Evening star., 1941-01-21
Tho
SpoR7LIeH7 s;
Novikoff to Rival Dean
As CoIorfuI Chicub
By GRANTLAND RICE,
epeeisl Correspondent OF The Star.

BY GRANTLAND RICE,
Special Correspondent Of The Star
LOS ANGELES, Jan. 81 NA.
NA0.-What is color in sport?
Ihave been asked this many times.
NY answer is that color" Is that
undefinable quality In an athlete
that the crowd likes. Something
only the crowd or the mob senses
frst and understands.
Babe Ruth-Jack Dempsey-Bobby
Jones-Bill Tilden-Walter Hagen
Man O. War-Seabiscuit-Dizzy Dean
Babe Didrikson - the Brooklyn
Dodgers-all these had or have color.
Along this line the Chicago Cubs
may win no pennant this next sea-
son. but they will be splashed with
color. It will come in daubs. For
they still have my old golf, fishing
and bridge partner; one Dizzy Dean.
Here is a pitcher with one OF the
greatest arms of baseball-an arm
that still is just about hanging on.
But Jimmy Wilson, the new Cub
manager, knows Deans value, not
only to the Cubs but also to baseball.
Not 50 much in games won and lost,
but to something beyond that.
In addition to Dizzy Dean the
Cubs have another ballplayer who
may even keep Dizzy working over
time. They have ballplayer who
can hit home runs, do a "shag" or a
truck" and then leap to the radio
between double headers.
I refer to Lou Novikoff, champion
batter of the Pacific Coast League
last season, who holds the enviable
distinction of topping the hitters of
every loop in which he has played.
Debut of Novikoff Touted
As Rore Bietime Treot
The Far West has shipped some
pretty fair baseball players to the
bigtime, among them such re-
nowned sluggers as Joe Di Maggie,
Ted williams. the Waner boys, Arky
Vaughan and that colorful San
Francisco celebrity, Frank Lefty
ODoul. But out this way they are
claiming the 1941 major league debut
Of Lou Novikoff will be the sprout-
Ing of as much color as any single
major Lacquer has exuded in many
. day.
Having seen this 25-year-old slug
ger, son of parents born in Russia,
in action out here during spring
games last year, have an idea that
Manager Jimmy Wilson will put
him to work Immediately as a start
Ing member of the Cubs outfield.
Every baseball authority I've talked
TO in the West voices the same pre-
diction-that Novikoff will hit any
kind Of pitching and some day will
be one of the greatest hitters OF
major league history.
Last season, for instance, he
played 173 games with the Los An
geles club, batted 1853, clouted Al
home runs, led the league in safe
hits and runs batted in, made only
seven errors from his position in
left field and won a flock of games
with his timely blows.
In 1889 he played ITO games with
Tulsa in the Texas League and
batted 1868. Novikoff then finished
the season with the Angels and
batted .452 In SO games, batting in
better than one run game.
Declares Lou Among Greet
NotuyoI Swotsmifhs
Arnold STATE, Los Angeles man
ager, was talking to me about Novi-
koh the other day as We finished
round OF golf at the San Gabriel
Country Club, where the Angel
chief Is one Of the low handicap
stars.
'Novikof is one Of the great nat
ural hitters Of all time" said the
43-year-old Statz, who still plays
regularly in center field after %
years as a campaigner with the
Giants, Cubs, Dodgers and Angels.
TT Is foolish to attempt to tell him
how to hit. He just goes up there
to the plate and starts swinging He
may look bad at times because of
his mad desire to hit that ball, but
II he misses one pitch he'll get the
next. And with his terrific power
he can knock bad pitch clear out
Of the lot"
I can subscribe to this. Last sea-
son In a spring game Novikoff
reached clear across the plate with
. half swing to knock the ball over
the fence for a home run.
Dutch Ruether, former big league
pitching ace who now scouts for
the Cubs, predicts that Novikoff will
be the sensation of the majors as
soon as he hits the bigtime
Nobody is going to stop Novikoff
consistently" he says. He had one
bad spell in the minor leagues when
his manager foolishly told him to
wait for certain pitches. I got to
this man and told him to let Novi-
kod do his own hitting. That was
all that was needed. Novikoff can't
miss as big Lacquer"
Bruins Bog Another Hot
Prospect in Stringer
Going up to the Cubs with Novi-
kofi is the other half of the Angels
lulu combination-Lou Stringer, 81
year-old second baseman. A few
days ago I asked Marty Krug, the
old-time big league player who now
spends his time scouting minor
league talent, who was the best buy
In the Pacific Coast League.
Lou Stringer," said Marty, "and
at any price"
The Cubs must have thought so,
too. for they paid 100000 for the
two Lous.
"Stringer is the greatest young
fielding second baseman I ever saw.
Why, they had to cut the grass
back 4 feet at Wrigley Field here