The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-04-04
CATCHING FEUD
 MAY SPEED UP
 INDIANS DRIVE
Pytlak Opposes Hemsley For No. 1 Place Be-
 hind Bat
BY CHARLES P. MCMAHON

D1 ChhnAEO r. MCMhhON United Press Staff Correspondent)
 Cleveland, O., April AWP)-The feud that has smouldered from last year in the Cleveland Indian s catching department finally has flared into the open by the ignition of Frankie Pytlak's wrath at not being considered the Tribes first string backstop over "Rollicking Rollie" Hemsley.
 Quick tempered, the mighty mite emptied his locker, packed his equipment and darkly marched off the New Orleans training grounds recently, announcing that he was through with the team be- cause he was going to be first string catcher or nothing"
 Thus. Rollie Hemsley, for the first time in his baseball career, unconSoicusly was thrust into the role of the poor but honest and dependable workman. It was a novel situation for rollicking Rollie and he donned his new mask zestfully, meanwhile exclaiming with simple candor, "Pytlak never showed any resentment toward me. I'll just catch as many games as I'm told to catch"
 Johnny Allen, Pytlak's roommate, quickly rushed to the unpredictable catcher, however, and drawled, "Now, now, Frankie, don't get upset so easily"
 Landis Used as Threat
 His soothing words, together with plain-spoken words from Ava Brad- ley, president, quickly settled the ruffled Indians war bonnet. Wheth- CT Bradley promised the catcher anything or just said, Come now, Frankie, you don't want me to tell the judge on you, do you?" is not known. But the potential threat of adjudication by Commissioner K. M. Landis probably had more effect than all the honeyed words and brought Pytlak in line.
 It is no secret that the short lived Pytlak mutiny was just the preliminary to a showdown fight with Hemsley for the mainstay position behind the bat.
 Pytlak is the direct antithesis of Hemsley and has resented deeply the rollicking one since he joined the Tribe. To add to this resent ment, Hemsley became known as Bob Feller's personal catcher last summer. .-..
 Always a hard worker and a good team man, Pytlak was happy when on Oct. 2 he tied the league record for most chances accepted in a game with IS. He also equaled the major league mark of most put-outs with 18 and did so by catching Teller as he set his major league record of IS strikeouts against the Detroit Tigers.
 But that's past history now and Frankie has found he must hustle to keep a war whoop ahead of Hemsley, another fine receiver, al- though not quite as proficient me- chanically. Pytlak, it seems, has honed his hustling spirit to fine edge, according to manager Oscar Witt.
 Witt Explains Situation
 "He said he wanted to catch every inning of every exhibition game" Witt explained. T couldn't do anything with him. Let's have it understood that the situation IS much the same as it was before. We have two first-string catchers and I'll use them where see fit"
 Bradley denied that Pytlak wanted to have clause inserted in his con- tract guaranteeing that he would play a certain number of games and said, "he just wanted to talk it over with me-"
 Hemsley and Pytlak have divided catching duties evenly since the Indians played their first exhibition game, although Pytlak was hold out, not having signed a contract formally. This fact apparently es- capped Landis' notice, since there is a league agreement barring hold- outs from working out with the team.
 Hemsley's broken finger last season enabled Pytlak to appear in almost twice as many games and make better record, but this sea- son with Rollie in prime condition the masks should fly.