The Waterbury Democrat., 1939-05-16
LUKE SEWELL
 HAPPY INDIAN,
 IN FOLD AGAIN
Veteran Catcher Prefers American League Type
 Play
By CHARLES P. MCMAHON

DJ OAhtA1NAE0 H. N1CNAAuOAN Omitted Press Staff Correspondent
 Cleveland, O. May 16-(UP0-A wide-mouthed grin, happy "H'ya, Indian," and James Luther Sewell- his step little slower and the lines deeper in his tanned face-has com- pleted the circuit and is back once more ill Cleveland from where he had started catching IS years ago.
 Six years have passed, and Luke has been on three ball clubs since he last has worn a Cleveland uni- form. Released recently by the Brooklyn Dodgers, the veteran back stop is glad to be back in the Amer can League.
 ''They don't play the same he'll to-win kind of ball in the National League" said Luke. well, maybe the Giants are businesslike, but most of the rest are just going along for the ride. I'm glad to be back here where you can fight for 'em."
 Up From Campus in 1921
 Sewell was just a kid" back in 1921 when he left the University of Alabama's campus and stepped into Indian uniform at League Park. He was the catching mainstay of the Indians until 1883.
 The Tribe traded him to Wash ington for Roy Spencer in deal that ultimately back-fired. Sewell had one of his most brilliant years in his long. steady career. Wash ington won a pennant the first year he was there.
 He went to Chicago by way of StLouis in 1885 in a double-play deal. The Senators traded him to the Browns for pitcher Bumps Hadley and the Browns promptly sold him to the White Sox. Last winter he reached Brooklyn in the National League via the waiver route.
 Manager Oscar Witt said that Luke was not hired merely as an emer- gency substitute for Frankie Pytlak and Rollie Hemsley, the Tribes regular backstops.
 We needed another catcher" explained Witt, "and when I saw Brookly had released Sewell, we went after him. Hemsley hasn't completely recovered from the re- moval of his appendix last winter. So what would happen if Pytlak got injured today? But I'm figur- ing on him mainly to help the young pitchers and give us the benefit of his great knowledge of all Ameican League hitters."
 Sewell thinks the Giants are the best bet for the National pennant because they have Zeke Bonura, a sorely-needed power hitter He hopes, however, that Zeke doesn't miss too many of Bill Terry's sig nals.
 Tells on Bonura
 "When we were playing with the White Sox," Sewell said. "Zeke could never tell the difference between our play-for- blunt sign and our pitch-out signal for a snap throw to first base, and I nearly tore his glove of one day when he came barging in for bunt when I'd given him the pick-off sign. After that all he could remember was the one for the snap throw.
 Next year Zeke was with Wash ington and in his first game with the White Sox he gets to first base. More to have fun with Zeke, give the old pitch-out sign and snap a throw to Joe Kuhel, and Zeke was caught by four miles.
 "Zeke came past home plate and said to me. Pretty foxy, Lukey, givin' that old sign for the first baseman to play for a bunt and crossin' me up like that"
 Since Sewell has rejoined the Indians, rumors have been making the rounds that the skids have been greased for Witt. Witt denies these angrily and Sewell just smiles amiably.