The Waterbury Democrat., 1936-09-16
VETERAN PILOT
 SEES KID WITH
 HURLING STARS
StrikeOut PhenOgl Stirs Up Pitchers Complain
 ing of Lively Ball
By HARRY CRIMSON

plCcner who was faster than 17- year-old Bob Teller, amazing find of the Indians.
 Teller isn't quite as swift as Walter Johnson" asserts the vener- able manager, in discussing the Iowa farm boys phenomenal feat Of establishing Q new American League record and equaling Dizzy Deans major league mark by strik- ing out IT Athletics in Cleveland the other afternoon.
 Mack wouldn't say that such re- nowned flreball fingers as Rube Waddell, Cy Young, Addie Joss, Chief Bender, Smoky Joe Wood, Bob Grove, George Earnshaw, and Lefty Grove were any faster than Teller.
 Although he has worked only three complete games in the Amer ican League, Robert Teller forever will be prominently mentioned when remarkable strikeout perform ances are discussed.
 In his initial effort in organized baseball on Aug. g, Teller set down IS Browns to fall just one short of the American League maximum hung up by the immortal Waddell, July 29, 1908. He famed 10 Browns on Labor Day, giving him the as- founding total of 42 strikeouts In his first three full contests.
 Mack does not subscribe to the belief that Teller is too much of an arm pitcher to last.
 "At that, Teller reminds me more of Pink Hawley, who was with the Pittsburgh club in the sos, than any other pitcher I can recall" explains Mack. "Hawley had tremendous speed, but didn't last long. He pitched a good deal with his arm.
 Curve Surprises Mack
 "Feller gets considerably more than his arm into his pitches. He Is strong boy with a strong yet easy windup and delivery. He was as strong striking out Pooch Puc- cinelli, powerful right-handed hit- ter, for his history making strike out in the ninth inning as he was when he started.
 Tt was my first look at Teller, and what surprised me more than anything else was his curve-and the way he used 1t. It required a lot of nerve for him to throw 8 curved ball to Frank Higgins in the third inning, with the count two and three on that splendid right-handed hitter, and Lowell Dean on second base, after the young mans wildneSs and inability to hold runners on bases, had given us two runs.
 "Feller met the test superbly, and struck out Higgins with as fine a hook as you ever saw.
 "Feller is just wild enough to be effective, and I have an idea he al- ways will be. He'll learn how to hold runners on the bases. His de- livery is a bit too slow right now"
 Barring an accident, Mack can't see any reason why Teller can't go on to take his place with the pitch ing greats.
 Certainly, 1t is not a mistake to start @ 17-year-old pitcher who strikes out 10, IS, and IT a game" smiles the daddy of baseball strat- egists. "The only danger is over work, and no manager, let alone one who knows as much about pitching as Steve O'Neill, would risk injuring such a brilliant prospect.
 "Waite Hoyt broke in at 18, and National League batters will tell you that he still has plenty at 37. Al Mamaux crashed the National League at a tender age, and stuck around for quite a spell. Walter Johnson and others bore down as kids, with no i'll effects"
 Singularly enough, 1t was against the Athletics that Waddell hung up the American League record of 16 strikeouts, which stood for 2S years. The famous left-hander was with the Browns after having spent the previous six seasons with Philadel- phia.
 "Waddell's performance at Shibc Park made me wonder why ne hadn't set a record that Teller and all the others still would be shoot- ing at," relates Mack. "The Rube developed arm trouble in his last season with the Athletics. He was at his peak while with us.
 ''Waddell established his record against an experienced club-Harry Davis, Danny Murphy, and that bunch.
 However, there is sufficient hit- ting strength in the Athletics of this season to make Feller's achievement noteworthy one. He faced no pushovers in Finney, Puccinelli, Moses, Dean, Johnson, and Higgins. Swjngers have no chance against him. Our left-handed hitters fared slightly better, if there is room for improvement in @ two-hit game. They met the ball.
 unless I'm mistaken, Teller is one of those great pitchers who come along altogether too many years apart.
 Perhaps he'll stir up some of those pitchers who everlastingly complain about the lively ball. He certainly is showing them how to deaden it."