Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1938-03-08
FLAW !: At SECOND
HAS TRIBE WABBLY
Witt Admits DodbIe.PIay
Weakness Offsets His .
Strength on Slab.
BY GAYLE TALBOT.
Associated Press Sports Writer.

NEW ORLEANS. March s.-The
Cleveland club which Oscar Witt is
grooming under sultry skies for an
other shot at the Yankee stronghold,
is not . bowl Of cherries. It's more
like a barrel Of apples with bad one
in the middle. to get our metaphors
and smiles thoroughly mixed.
From q distance, the Indians, who
finished third in the American League
last year, look very good. indeed. They
have q slick pitching staff. po.en-
TALLY the best In the game, and they
have q lot Of power at the plate. What
they don't have Is big league second
baseman, and that is enough bad
apple to spoil any barrel.
Why should try to fool anybody"
asks the disarming Mr.. Witt, who Is
taking over q sector strewn with the
bones Of departed managers. Il
haven't got q good second baseman
In sight. Unless I ind one among
the rockies who is fast enough to team
up with my shortstop. Lyn Larry. on
double plays, we can't hope to lick
those Yankees"
II He Only Had Gordon.
Vitt5b not q man to make eatrava-
CANT talk about beating the Yankees.
becaxoe he Knows tlaena. He managed
their, Newark farm last seas6hz and
Col Jake HzIpperts he yecalla evas
disappointed because he won the IN
ternational League championship by
only 251a games when the Colonel
had set his heart on q 30-game mar
gin.
Believe me, I have no illusions
about beating that outfit" says Oscar.
In all, they own about 280 players
and. believe 1t or not. Rupert knows
the first and last name and the record
Of every last one Of them. They fixed
me up with that Newark team sort Of
of -hepdedly, when the season was
almost started. Now If they would
only give me Joe Gordon I think we
could win this pennant."
Gordon played second base at
Newark last year and is slated to fill
Tony Lazzeri's shoes for the champions
this season.
Getting back to the Indians, the
brightest prospect Witt has for that ALL
important infield berth appears to be
one Kenneth Keltner, q big 2l-year-
older who hit . lusty $40 while playing
the outfeld and third base for Mil
waukee last year. Keltner has looked
good in camp and Witt has hopes he
can heal that wound at second base.
Infield Hurt Last Year.
II he can't, then Witt will have no
alternative than to put Odell chad
news) Hale back at second. where he
performed only passably last season,
and hope for the best. Hal Trosky,
though no great shakes as fielder.
is a fixture. at first base.
The Cleveland pitchers will tell you,
incidentally, that they would have won
TO-. maybe Is more games last season
with bang-up support from their in
field. What shakes = pitcher more
than anything. they say, Is to miss
sure" double plays that would retire
side.
Witt thinks he has the best pitching
staff in the game. Anyway, he says
he wouldn't trade Bob Teller, Johnny
Allen and Mel Harder for the Yanks'
top trio Of Lefty Gomez, Red Running
and Hal Pearson. Allen, 1t will be re-
called, won Is straight last year before
dropping his final start, tough one
run decision. Witt expects to find .
fourth starting pitcher among Willis
Hudlin, Dennis 0alehouse and John
HUMPHREYS, the latter . youngster who
won 20 and lost Z for New Orleans
last year.
Good Hitting Outfield.
Julius Solters, Earl Averill and
Bruce Campbell, from left to right,
give the Indians an outfeld that
can manufacture lot of runs, but
leaves considerable to be desired In
fielding skill deoffrey Heath, .
younester who blasted .367 batting
average with Milwaukee, is giving
Campbell some competition to worry
about.
Wit regards his most interesting
experiment a. Rollte Hemsley, the
veteran catcher recently obtained by
/ trade from the st. Louis Browns
Oscar feels that he either u letting
himself In for q lot Of grief or Is
getting one Of the best eatchers in
the same.f one who could inspire much
confidence In q kid like Bob Teller.
Hensley y . man who likes to. FORGET
t-training occasionally.
"Rollie has promised me faithfully
he won't break training II give
him this chance" said Wit. Hes
Is convincing . talker sas I ever
listened to. and I believe him. He
can mean . lot TO our club II he
stays with It." - "a