Evening star., 1939-04-20
Tribe
Hit by Lack Of
Team Spirit
Feuds, Ailments Cut
Effectiveness of
Overruted Club
BY GAYLE TALBOT,
Associated Press Sports Writer,

NEW YORK. April 20-It already
is evident as two black eyes that
our old friend, Oscar Witt Of the
mercurial Cleveland Indians, is the
manager on the spot this year, the
one most likely to end up on an ex-
elusive aspirin diet in September.
The Tribe pilot, on the second lap
Of two-year contract, finds himself
totally surrounded by temperament,
questionable pitching arms, light
weight inflelders and front ofiice
that appears to cooperate with him
heartily only on alternate Tuesdays.
What makes the situation doubly
delicate for old "Os" is the fact that
his team consistently is touted too
high. Judgment of the Indians as
a whole seems to be blinded at the
sight of the several great stars In
their lineup. The clubs obvious de-
f1ciencies too often are minimized.
Mound Staff Ailing.
If Oscar gets all the breaks he
deserves, he might by some miracle
land the Indians in third place in
the American League. But he has
team that might easily drop clear
out Of the first division. It is the
problem team of baseball.
The Indians are starting off Gf It
ever stops raining) with only one of
their big Three" ready for mound
duty. That is the downy-cheeked
Bob Feller. Mel Harder is out
temporarily, at least. with a sore
spot In his upper arm. and Johnny
Allen won't be ready before the first
of May, if then. The remainder of
Wits staff has looked decidedly
second-string.
Only Hal Trosky at first and Ken
Keltner at third remain of last years
inf1eld. Skeeter Webb, a slick little
fielder Of doubtful batting punch,
has supplanted gloomy Lyn Larry at
shortstop, and Jim Shilling, a rookie
of only passable talent, is at second.
It's a makeshift combination, at
best
Catchers Are Uncertain.
Earl Averill, whom the Indians
tried to trade for everything except
a side of beef during the winter, is
back in the outfield alongside
volatile Ben Chapman from the Red
Sox and jeff Heath, last years
sensational young slugger. There's
no doubt this trio can fiatten the
ball, but the handling Of Averill and
Chapman Is not the happiest Of
Wits prospects.
Then, Of course, there is the
catching department, comprising
those two bedazzled young men,
Rollicking Rollie Hemsley and
Frankie Pytlak. Rollie continues to
tumble from the wagon with a re-
sounding thump ever so often, and
Frankie was sore as boil down
South this spring because he
couldn't catch all the exhibition
games. That gives you an idea Of
the, Witt menagerie.
The club appears to lack some of
the spirit it had a year ago. I
was not the only correspondent who
thought he detected big change
IN spring camp this year.
Averill Apt to Go.
One close observer said the In
dians hadn't been the same since
the Yankees knocked them winding
in that crucial" series in Cleveland
last season.
Chances are that Witt and ICY"
Slapnicka, the clubs vice president,
will have an understanding sooner
or later about Hemsley. They can't
go on forever, with Witt shipping
the gay backstop home in dis
grace" every few, weeks and Slap
nicka sending him right back with
an admonition to be a good boy.
Avefill, in all probability will 60
to Detroit before the June IS trad
ing deadline, in exchange for a
pitcher and Inf1elder Billy Roeell.