Show INSIDE BASEBALL Q By Ted Williams 4 f Y ff During the month of oC June the Cleveland eland Indians played as good ball as did the Detroit Tigers Larr Larry Dob Doby was hitting at a terrific terrific ter ter- clip Luke Easter was coming through with some timely long hits And the Cleveland pitchers were coming through with some I respectable scores But if iC I were asked to point the finger at at atone one reason for lor the good showing of oC the Indians durin during this drive I would have to aim it toward the home run batting feats of oC Al Rosen Rosen's long Ions distance clouting has provided the spark which the Indians needed A year a ago o 1 they hey got good pitching most of oC the time lime The difference between the Indians of oC 1949 1919 and 1943 1948 was in their at at- at tack J Long on- on Clouts Whereas they were producing a g 00 goodly number of oC Ion long clouts in inthe inthe inthe the timely spots spols in 1948 1918 and driving driving driving ing in a lot o of runs they weren't coming comins through at the bat last year ear Rosen Posen has supplied the extra power that was necessary in the middle of oC the batting balling order Following Following Following Fol Fol- lowing a couple of oC previous trials he was still on trial when placed at third base this year But he got gotoff gotoff off ocr to a good start And he has really been pounding pounding- the ball The pace he has hit may mayor or may not be his normal pace Time alone will determine that But after watching him during our last trip to Cleveland it is easy to see where he gets his power He lie has strong strong- hands and wonderful wrist action Rosen Helps Considering what Rosen has done it is not surprising that the Indians have developed into a real pennant threat When a team can cap come up with a new player who hits 25 home runs before beCore the Fourth of July its it's like giving iving a tired sick half-sick man a shot in the arm Adding such new power to a team learn wh which ch already had such powerful sluggers gers as Doby and Easter increases its ability to make runs almost double So Id I'd say the ability of oC Rosen to make the Cleeland Cleveland Cleveland Cleve e land fans quickly forget the loss of such a fine third baseman haseman as asKen asKen asKen Ken Keltner Kellner had as much to lo do with wilh the splendid showing of the Indians as any anyone one thing Bi Big Surprise There have been a n number of unexpected developments in baseball baseball baseball base base- ball this year Some of oC the boys who were expected to do exceptionally exceptionally well haven't quite lived Jived up to expectations as yet Others who were more or less on trial have ha come came through with flying colors I guess Rosen is an excellent illustration of oC this He certainly has ignited a stick of or dynamite in inthe inthe inthe the middle of that Cleveland Cle batting batting batting bat bat- ting order Released b by Syndicate |