Show I I Vitt Refuses sesto to Employ Feller as Circus Freak By GAYLE TALBOT NEW ORLEANS March 7 AP The AP-The The American league has it itself itself itself it- it self a fine lusty new personality in Oscar Vitt the time old-time De- De who has taken over the management of the Cleveland Indians Indians Indians In In- as though it were a pleasure Oscar is one of the few players players' who ever was WM squarely by byone byone byone one of Walt Johnsons Johnson's fast balls His face clear down to the chin was black and blue for for a week But he says that has nothing to todo todo todo do with his job of t taking over a club that tosses off managers as casually as the average man discards discards discards dis dis- dis- dis cards his winter underwear Nope Oscar grinned the effects effects effects ef ef- ef- ef of that lick wore off a long longtime longtime time ime ago I know what Im I'm doing and I got ideas of my own about running a ball club If I can develop develop develop de de- de- de myself a second baseman i well we'll give those Yankees and Tigers all the race they want Glib Talker Oscar whose Newark Bears ran ranI I clear away with the International league eague race last season is one of the the Jie longest and most accomplished talkers talkers in the game It is claimed for or him that at the recent winter meeting in Chicago he talked Gabby Gabby Gabby Gab Gab- by Hartnett of the Cubs right under under under un un- un- un der the table and dropped only one close decision during the tho four days and nights of heated barber- barber ing lag Jimmy Dykes of the White Sox maybe shaded me a little the last night he confessed but I wasn't I in any kind of shape by that time Terry a Victim Bill Terry of the Giants was WM Oscars Oscar's most recent victim Bill whose Giants are training at nearby nearby near- near by jy Baton Rouge dropped in on Oscar in the midst of the Mardi Alardi MardiGras Gras festivities and started pouring the he old oil on the freshman pilot thinking maybe Oscar would b be r 1 iL w i I Oscar Vitt He lIe outtalks Bill Terry softened up by by bythe the the gaiety of the occasion You know what he says to me chuckled Oscar You know were we're Playing them a a couple dozen exhibition exhibition games on the tho thom way north i Well he says what I ought to do is pitch Bob Feller a little bit m th in every everyone one of those games about Continued on Following Page Pago Vitt Wont Won't Use Feller as Freak Continued from Preceding Page like they did last year and wed we'd clean up a lot of doughBoy doughBoy doughBoy dough Boy did I get him told I says II Sure Bill Ill I'll pitch Feller everyday every everyday everyday day and you pitch Carl Hubbell every day and well we'll really have ourselves ourselves ourselves our our- selves some fun That stopped him cold and he went on back to Baton Rouge Calls Bob a Lamb Feller quite naturally is the apple appIe appIe ap ap- ap- ap pIe of of- Oscars Oscar's eye Already hes he's worked himself into a state of in indignation indignation indignation in- in over the treatment the kid got last year when he was used as a sort of circus attraction until his arm cracked Why hes he's only 19 now said Vitt Hes He's going to pitch only in his regular turn this season and hes he's going to be a great pitcher Im I'm teaching him how to use a change of pace He cant can't keep on plowing that fast one through there forever And I wish Jimmie Foxx and Tris Speaker and the others would quit predicting that Feller will win 30 games games or or was it 40 Maybe he will sometime but not this season Id I'd be tickled to death to settle for 18 right now Players Were Skeptical The Cleveland players from the novices to the veterans like Mel Harder who had pitched under four previous Tribe pilots have taken to Vitt ViLt quickly The pitching veterans were openly openly open open- ly y skeptical at the beginning of camp a week ago when Vitt began putting them through some special calisthenics of his own devising to strengthen their legs For three or four days their legs were so sore they could only hobble hobble hobble hob hob- ble about But today two of the older confessed their legs felt stronger than ever they i could remember Few people realize how Important important important tant that is either said Harder When they see a pitcher suddenly sudden sudden- ly begin to lose his stuff up in the hot days the they think his arm is getting tired Nine times out often often of often ten its it's his legs |