The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-03-15
Talking
IT OVER
BY JOE WILLIAMS

NOOR peIeSII AdI4A4s NOAASStSO44~-
II ent today enjoyed a startling
sensation born of an amazing dis
covery. He wandered into this camp
of the Phillies expecting TO find the
same old somnolence, the ancient
PhiIly complacency, the resignation
and feeling Of defeat which 4or years
had been the accepted pattern for
spring existence among the Baker
chattels.
But the coincidence and the compla-
emmy were gone. and IN thetT places your
wandering tToubadour found evidences Of
ne and hopefully as demonstrative and
virile as those which had bourgeoneo IN
the camps Of the more arstocratic Yankees
and Athletics. They were physical ana
mental outoropp!ngs which indicated a
strong insistence among the Phii!es that
they we're going somewhere"
4 n
Your baseball tourist felt very much as
did Rip Van Wrinkle when he returned
from the mountains after twenty years Of
reported sleep md. What may have been
more accurate. corr!yielity with the boys
around the bowling a!ley.
The hang-doE lads around the Philly
baseball tavern were gone. Squire Doc
little was missing from the out6eld. Burt
Shotton proved a most lively host, talking
A strange argot for Philly manager. He
kept mentioning the FIRST division in terms
Of perfect familiarity. He predicted
startling uprising BY his men-an even
bigger punch than they boosted n 1929,
backed by improved pitching and even
more elegant fielding.
II
"NEY men know now that they
Nl have power, and that they
are as good as anybody else in the
league" vociferated Shotton. you
know that psychology is a tremend-
GUS force in baseball. No team is
any stronger than it thinks it is. No
player is any better than he gives
himself credit for being. Well, we
know that we're pretty good, and
that's going to mean a lot right
from the start. Give us better
pitching and we will-well, give us
better pitching and come around
and see me in September.
n II
Last year some Of US may have had
true. and that our dream would bust right
in our faces any day. Shotton resumed.
But we came home fifth. and shouId have
been higher Last spring 1 put the soft
pedal conversation here in camp. Il
didn't know just where we were going, /
knew we were headed for better days,
but went around with my fingers crossed.
70 20 the limit. This club o. ours is the
strongest offensive outfit in our league II
has lot OF defensive class, too. Who has
better second baseman than Thompson,
VINO better third sacker than Whitney?
Rate them down the line, and then COM
pare with tho best In the circuit.
nF course, pitching is very i'm
~ portant. We found that out
last year. But I have a bunch that
Alexander will mean a lot to us,
that Willoughby and Benge will win
more games, that some of our new
men will benefit from the psychol-
ogy around here. In the past, I will
admit that coming to the Phillies
was no strawberry festival for a
young hurler.
But who cen give a pitcher better
support with runs than he can get right
here? The last prop has been kicked
from under the hurler's alibi. If pitcher
can't 90 fer US. he couldn't go for any
other outfit in orr circuit In other
words. this club of mine is the dark horse
Of baseball. and if you're gambler with
a liking for long shots go the limit There
is no telling what the Phinies of 1880 will
achieve"
Spying Aleck. looking as young. almost |
as he dId back in the years when he was |
winning Tor the Phillies. your wandering |
not dreaming.
A I this writing Chuck Klein of !
L n Indianapolis, the forty-three
homo run hero Of 1929 had not yet |
made his peace with Will Baker.
and Shotton made some remarks
about Hurst in the outfeld But |
that's strictly applesauce. Klein
will sign, as they always do and 1 |
hope he gets something more than !
the $4,000 he is reported to have |
been offered.
There's something startlingIy |
diSprOportiOnate between the So
year-old Ruth at $4,000 and this
surprisingly newcomer at even
$4,000. The KIeins of baseball
should set high encouragement,
even from clubs like the PhiIlies.
Baseball needs the Kleins badly.
The Philiv outfleld Is likely to face /
The Dodgers on April Is with Trip |