Show FIRPO TAVENER VENER TA HITS flITS BALL HARD Tiny Indian Shortstop Banks Bankson on Perfect Timing His nicknames are Firpo and Power Potter House Who Vho Johnny Tavener ener the little pound pound shortstop of ot the Cleveland Indians Why Because ho he hits the ball further than any other big league ball player of ot hIs bis size Tavener never ne has been a hitter hitter hitter hit hit- ter In any league and yet opposing pitchers rate him as a dangerous batsman batsman bats bats- man for the fellow comes cumes through In A n lot of pinches s with extra ex ex- tea tra base tits Its When a major league scout vl visits the sticks to give some well touted minor league slugger the once over o he lie takes lakes the fences Into ra tion Uon If It they are close In lie he easily I perceives es that the homers that Jim Clouter drives over the barriers or orthe orthe orthe the doubles he hits against them might I Ibe be easy outs In a n bl big league park But If Jim Tim Clouter Is hitting a n lot of triples he knows that Jim Is Is' Is worth trying out Well Veli little Johnny Tavener Tu always has had a penchant for making triples trip trip- les Last year ear for l Instance he lIe gathered gathered gathered gath gath- ered fourteen now How does he hit a n ball bull so far many a fan hits bus exclaimed when the pound Indian swatted a ball t to deep leel right or center for fur three bases Where does he get Jet his power It Is not power It Is Ile perfect timIng timing tim tim- ing lag and opposing pitchers will tell you that Johnny times his drives better better hether bet het ter her than most of his rival batsmen If he were twenty or thirty pounds hen heavier vier and could ad al 1 the power to his timing ability he would be he a consistent consistent consistent con con- OO hitter And to think the peppery lI lightweight lightweight light light- ht weight started out as a n catcher when h he was a semipro In Da Dayton ton But when some sonic one told him he was WIlS too small to he be a backstop stop he lie shifted to the Infield Along came Zinn Beck then managing the Columbia S. S C. C team and signed him Johnny did dil not take tale the offer erl terl I figuring that Beck could gothe not got ot othe he much ranch of a judge of ball players erg M U Uhe he wanted to give gl a trial to a boy who weigh weighed cd but brit pounds as ns Johnny did then But ut he devoted himself to adding add odd ing lag avoirdupois and antl actually weighed when he reported and when the season opened he lie tipped the scales at pounds |