to ball club than to go out and
build up good lead and then see it
tossed away because pitchers can't
get the ball over the plate, or can't
stop the opponents.
Losing a 2-to-1 ball game is tough
enough-but a fellow doesn't mind
that so much. He knows that sort of
thing is sure to happen, But when
You get lead Of five or six runs and
then have to stand by and see the
r other fellow come from behind and
win 1t takes the pep out of you. Los
ing q few ball games of that sort
hurts the morale of club more than
all the close low-score defeats on the
calendar.
copyright 1923, by the Christy
Walsh Syndicate)
BERWYN CASTING