The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-07-16
GAMES PICKED FOR VALUE IN COMBAT
Today's Sport Parade

crOW1ng-yet.
 Seven years ago Fleming of Sin- gleton, Tex, passed up chance to enter the cattle business with his uncle and chose to play the game he loved so well. But baseball-a fickle mistress-booted him around with her high heels as If he were an unbranded maverick. And where he thought he'd put at least one foot into heaven, he found several seasons of hell.
 But his gal was riding with him -Juanette-his wife, whose name is tattooed on his right forearm. And they stuck it out-Les and Juanette although many times they felt like quitting because 1t seemed that the diamond fats were inexorably against them, and life's boXscore laughed at them with "box cars" at every toss of the rice.
 Big Help
 Larruping Les is achieving belated recognition now. As first baseman of the Cleveland Indians his bat is so potent that Lou Boudreau, kid manager of the club, says, Elem ingS the guy who, more than any, one else, is keeping us up there in the pennant fight" The Indians a-r-e up there in third place, de- spite the loss of Bob Teller to the navy, loss that was expected to level the Indian wigWams com pletely.
 Rookie Fleming is hitting 1928 and is the American leagues sixth bat ter at the moment. And he's do- graceful George Sisler nor q mud footed Zeke Bonura. Sort of a com promise.
 We grabbed Fleming by the bat ting cage in Yankee Stadium before yesterdays Indian Yankee game, and found him a hard man to in- terview-tough because he losses the skeleton" in hurry. Ready with names, dates and places he played, but side-stepping the things that made him tick.
 However, his Indian mates tell the story-and gladly. Because every Cleveland player, without exception, glories In his success. They realize that guy who got kicked around for a long time is getting break, at long last. And moreover, he's swell fellow personally-not the least emhittered. That's why they pull for this husky, brown haired chap with the build of heavy weight fighter. That's why he's an important unifying factor in an out fit that once thrived on diScord and was branded the 'cry baby" club of baseball.
 Up and Down
 Starting as a pro in 1885 Fleming played up through Alexandria. La, and Beaumont, Tex, until he got trial with the Detroit Tigers !n '39 But the Tigers had two top-flight first baseman in Hank Greenberg and Rudy York, so Les was shifted to the outfield and played so rare ly that he became dull. Back 10 the minors he went. and hard luck hit him with both fists. He went to Toledo, and wife Juanette had baby. but 1t died. and she was crit ically i'll for weeks. He didn't feel like playing ball then. He was with Buffalo of the International league in l940 when he suffered series of attacks of boils and carbuncles-- coupled with throat trouble. His wife, not we'll herself. nursed him and encouraged him when he want cd to quit.
 After the disastrous 194O season, in which he hit only .257, he had his tonSils removed and boiled the poison out of his system at Marlin Springs. Tex. Then he went to Nashville. of the Southern Associa- ton, where Lady Luck finally show ed her worries. Manager Larry Gil- l