Evening star., 1949-03-28
Aims 10 Reach Peak
By Middle Of April;
Blackwell Tolls
By the Associated Press

SAN OlEGO, CALL, Mar. 3D.
OF the Cleveland Indians five
starting pitchers. Rapid Robert
Feller has the least impressive
record for two weeks of exhibition
game hurting.
But Bob shows signs of reaching
form-although he does not want
to hit his peak until mid-April.
In six innings to yesterday
Feller was nicked for five earned
runs. In five frames of yesterday s
AZ Tribe victory over San Fran
cisco, Feller yielded only one
earned run. He scattered five hits
threw more loosely and gained
control as he went along.
The Indians are here for game
tonight with the San Diego Padres
after taking three out of four
games from San Francisco and
Oakland.
Cleveland defeated Oakland. 10,
Yesterday morning and took AZ
decision over the Seals in the
afternoon.
Saturday. the Indians massacred
the Oaks. IA. The world cham
pions' only loss was to San Fran
cisco Friday. 80.
Mitchell's Homer Wins.
Left-fielder Dale Mitchell poked
a ball into the right field stands
in the third inning yesterday to
give the Indians their winning
margin over Oakland Rookie
Right-hander Keith Simon was
the Victim of Mitchells four-base
blow.
Gene Bearden and Early Wynn
combined to set the Oaks down
with five hits. Bearden allowed
two in five innings, Wynn three
in four.
Cleveland got six hits off four
Oak chuckers-Simon, Lou Tost,
Ralph Buxton and Frank Shone.
A near-record crowd of 22.852
watched Feller and Satchel Paige
outpitch San Francisco's Con
Dempsey in the afternoon game.
Paige gave the Seals but two
safeties in four innings The
Clevelanders collected 10 blows off
Dempsey.
TAMPA. Fla.-Ewell Blackwell
took the wraps off his pitching
arm yesterday for the first time
in the Cincinnati Reds spring
training. And he reported the re-
suit was encouraging.
Blackwell. still many pounds
underweight as the result of a
kidney operation several weeks
ago. had not done any throwing
until yesterday but he served them
up for about five minutes in bat
ting practice.
Il made no effort to put much
on the ball" he said. Il merely
concentrated on getting it over
for the fellows to hit. The most
pleasing thing to me was that I
felt no pain. either in my right
shoulder or the small of my back
where the incision was made to
remove my left kidney. I'm sure
that 7 will be able to take my reg
ular pitching turn much sooner
than most people think"
Stephens Thumb Improves.
CApACHTA T1o Uerva C{A
phens' sore left thumb is i'm
proved, but the Boston Red Sox's
shortstop probably won't play until
Wednesdays game with Detroit.
Stephens sub. Merrill Combs,
will be out several days because
Of a charley horse in his right
leg. Lou Stringer is filling in.
PHOENIX, Ariz. The home
run conscious New York Giants
today were slightly behind their
homer pace of last spring. At this
time year ago the Giants had
slugged 19 homers.
So far they have hit IL includ-
ing yesterdays trio in their S-6
victory over the Chicago Cubs.
Sid Gordon accounted for two
and Johnny Mize the other.
Gordon's homers, each with
man on base. we're the first runs
scored off Mort Cooper this spring.
The ex Cardinal and Giant
pitcher is trying a comeback with
the Cubs.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.-The
St. Louis Cardinals may never
miss Murry Dickson if they con-
tinue to get the brilliant pitching
that has enabled them to compile
an exhibition record of 10 wins
and five losses.
Manager Eddie Dyer called the
sale of Dickson a mistake after
learning his bosses had peddled
the hurler to Pittsburgh. St.
Louis pitchers scored another
shutout yesterday. blanking the
New York Yankees, 10. Kurt
Kreiger, southpaw up from Co.
lumbus; AL Brazle and Ted Wilks
did the Card hurting.
White Sox Pitchers Weak.
PASADENA, Calif.-The Chi