St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1959-03-20
Dolby. Power &
Minoso Key Men
With Cleveland
BY Bill Brewer

NHlCdBO LNI)-OH HOL jury
day in 1947, Larry Dolby made his
major league debut in Comiskey
park on Chicagos South Side.
Dolby had been a shortstop with
the old Newark Eagles.
But when Manager Lou Boud-
reau of the Cleveland Indians as
signed him a position in the second
game of a double header with the
Chicago White Sox, Larry was sent
to first base, a position then tot
ally unfamiliar to him.
Dolby never played first base
again. The next year he finally set
tied in center field, where he was
standout for the Indians for sew
eral seasons and later for the
White Sox.
Last year, he went back to
for the Federation.
Bradshaw signed on behalf of
the West Indies while r. S. At
wood, President of the Institute
of Inter-American Affairs, signed
for the United States Govern
ment.
The agreement is designed to
contribute to the organization and
administrative slxills and to the
balanced development Of the econ
omic resources and productive cap
acities of the Federation. 1t is one
of the first forms of assistance to
grow out of the American offer Of
aid to West Indies Federation.
Cleveland, via the Baltimore ORR
oIes. Troubled with lame throw
ing arm, Dolby did not see any
real action until after midseason.
Then he was in and out Of the
lineup, but when he was in, he
made his presence felt with his
big bat.
Back At LIST
This season Dolby will again be
cast in a strange role. and his
success in it will have a lot to do
with the Indians fate in the Amer
lean League race. He will be
first baseman.
First base is the place where
guys wind up when they can't find
any other position" Dolby said on
his arrival at the Indians train
ing base in Tucson, Ariz.
"T figure if you can play ball at
all you can do this job well enough
to get by - If you hit. But I'm
not going to try to just get by.
I'll have some things to learn, but
I want to be a good first baseman.
tn add two, three, maybe four
years to my career"
Manager Joe Gordon believes
Dolby can handle the defensive as
signments acceptably. And Gordon
wants Larry in the lineup because
of his potency at bat. In his limit
ed action last year $50 games),
Larry drove in As runs while hit
ting 10 home runs on a .2S3 aver
age.
May Solve Srd Base Woes
If Dolby works out adequately
at first, it means that Vic Power,
the versatile Puerto Rican will
handle third base for the tribe.
That has been a troublesome spot
since the retirement in 1856 Of
Al Rosen.
Power, the Indians leading hit
ter in the 1858 campaign, played
just about every position on the
team except pitcher, catcher and
a couple of outfield spots He hand
led himself well at the hot corner
and Gordon will like to keep him
there this season.
Power was among the AL lead
ers in hits, runs, doubles and trip
les. He also Dashed 16 home runs.
He came to the Indians in a June
trade and prominently proved him
self to be a party to the best deal
the Cleveland general manager
Frank Lane ever made in his hun
dreds of deals.
Minnie Should Deliver
The Indians, Of course, are look
ing for another hustling season out
of the most dauntless performer
in baseball - Minnie Minoso, who
went to the Indians after several
years with the White Sox, also
returned to his first major league
affiiation last year
He had a fine season, too, bat
ting 1902, collecting 1853 hits and
"a home runs and batting in 80
runs.
But as everybody knows, Min
oso's value is never reflected by
statistics. It Is his indomitable
spirit that means so much to
ball club. His hustle often is in
fictitious to his teammate and that
often adds up to several games
season.
Jim Grant Returns
Pitching might well be another
key to the Indians success. II
the club has the kind of pitching
it did in the early 1950s, the In
dams might be a genuine threat
to the New York Yankees domina-
ton.
Counted on to help furnish this
strong pitching is Jim Grant,
young highlander who won IL
games and lost as many in his
freshman major league season.