Show I II P CE The New York Yankees Yanke-es are looking looking looking look look- ing closely at the Red Sox and the I Indians Although holding every club in the league dangerous on any I given occasion they naturally expect expect expect ex ex- ex- ex the strongest resistance from those two teams They are concerned with the pitching pitching pitching pitch pitch- ing in Boston and Cleveland As they see it they willbe will willbe willbe be aided by a continuance continuance continuance contin contin- of the ineffectiveness ineffectiveness ineffectiveness of Old Mose Grove and menaced by the skill of Bob Feller They even t r think think think-at at least some y s of them that I talked y to the other day day day- that these two pitchers pitch pitch- ers one near the end of the string as a big leaguer and the othI other other other oth oth- I er just heading into Bob Grove the days of his greatness greatness greatness great great- I Ithe ness may bring about a change in inthe inthe the positions of their two leading rivals As Joe McCarthy puts it Feller is doing for the Indians what Grove used to do for the Red Sox but can cando cando cando do no longer apparently step in inand inand inand and halt their skidding with a well well- pitched game when the other pitchers pitch pitch- ers are faltering So far of course the Red Sox have managed to do doall doall doall all right without Old Mose l in the form he held through last year But what of the months ahead the ahead the hot months when the strain will be heavier heavier heavier ier on the other pitchers Grove Through at Last I asked some of the Yanks if they thought Old Mose was through through that that after 15 years of hurling during which he slipped under the mark only once and that in his first year out of Baltimore if if the Lonac Lona- Lona c ming Limited really had lost his stuff I asked them that remembering remembering remembering bering that everybody thought he was through as far back as 1934 when he won only eight games in his first year in in Boston They remembered that too too and and remembered how he came back with witha a rush rush and and what a pitcher he was right up to the end of last season Only one of them answered I dont don't know he said but that's what we heard when we were in Boston The dope we got was that while he might come through with a good game once in a while- while might get out there any afternoon f. f Z n L W r BOB FELLER and blow that curve ball of his around the plate and then let go with a fast one now and then just to remind the hitters he still has ithe ithe ithe it- it he isn't going to be much real help to the club any more If that's so those other Boston pitchers had better be hot all sea sea- son Check back and you'll find that the 15 games Grove won last year ear meant the difference between second second second sec sec- ond place and fourth fourth fourth-at at least The Yanks Admire Them Incidentally Grove and Feller who may in one way or the other have such an effect not only on the fate of their own clubs but on the fate tate of the Yankees as well are two of the Yanks' Yanks favorite athletes Naturally they like to beat the two Bobs ever every time they hook up with them But they admire Grove for his year in and year year out out performances perform perform- ances the courage he showed in beating his way back when everybody everybody every ever body had him tagged for the cleaners clean clean- ers and the Ule skill with which he has made over his pitching style They Dont Don't Like Showboats Showboats' They admire Feller not only fur for forthe the natural stuff he has but for the way he has taken his fame in stride There are no swelled swelled heads heads or showoffs showoffs show- show offs orrs among the Yankees and they freely hand it to the kid from Van VanMeter VanMeter Meter for having already touched greatness without making any fuss about it The Yanks I might say are critical critical critical cal of ball players they call showboats showboats showboats show boats Not understanding Dizzy Dean they took an almost violent dislike to him and got a terrific kick out of his up crack-up in the allstar allstar allstar all- all star game in Washington in 1937 and the defeat they slapped on him inthe in inthe inthe the World Series of 1938 But Diz got them on his side after the final game of the 1938 series when he walked into their clubhouse at the Stadium and said he hated to lose but getting beaten by a great ball club took some of the sting out of the defeat |