Show released by western newspaper union JUST a year ago rookie lou publicized as one of the most devastating hitters of all times was assigned to the third spot in the chicago cubs batting order there according to a training camp barap rn he was to remain today comes close to being the forgotten man when the cubs started batting practice this season the name of was listed among the reserves there were no interviewers swarming about him press photographers find it necessary to overwork their imagination to get novel shots of him remember the articles in slick paper magazines last year according to them lou was going to blast his way through the national league with all the power of a heavy duty tank thorny trail he had hit for los angeles to lead the pacific coast league to summarize his past record he led the sluggers in three out of the four minor leagues in which he played but big league pitching proved altogether different so different in fact that lou ended the season in milwaukee charley root claims that is murder against a wild pitch but not so good against a curve ball over A LOU the plate several other national league pitchers agree that lou is helpless against a fast ball inside neck high root hold with this theory but lou admits that he was too fat last year that he carried too much weight around the chest and shoulders they were throwing balls bails around the shoulders that I 1 used to kill but I 1 just get that bat around lou definitely is worried he has taken off 14 pounds and is deadly serious about the coming season he knows he cant afford to blow his chances in 1942 baseball fans in general are pulling for the mad russian when he failed to deliver for the cubs last season a large number of self appointed analysts claimed he was over publicized too many lavishly worded newspaper clippings they said caused him to become cocksure and careless never careless laumay lou 41 may have been cocky but he was never careless one of his faults was that he tried too hard he was determined to live up to his topnotch minor league ranking when things went wrong he tightened up on the west coast it was thought that lou was a better natural hitter than ted williams of the red sox A year ago they thought was a sure maybe hitter williams hit with the red sox lou hit during his stay with the cubs jimmy wilson cub leader is is extremely anxious to park his club in a first division berth in addition his gratitude would know no bounds if he could knock over a few favorites on the way up the team has its chance his boys were picking up speed when the 1941 season ended Novi koffs case will be one of the most interesting 1942 experiments what he can do this year will mean a lot to the cubs they need power at the plate with lou meeting his previously established standards the cubs would be an immeasurably strengthened ball club buy defense bonds SPORT SHORTS 41 L seventeen of the 66 horses which have won the kentucky derby still are alive of the 17 Gallah adion and Whir laway still are racing C L private joe louis stationed at camp dix does not lack tor for sparring partners some of the army boys are plenty rugged for joes needs |