Show f 0 P CE LV LVA A BRADLEY was practically A the only man in the recent Derby 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 that Mr Bradley is president of that 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 baseball sor sor- row The Oscar Vitt episode was the starter That was the year Cleveland blew a pennant it should have won by a dozen games Then Bob Fellers Feller's departure into the service 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-tinted glasses He was all prepared for the worst For him there were no bluebirds over the white cliffs of Dover or Cleve Cleve- land Then the incredible suddenly happened as the Indians took to the warpath A About bout Boudreau We Ve had full faith in Lou Boudreau Boudreau Boudreau Bou Bou- dreau from the start Mr Bradley Bradley Bradley Brad Brad- ley said Ill admit none of us looked for any such early surge But Lou worked like six horses this 4 f S i r dALVA J ALVA BRADLEY spring and his men worked with him He had not only their respect respect respect re re- re- re but also their friendship Boudreau hasn't been out of colI college college col col- col- col I lege long and he brought the old college college college col col- col- col lege spirit back to our club He refused refused refused re re- re- re fused to let Bob Fellers Feller's loss get him down in any way The other pitchers knew they had to take up the slack 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 Bib g Change It was easy enough to see in hi the Indians' Indians training camp at Clearwater Clearwater Clearwater Clear- Clear water Fla that Boudreau had done donea a high-class high job lob in the way of switching switching switching switch switch- ing Cleveland's mental attitude There were no longer any troublemakers troublemakers troublemakers trouble trouble- makers around There were no sore sore- he heads ds Boudreau set up an informal clubroom club clubroom clubroom club club- room where the bunch could get together together together to to- gether to read loaf or play cards Out on the field they were all hustling hustling hustling hus hus- none harder than the young 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 finish fin fin- ish but I can promise you well we'll have a team trying hard every second second second sec sec- ond of every game No one could figure then with Feller absent that the ex star was to get the pitching his bis team has gotten in the first starting weeks Nor quite the heavy hitting But Boudreau and his team have at least shown what a 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 are- still the two teams to beat Late in May last spring 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 be bemore bemore bemore more than Cardinal pitching could meet Leo had no great respect for the St. St Louis attack which so so far hasn't been on the devastating side But the Cards are still a better hitting hitting hit hit- ting team than their present markings markings mark mark- ings indicate And they still have all the pitching any team needs The Cincinnati Reds got away slowly this spring g and they haven't been flaming balls of fire so far But they also have better pitching than they have shown shown and and a better ball ban club once it moves into its normal stride If any outside team is to crowd out one of the top three rated b by form it should be Fra Frank k Fri Frisch ch and his Pirates They can hit their share and if the pitching holds up they will be a threatening factor The main test doesn't come until the athlete has been baked out in five or six weeks of summer sun I. I I |