Evening star., 1948-10-10
Indians Look Fiji
To Take Title
Over Boston
New Gromek knuckIeI
Won, Boudreou Soys;
Braves Are Dozed
By Fritz Howell
Associated Press Sports Writer

CLEVELAND, Oct. 9.-Practically
> every one except Manager Lou Bou-
dreau was willing to concede today
, that his Cleveland Indians just
about had the World Series wrapped
up and tucked away.
The Tribe now holds a three
. games-to-one advantage.
J Boudreau strolled into his office
, after the fray! put his house-slip-
. pered feet on his desk, and answered
, a covey of questions.
The fancy-fielding Frenchman
only playing manager in the majors
} said.
Yes, l know we're out front and
} need only one game. But I won't
!; admit we're in the drivers seat yet
, I will say that my pitching aces
,, Bob Feller, Bob Lemon and Gene
Bearden> are in great shape and
ready to go. Well go with Feller
tomorrow. BILLY Southworth's
Braves will pitch Nelson Potter)
| Wasn't Steve Gromek great out
. there today? 1t wasn't gamble to
; send him in, for he has been our
, spot pitcher all year"
Win Gromek's Greatest Thrill.
Gromek, tall blond who was an in
fielder -outfelder until the Tribe
picked him up in 1941, tagged his
seven-hit victory "the greatest thrill
I've ever had"
II was kinda nervous at the start, +"
J Steve continued, but finally set
tied down. I concentrated on get
Ting the ball over the plate, because
those walks kill pitcher. The per-
centage always is with the pitcher
if you make 'em hit the ball"
!; Gromek said he used lot of high
outside stuff on the right-handed
batters and low inside ones on the
lefties The only run off him was
a seventh-inning homer by Marv
Rickert, last-minute substitute in
the series by special dispensation OF
Commissioner Chandler.
"Rickert hit a high fast ball, "
Gromek said. but struck him out
with the same. pitch in the ninth. y
Boudreau and Gromek agreed that
Steve's most effective pitch today
was a knuckle ball curve-the only
one in the business.
With Gromek listening, Boudreau
said:
They were numbering Steve last
year. when he didn't have anything
but fast ball and the usual curve.
During the first series at st. Louis
this season I told him to start work.
ing on something new. He came up
with this knuckle curve and it's
made different man out of him."
Dolby Homered on Fat" Pitch.
Grinning Gromek said That's
right Lou, I've done lot of work
on that knuckler and can control
it as well as I can my fast one. 1t
is my Sunday pitch"
Larry Dolby, Negro outfielder for
the Tribe, was happy guy over
his third-inning homer which even
tually won the game. He poled a
change-of-pa curve deep into the
crowd in right-centerfleld 40 feet
away.
THAT Sain is good pitcher"
Dolby observed. Generally you don't
get any fat pitches from him. I
was lucky he dropped that nice slow
curve in there for me-"
The homer was Doby's fifth hit in
IA Series at-bats and made him the
heavy hitter of the set.
Boudreau declined to comment on
the play at third in the first inning
Umpire Bill Stewart, who has been
mixed up in two previous scraps
with the Indians, called Lou out as
he slid into the sack after his double
had sent Dale Mitchell home with
the first run.
1T was close play. that's about
all I can say" Boudreau said.
Braves Are Dazed.
/ The Braves just couldn't under
stand what happened
AS they marched disconsolately
into their clubhouse after their de-