| Show C R CE ALVA LVA BRADLEY was practically 11 the only man in the recent Derby Derby Der Der- by day crowd at Churchill Downs who wasn't talking or thinking about the Derby winner Mr Bradley was thinking and talking only about the Cleveland Indians You cant can't blame him for Cor that Mr Bradley is president of that astonishing astonishing astonishing aston aston- ball club It may be remembered In the past that the same Alva Bradley has had more than his share of oC baseball sor sor- row The Oscar Vitt episode was the starter That was the year Cleveland blew a pennant It should have hae won by a dozen games Then Bob Fellers Feller's departure into the servIce service ice was no great help and the boss had to gamble on a year old manager manager manager man man- ager who had no Feller around Naturally Mr Bradley was not looking on the 1942 campaign through any tinted rose glasses He was all prepared for tor the worst For him there were no bluebirds over the white cliffs of Dover or Cleve Cleve- land Then the thc incredible suddenly happened as the Indians took to the warpath tho About Boudreau We had full Cull faith in Lou Boudreau Boudreau Bou Bou- dreau from the start Mr Bradley Brad Brad- Icy ley said Ill admit none of us looked for any such early surge But Lou worked like six six horses this r f rr r Th t w tt pl is S 'S Or w I IY Y 9 Q r r ALVA BRADLEY spring and his men worked with him He had not only their respect respect respect re re- but also their friendship Boudreau hasn't been out of or college college col col- col- col lege long and he brought the old college college college col col- col- col lege spirit back to our club lie He refused refused re re- fused to let Bob Fellers Feller's loss get him down in any wa way The other pitchers knew they had bad to take up the slack stack At this point Id I'd like to say that none of us are claiming any pen pen- nant The main idea is to hustle all the way and win all the games we can They say we are playing far beyond our real strength That's something for time to tell The Big Change It was easy enough to see in the Indians' Indians training camp at Clearwater Clearwater Clear Clear- water Fla that Boudreau had done donea a high class job in the way of or switching switch ing Cleveland's mental att attitude tude There were no longer any troublemakers troublemakers troublemakers trouble trouble- makers around There were no sore sore- heads Boudreau set up an informal clubroom clubroom clubroom club- club room where the bunch could get together together to to- gether to read loaf or play cards Out on the field they were all hustling hustling hus hus- none harder than the young joung manager whose attractive personality personal personal- ity was no small help Even that far back Boudreau said I dont don't know where well we'll finish finish fin fin- ish but I can promise you jou well we'll have a team trying hard every second second sec sec- ond and of every evey game No one could figure then with Feller FeUer absent that the ex star was to get the pitching his team has gotten in the first starting weeks Nor quite the heavy hitting But nut Boudreau and his team have at least shown what a 11 new spirit can do to a squad Looking Ahead It will take another month to get the truer picture of the two pennant races Despite the present club standings the Brooklyn Dodgers and the New York Yankees are still the two teams to beat Late In May last spring sprung the Yankees were seven games out They picked up 26 games on the Indians from that point on Before the season Leo Durocher figured that Dodger power would bemore bemore be bo more than Cardinal pitching pUr-hing could meet Leo had no great respect Corthe for Cor forthe forthe the St. St Louis attack ek which so far hasn't been on the devastating Ung side But ut the Cards are still a better bitting hitting hitting hit hit- ting team learn than their present markings markings markings mark mark- ings indicate And they still have all an the pitching any team needs The Cincinnati Reds got away slowly this spring and they haven't been flaming balls of fire so far tar But they also have better pitching than they have shown shown and and a better ball club once it moves into its normal stride I If any outside team is to crowd out one of the top three rated by form It should be Fr Frank mk Frisch and his Pirates They can hit their share and l if the pitching holds up they will be a threatening factor The main test doesn't come until the athlete has been batted baked out in five live or six weeks of at summer sun |
