OCR Text |
Show Pfl OERE'S a free tip on how to find 1 1 something hotter than a desert sun in midsummer. Sit on the bench during a ball game with either Leo Durocher or Billy Southworth. We gave it a try. If you're not on fire within five minutes you must be wearing asbestos underwear. They had the two hottest teams, emotionally, in baseball last season, and they are liable to have the two hottest this season. Neither manager misses a trick or a turn of any sort from the bench, and both unravel a vocal cataclysm that stuns your eardrums. ear-drums. They keep on top of their men, roughly or soothingly, harsh or gently, through the entire game. Neither the tumult nor the shouting shout-ing ever dies with this pair. And as their hired men happen to believe in the sagacity and smartness of both, they get winning results. Durocher Speaking "You've got to have the right man for the right job at hand some batters bat-ters can hit the ball on a hit and run, others can't that Brown of the Cardinals Car-dinals can do anything so can Arky Vaughan you're looking at two great third basemen when you see these two fellows I wouldn't trade my infield for any infield in either league watch Camilli this year-watch year-watch Reiser and Reese watch 'em all." You get about the same brand from Southworth. "I'll keep my infield and let Durocher have his. I'll keep my ball club and let Durocher have his. L. ... ( k ' PV 1 ' i ' ' ' I v" sm . i ' " 3 tlHtSUBilMMlUtftfl ...... i fi nMfc wwiflArtBflj TERRY MOORE "He can go further and faster." Yeah, he's got Pete Reiser. But what about Terry Moore?" So I asked Durocher, "What about Terry Moore?" Leo ducks no query of any type. "I'll tell you about Terry Moore," he said. "As a defensive outfielder he is the greatest I ever saw, and I'm barring neither Tris Speaker nor Joe DiMaggio. He can go further and faster than either, can cover more ground, and kill off more long hits. Terry Moore is an outficlding marvel. That's how good Terry Moore is. But for all that no outfielder out-fielder in our league is going to match the .3G0 or better Pete Reiser may hit this year. And don't think Tcte is any fly-ball punk." With Lou Boudreau We spent a much quieter day with Lou Boudreau, the Cleveland Kid, . who as far as one can judge at this spot is turning out a fine piece of managerial work. Boudreau is a good-looking young fellow with a keen, determined-looking face. He isn't worrying about his youth or his job. At the age of 24 he won't be 25 until July 17 the ex-Illinois star has full command of his men. They like him and respect him. So far they are giving him the best they have, which may not be too much. "The best we can hope for," he said, "with Feller missing, is to give the Red Sox a battle for third place or stave off some first-division drive from the Browns or Tigers. Outside of the Yankees we should have a good scramble in this league, with the White Sox rated second. "Whatever happens or wherever we finish, I think you'll see this Cleveland club giving the best it has all year. As a matter of fact, I believe be-lieve you'll see a better spirit In baseball this season everywhere than you've seen before. Players are beginning to realize these are serious times for everybody. It is certainly no time for anyone to start loafing or to break training." Joe Cronin, like all other seven American league managers, knows that the chance of beating out the Yankees moves over into the super-miracle super-miracle class. While anything can happen in this bizarre world, the heavens still haven't fallen. On to oe Cronin "Oulsidc of first place we should have a good race," the Red Sox leader lead-er says. "I suppose everyone will plrk the White Sox to finish second through their pitching. But we might get there, although like many others we've lost good men to the services. "Under the conditions that govern things this season It is hard to say what will happen. If Ted Williams Wil-liams has another year even close to 1941, we can furnish our share of trouble to anybody. We have been getting better pitching than expected. |