Salt Lake Telegram | 1949-04-08 | Page 32 | Kell Boosted by Tigers as 'Best' Yet

S Kelt Kell Boosted I By Tigers r As Best Y Yet el elB B By Jack Jaek Hand MEMPHIS Tenn April S Jp- Jp CD George Kell Detroit's hard luck champion of 1948 1945 looks like the best third baseman in baseball this spring Steve ONeill O'Neill his manager ex-manager said aid he was the best he ever er saat saw sa at the hot corner Red Rolfe current current cur cur- rent Tiger pilot also goes overboard overboard overboard over over- board on KelL Although Kell suffered a broken Jaw in a collision with a hot hoi grounder off Joe DiMaggio's ios io's bat last Aug 27 in Yankee stad stadium um He shows no ill effects When George left his Swifton Ark cattle farm this spring spring- some of his neighbors said he would be shy gun at third base He dis dis- dis- dis agreed I dont don't even think about it it he said Fielding a grounder rounder is pretty much automatic You dont don't have time to think I r admit I felt a little funny the first time DiMa DiMaggio came up in jn an exhibition He really belts that ballI ball ballI I r think DiMa DiMaggio glo and Vern Stephens hit the hardest ball in our league Stephens knocked me down one day too But I got up that time The DiMaggio incident happened at the stadium Kells Kell's jinx park last season Earlier he suffered a broken wrist when hit b by a Vic Vie fast balL For weeks Kell ate his meals through a straw His teeth were welded together He was through for the season Confident that his bad luck has run its course Kell KeIl is shooting for forthe forthe forthe the star all-star game this year Being picked in 1947 and 1948 1945 was his big biggest est baseball thrill Imagine all those people a million and voting for me he said His boyish enthusiasm at atthe atthe atthe the age of 26 was wa as refreshing as a cool breeze on a hot day