Evening star., 1933-04-03
CLAIM FOR CH|SOX
DISPUTED BY PECK
InfieId Developed Late Last
Season Seen as Solving
Biggest Problem.

Y tors, professional and lay
are calling the Chicag,
White Sox the most improve,
ball club in the American League
Roger Peckinpaugh, manage
of the Cleveland Indians, voice
a dissenting opinion. He believe
his team will show more progres
than the Sox, though he can
point to newly acquired Sim
mons, a Haas or Dykes in sup
port of his contention.
Peck expects to send to the post ,
club that will differ in no more thar
one position from the one that finished
in fourth place last September, but HI
is banking on sharp improvement ii
the work Of several individuals t.
bridge the gap between fourth and &
higher rung of the league ladder.
Our weak spot for five years ane
more has been a notoriously leaky in
field" Peck says. I'VE have had
world Of batting power, fair catching
pitching that has varied from fair tc
excellent, and an outfield that hasn't
o superior in either league.
1--WE plugged up the infleld last yeal
through Johnny Burnetts discovery al
q shortstop and Bill Cissells sensa-
tional play at second base, but the sea-
son was more than half over before
that combination was perfected.
stNIow we're going to start thi.
IN year with an infield that WI
know Is good, and that's going tt
make us Just as tough all year as W.
were in the last half of last season
which will be tough enough to put u,
up near the top.
after being tried everywhere ir
the inf1eld, Burnett settled at short
last Summer and became the best per-
former at that position that Cleveland
has had since Joe Sewell's good days
He should be still better this year fol
the experience and confidence he has
gained
"Cissell was overlooked by the fel-
lows who pick all-star teams. To my
mind he was easily the outstanding
o,,t-hit both Gehringer and Lazzeri by
a wide margin, and his defensive work
was the kind you dream about. Cissell
was the spark plug of our ball club
and his influence will be felt more
strongly this year because well have
him on the job for the full season. He
didn't break into the lineup until late
June a year ago.
ssT7HEN I'm looking for vast i'm
i provement from Eddie Morgan
In 1890 and 1881 he hit $50. Last
season he fell off to about 200. He's
a better hitter than that, and he's
bound to come back. Morgan reported
this Spring in the best condition he
has ever shown me.
Probably one reason for Eddie s
seriousness this year is the fact that he
knows he has Q fight on his hands.
Harley Boss was the best first baseMan
in the minor leagues last season. De-
1ensively he's as good as they come.
OF course, he hasn't proved that he
can hit big league pitching, but I'm
not greatly worried on that score. A
fellow who can hit the way he did In
a class A league IS good enough tc
make Morgan hustle, II not to take
his job away.
"At third base Willie Kamm still Is
the old reliable, and II he should show
signs Of slipping, which isn't likely. we
have Odell Hale, the rookie from To-
ledo. Every scout who saw him last
year agrees he's ready to step in ano
play big league ball.
"Bill Knickerbocker, who set record
by hitting 50 doubles In the American
Association, will give Burnett battle
at short.
my infield worries are over. Fol
regulars and reserves we're better nxeo
than Cleveland has been for many and
many a year"
DECK also feels that the Indians
L catching department has been ma
terially strengthened by the trade
that brought Roy Spencer to Cleve'
land and sent Luke Sewel to Wash
ington. Spencer, he feels, will Prov
a better handler of the several young
pitchers on the Tribes staff.
Wes Ferrells signature to CONTRACT
a virtual guarantee Of &c 81 mor< VIC
tories. Hudlin, BESwn and Harder arr
other veterana who can be expected
to win between Is and 20 games, ant
Oral Hildebrand, last years sensational
rookie, may prove to be as good as an!
of them.
I'm looking for great things from
Hildebrand," Peck says "By his worl
against the strongest clubs in tn
league he showed he has everything u
make a great pitcher. His experienc
now should make him a big winner"
Peckinpaugh admits he would like |
good southpaw, but feels his five stron
right-handers, with the help they'll &c
from the veteran Sarge Connally an
the youngsters, Winegarner and Bean
will make the Indians pitching stat
one of the most respected IN the league
S'TyM looking for good reserve out
i fielder" Peck says, but Averil
vosmik and Porter make up reg
ular outfleld that doesn't have to boy
to any of them. For combined offensiv
and defensive ability consider ther
the best in the game.
mo, I'm not predicting pennant
But do expect the Indians to be some
where in the fight. I believe the Yam
! KEGS and Athletics will be somewha
weaker than they were a year ago, an
I doubt very much that washington
helpled itself by all the trading it die
I don't believe any team can make 1t
runaway, and if dark horse Is t
step in it's as likely to be the Indian
as any other club"
(Copyright, 1893. by North American New
paper Alliance, Inc)