| Show S Speaking P 11 0 of Sports Sports Sports- Vitt Via Confident Bell an and Allen Will Aid Tribe By ROBERT McSHANE I Released by Western Newspaper W f ion on THOUGH HOUGH the New York Yankees Yankees' grasp on the American league league- pennant seemingly Is as tight as ever the remaining clubs of the circuit circuit circuit cir cir- have by no means conceded them the 1940 championship Like Old Man R River ver the Yanks Yanks- probably will keep right on rollin along Managers of the other seven teams in the junior circuit doubtlessly doubtlessly doubtlessly doubt doubt- lessly are making big medicine but most of it comes under the head of wishful thinking The Cleveland Indians for Instance instance in instance in- in stance haven't as yet cried uncle Manager Oscar Vitt isn't bashful in Intimating that the tribe may trim the Yanks down to size Of or course this is the best time to show confidence confidence confidence dence about beating the Yankees Its It's almost impossible to get a blackeye blackeye black blackeye eye before the battle battie gets under way But nut Vitt isn't whistling past a. a cemetery He has a good team team team-at at least potentially I Double Question l I Mirk rk Much of the Indians' Indians success or success or lack of it during it-during during the coming season season season sea sea- son will depend on two men Johnny Allen and Beau Bell Both of them I played top-notch top ball in 1936 and 37 and were stamped with the ma mark k of true greatness However during the tile past two seasons their work has suffered Now the tile tribe is countI count- count I i PITCHER JOHNNY ALLEN Shows Club President Alva AIm Bradley his Iris throwing arm ing on Allen and Bell coming back and they know that unless these former former former for for- mer stars improve there isn't much hope for the Cleveland cause It isn't that Bell and Allen AlIen are the two outstanding players on the tile Indian Indian Indian In In- dian roster Their importance lies in the fact that their services are necessary if Cleveland is to have a good year Right now they're both unknown quantities Maybe they cant can't come through and maybe they can You know what Oscar Vitt hopes In trading Bruce Campbell for Beau Bell Manager l Vitt secured the services of a man who hit above in 1936 and 37 He slipped the next year and was used as an extra outfielder in 1939 The Thc former St. St Louis slugger seems to be redeeming redeeming redeeming redeem redeem- ing himself this year He lie has been clouting the ball as hard as any member of the team in spring batting batting batting bat bat- ting practice and his hits have been the fierce line drives to right and right center that characterized him himin himin himin in his great years Johnny Allen has been a 20 game 20 game winner only once in his major league career and only three times in the dozen years he has been pitching but he has set a phenomenal nal mark in the matter of winning percentage A Great Record He has won games and lost only 45 in eight years in the thc American American Ameri Ameri- can league a league a record touched by byver ver very few pitchers in the history of baseball Lefty Grove is the only active pitcher who is a near rival rhal of Allen Grove has a lifetime percentage percent percent- age of against Johnnys Johnny's This in spite of the fact that Allens Allen's percentage has suffered In the past two seasons while Groves Grove's has been assisted An operation in Deceit ber 1938 1933 was too loo close to the 1939 t season to prove its value to Allen Another Redskin upon whom Indian Indian Indi- Indi an fans pin their hopes is Lou Boudreau Boudreau Boudreau Boud- Boud reau a youngster who came up from Buffalo last August and is today regarded regarded regarded re re- re- re as the best shortstop the tile Indians Indians Indians In In- have had in a score of years Experienced newspaper correspondents correspond correspond- feel that Boudreau is much more than a flash in the pan They t think ink Lou will play an important important important im im- im- im part with the Indians this tilis year year whether whether they end up aP where Oscar Vitt wants them to or close the season in the second division Vitt admits the club could use one more pitcher In fact the search for one has occupied a lot of his time lie He knows he lie can count mt on Bob Feller and is quite confident of Mel Harder but Harry Eisenstat Eisenstat Eisen- Eisen stat Al l and Willis Hudlin are arc his on only starting hopes If Allen comes back to be a consistent consistent consistent con con- winner the Indian pitching staff will be in the thc best condition of the past several years Vitt knows the comfortable feeling which comes from having a hurler like Feller on his staff |
