Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 12 April 1940 — Page 29

THE INDIANAPOLIS TIMES

NEW YORK, April 12.—Of course the Yankees can lose. And Henry Ford can go broke, too. But the indiost! ns don’t point in that direction at the moment. And

hat else can you go by?

The men who know as much about the Yankees as ‘anybody, certainly a whole lot more than we in the press who have the unenviable task ¢ of

trying to beat them on the diamond. And on our tour of the $pring camps we thought it significant that these men were none too optimistic about ending ‘American League champions, despite the fact they have been un-

| ‘box know, are the me

beaten

i for four straight |years,” and therefore ‘figured to lose.”

Joe Cronin . . , it’s the practical Cronin how talking,

injuries, they must stand out as the team to /beat. other common-sense way to rate them. The point that the other managers spend to much time worrying about the Yankees and not enough time trying to figure out ways to beat them may be pertinent—but again we ask, how can you ignore them? The mandger who dismisses them lightly, calls them “bums” in the elegarit Galento manner, merely makes a laughing stock of

Manager Vitt Knows the Yanks

We (called on Oscar Vitt of the Cleveland Americans down South and he spent most of the afternoon talking about the Yankees. Perhaps this was unwise and undiplomatic.

on an act he would have.confined the interview to praise of his own team and glowing prophesies of their wa possibilities,

But he’s an old baseball man and he sees ones. |

You simply can’t laugh off the fact that the Yankees have won four straight pennants, cakewalking, as they say at the track, and that there is no evidence or symptoms of impending disintergra-

the reign of the

Some of the boys call this a defeatist complex. And-it could a be just that. Still we think it is important to keep in mind that these clubs have been trying to beat the Yankees year after year and without marked success. . This situation could very easily produce a defeatist complex and it could have a most substantial basis. There isn’t much about a long run of failure that is calculated to give any man or outfit |a superiority complex.| We happened to be talking with Joe Cronin the day his story in a national magazine® hit the news stands. In this story Mr. Cronin told how his Boston Red Sox were going to beat the Yankees this year, and then go on to win the World Series. We asked him about it. fAw, nuts. You know how this race it. | We've just got to wait until the Yankees come back to us.” This was Cronin the practical baseball man talking, not Cronin. the pamphleteer. Facts and conditions being what they are, there wasn't much else he could say, and honestly mean it. Granted that the Yankees enjoy a normal run of luck in point of hold over form and minimum There is no

If he wanted to put

he knows a baseball team when

| | : 1

bid in quick for Dizzy Dean.

a Louis Quinze loon.

owner: of this early American pitcher, Mr. Wrigley of the Chicago Cubs, is a bit tired of keeping him on his shelves, being as he has enough curios without him. I am quite sure that Gabby Harnett, manager of Mr, Wrigley’s shop, would set an astoundingly low price any perhaps’ pay for freight charges, 00 Mona Just Smiles

Diz and Gabby Go to See Wrigley ’

Diz (left) and Gabby os o there’ll be few smiles today.

IIf You Want a Crocker Curio, How About the Yelping Dean?

By HENRY M’LEMORE United Press Staff Correspondent

NEW YORK, April 12—If I were a collector of antiques I'd get a

Here is a genuine Sheraton silly and a Chippehdale crackpot if there ever was one. Not to mention an authentic Jacobean jackass and

Now’d be a good time to buy, too. I have a ferns that the present

Indians Break Camp and Head for Alabam.

Play 4 4 Games In Dad's Tracks

Arrive Here Wedne day

Doll and Johnson Lose

Times [Sports Editor BARTO' , Fla., April 12.— From the st Indpotnt of physical condition the Indianapolis Indians were right in the pink today as they broke |®&&s training camp and headed out | of Florida to play four exhi-| mily Devore . . . ‘keep trying bition games in Alabama be- till you do win it.

fore checking in’ at IndianBilly DeVore.

apolis ‘for the American AsTo Drive ‘500°

sociation opener next ThursBilly DeVore, the only son of a

day. | The boys motored from Bartow' famous race driver in current 500mile circles, has returned to In-

to Winterhaven - and .caught a northbound rattler for Jacksonville where they will change roads and dianapolis for another crack at Speedway glory and a chance to defeat Wilbur Shaw.

trek to Montgomery for games toHis return followed shortly Harry

morrow and Sunday. On Monday and Tuesday the McQuinn’s announcement that he would drive one of Bill White's

Redskins will perform in Gadsen to complete fheir exhibition schedItalian Alfa Romeos on Memorial |g Day.

ule, and on Wednesday morning the huge squad of pastimers will reach the home base for a final tuneup before tackling St. Paul in the 1940 lidlifter on April 18, two days after McQuinn, whose home is here, already has been at the Speedway for seven years and is anxious to grab the title this year as a complement to his midget racing crown. He re-

the major leagues swing into action. It’s Goodby, Bartow cently won his third indoor midget championship.

Farewells were said in Bartow last night and this morning and the Indians were invited to return next spring for the fourth time. Tribe President Leo Miller said the answer to the 1941 invitation would Takes Stapp Car : be given in May or June. He likes " ee Bartow’s central location in the i car McQuinn is to pilot is e one Babe Stapp drove to fifth grapefruit league and the local lag nl x. al ark is one of the best in Florida, |P'aC¢ money in last year’s “500. p ) As he came back, Billy revealed that the ambition of his father— Earl DeVore—was for Billy to win the “500.” “Dad drove his last race here in 1927, and finished second to George

all things considered. President Miller cleaned up the Souders. I was in his pit watching him. There was a youngster in

loose ends of the training camp last night and departed by auto for Montgomery this: morning. . Three players took to the highways in their autos late yesterday and will be on hand at. Montgomery when |tpere driving his first race. I envied the main squad arrives there early (nim His name was Wilbur Shaw tomorrow. Montgomery headquar-| «anyway the race finished, and the Earl—that’s what they all called Dad— said: ‘Billy, I wanted to win more than anything, else in the world today. . If I never have this chance again, and it’s the best I've

Trade Rumors Are Started

BULLETIN

ters will be the Whitely Hotel. Ernie Wingard, the Montgomery team’s manager, is a former Indianapolis pitcher-first baseman and he ‘sent word to Bartow that

[Reds Send Walters to Mound

To Face Detroit's Newsom;

Bucs’ Game With Purdue off

Pirates Play Evansville Sunday, St. Louis. Tots ’ Grimes Bruises Knee in Giant Encounter

DAYTON, 0., April 12 (U. P.).—~The Cincinnati Reds send Bucky Walters to the mound today-to oppose Buck " Newsom of the Detroit Tigers in their first exhibition game .

on Ohio territory. The game between the Reds

~ |and Tigers at Pottsmouth, 0. was

rained out yesterday.

Bucs Snowed Out ST. LOUIS, Mo., April 12 (U. P.). —With their game yesterday with the White Sox and with /the Purdue University team today canceled because of snow, the Pittsburgh Pirates waited for opening day here next“Tuesday, with only an exhibition game Sunday with Evansville, Ind. of the Three-1I League yet to play. In the pre-season campaign, the Pirates won 14 out of 20 games against big league opposition, taking nine out of 12 from the Athietics, three out of six from the White Sox and losing twice in a pair of battles with the Chicago Cubs.

Boudreau Escapes Injury

BLUEFIELD, W. Va., April 12 (U. P.).—Lou Bourdeau of Cleveland narrowly escaped further injury to his healing ankle when a hard grounder struck his foot yesterday. He left the game, but after icepack applications, the injury apPeared to be of a minor nature. His ankle still is taped from the sprain-fracture received in Florida. Oscar Grimes also bruised his knee, which was operated on two months ago.

Schumacher Wins BLUEFIELD, W. Va., April 12 (U.

P.).—The Cleveland Americans and |

New York Giants meet*in an exhibition game today. A three-run double by Hal Schumacher, combined with his six-hit pitching, gave the Giants a 5-2 win over the Tribe yesterday.

A’s Meet Phils

MAYFIELD, Ky., April 12 (U, P.). —The Philadelphia Athletes and Phillies meet here today in the secs ond game of their “city series.” Yesterday's game, scheduled at Nashville, was rained out.

Alabam’ and -

|Roche Paired

Matchmaker Lloyd Carter has lined up a return bout betwen Ala bama Bill Lee and Dorve Rache as the headliner for the . Armory wrestling card next Tuesday night, The two huskies met here recently in a scheduled one-fall tussle, going to a draw, and both are prepared to meet over the longer route which calls for two falls out of three.” Roche, scaling 222, is a rugged grappler and extra fast in the ring. He is from Decatur, Ill. Lee played last fall with the Green Bay Pack= ers’ pro grid champs. He was an All-American a few years age at the University of 4lsbani, Bill weighs 239. 3

Home Folk See Cubs, Chisox

CHICAGO, April. 12 (U, PJ).~ Chicago’s Cubs and White Sox ree sume their spring series at Comiskey Park today in their first appearance of the season before the home folk; The Sox lead the series, 7-tn.5. & Bill Dietrich and Jack Knott were scheduled to pitch for the Sox. and General Bill Lee for the Cubs.

Congrats, You Lugs

Eddie Shore is by reputation an ungracious cuss, but he was the first of the AMnerican players into Detroit’s dressing room to offer congratulations .to the Red Wings when the Amerks were eliminated in the hockey playoffs.

his Southeastern Leaguers are in shape to give the Indians all they can handle.

- Sivess to Work

Pete Sivess, who will be signed as a free agent, will start on the Tribe mound against Montgomery tomorrow. He made an impressive showing in his first start as a Redskin but was shelled hard in his second effort. Therefore, it is impossible to give a definite opinion on his effectiveness at this time. In 15 games played in Florida the Indians won six and lost nine. The Kansas City Blues punished them yesterday, 11 to 5, as Lloyd Johnson (Continued on Page 30)

CHICAGO, April 12 (U. P.).— Manager Gabby Hartnett of the Chicago Cubs. emerged from a conference with Owner Phil K. Wrigley - today and announced that all is “sweetness and light” as far as his feud with Dizzy Dean is concerned. “Dean will be back in uniform tomorrow—if he pays that $100 fine,” Hartnett .said.” “When he gets back, he’ll have to toe .the line.” ; “If Dean’s eccentricities contaminate the rest of the ball club, we’ll get rid of him,” Mr. Wrigley said. “We bought him—insubordination and all—to win ball ‘games. We'll be lenient until he proves he won't win this. year, then we can take steps.”

ever had in this “500,” I want you to drive here and keep trying till you do win it. I know you can.’ ” His father must have had a premonition. of disaster. He was lost when the S. S. Vestris sank at sea in 1928. Billy was sixteen then, and the following year ran away to become a race driver. He drove on “outlaw”—unsanctioned—dirt tracks until 1931, when he first appeared here as a Hing mechanic.

Tode With Winnai

He rode again in 1932 in the mechanic’s seat with Fred Winnai, and in 1933 was the riding mate of Wilbur Shaw, the same young man he'd watched in 1927. Shaw finished second to Louis Meyer in 1933, but. he gave the youngster a lot of pointers. DeVore didn’t get his chance to drive until 1936, when Babe Stapp signed him. Billy drove in practice on the Speedway and felt he was all set to go. But he'd contracted to drive at Atlante, Ga. on May 10, 20 days before the date set for his debut at the Speedway. Billy drove a turn

tion. One day this spring Kansas City was playing Washington. Kansas City is a Yankee farm and the farm hands [beat Washington decisively, Clark Griffith, who owns the Washingtons, saw the game. ° When it was over he growled: “That's the trouble with this league, . the Yankees have all the good players. There are four or five players on this minor league team I could = right now.” Mr. Griffith didn't realize it at the time but he was making a sharp self indictment of his lack of enterprise and organization. How | did he think the Yankees got those players? Santa Claus| didn’t bring them. | The Yankee scouts went out and dug them up. | Where were Mr. -Griffith’s scouts all that time? A And particularly,| where were: they when the Yankee scouts took the sens tional Charley Keller right out of his own back yard? |

Wishful Thinking Won’t Do It

They aren’t going to beat the Yankees by wishful thinking or grousing. The only way they are going to beat them |is to go out | and get the players, fight fire with fire, Gordons with Gdrdons and | “DiMaggios with DiMaggios, or a faithful replica of same. Either that | or they must get a break, such as the Yankees running into a pile | of horrible luck. How long the Yankees and the American Lore for that matter, | are going to remain in command of major league baseball from the arfistic: or playing side remains to be see Personally we don't believe it’s going to be very long. We think [we see foreboding signs | ahead. The Yankee situation itself isn’t what it was when Jake Ruppert | was alive. Probably can never be as sound jand solid and secure as | it used to be. It is one thing when an individual whose hobby is baseball directs the club;

Certainly ye Cubs Curio Shoppe has every reason to want to get

rid of this rare item catalogued as Dizzy Dean. Bought at a price that | the Mona Lisa wouldn't fetch, Dean ‘has pitched little more. effectively than the Mona Lisa would have. Perhaps that accounts for the inscrutable smile on Leonardo da Vinci's fascinating lady; perhaps /|she knew that Wrigley should, have bought her instead of Deay, and that without even disturbing her gold frame she could have compiled a better earned run average than Dizzy. Certainly Mcna Lisa or even Gainsborough’s Blue Boy couldn’t have done much worse than Dean did in winning only seven games ["|in .1938 and six in 1939 for the Cubs. And for a two-year salary of $40,000. As a matter of fact, the Blue Boy looks like pretty good pitching material. He has a stance remindful of Hubbel’s and appears loose and easy. It's a wonder the St. Louis Cardinals haven’t had him on one of their farms long before

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Box Score—

CHICAGO, April 12 (U. P)— Feuding Gabby Hartnett and Dizzy Dean were scheduled .to appear today before Owner Phil K. Wrigley |Hil of the Chicago Cubs to settle their differences once and for all. ]

They'll go in separately—on Hart- Z nett’s orders. k

INDIANAPOLIS

any too Sliring at the moment.

it is something else entirely when an estate looks to the club for dividends. Nor is_the situation in some of the one American League cities

Tigers Kid Their Way North; Some Say 260 for | Reese

By GEORGE KIRKSEY United Press Staff Correspondent NEW YORK, April 12. — Echoes from the spring training circuit: The Detroit Tigers weren't breaking their necks hustling when seen in exhibition games en route North

« « » there was quite a lot of kid-|

ding going on among the Tigers when they stopped off to play the Knoxville Smokies of the Southern Association. . . . Once Del Baker stopped Dick Bartell at home plate between innings and after an animated conversation, was heard ‘to say: “Well, try for the love of mike, anyway. . . .” Then when the Tigers got some of their signals crossed up Red Kress, coaching on first, muttered: “Looks like a meeting tomorrow. .-. .” Everybody says Pee Wee Reese is a fielding marvel but the tip is out he won’t hit .260. A veteran major league pitcher who pitched to Reese said: “Reese can't hit a curve ball at all but he can hit a

fast ball.| It’s tought to throw a fast one past him. . . .” Paul Dean, the

Giant’s refugee, isnt entirely washed up if he [keeps up his courage. . . . He doesn’t have his old swift one, but he can get something on the ball. | ‘Saddest ball player in the land is Zeke Bonura . . . Bill Terry has wiped the smile completely off old Zeke’s face and hurt his pride with that crack about “Bonura’s phoney hustle” . . . Zeke says he called Terry on that accusation when they were discussing salary terms in the Winter Haven conferences and Bill swore he never made the remark. .!'. . Despite the rough treatment Zeke’s been subjected to, he is confident he’ll be back on first base for the Giants in a short while. . “Terry cut me $5000,” says Zeke, “put promised me he’d give me a chance to win my job back and said if T had a good year I'd get all my money back. . . .” Asked if Terry put that promise in writing, Bonura confessed, “no, he didn’t. I had to take his word for it.” Despite the praise for Detroit's prilliant rookie pitcher, Dick Coner, from the U. C. L. A. campus, the best looking young hurler on the Tigers is John Gorsica, who had a record of 9 wins and 17 losses hE Beaumont. Pa

tion of last season when he col-

Dick Bartell . ‘Well, try for the love of mike, anyway.’

looks like he may develop into something. . , . Barney McCoskey, the Tigers’ rookie outfielder whose brilliant work was overshadowed last year, by Ted Williams and Charlie Keller, is driving the ball farther than ever this spring and is a good bet to exceed his home run produc-

lected only four round-trippers. . . . There are three stories, all differ ent, circulating around on how Leo Durocher got the sore arm, and, in addition, the report persists - that Larry MacPhail and Durocher haven't been any too palsy-walsy this spring. Luke Sewell, 39 years old and with 19 years of major league catching behind him, will be reinstated for active duty with Cleveland because of Frankie Pytlak’s prolonged holdout. . . . Sewell had intended to retire and was signed to a coach’s

this. Overpaid, Dean puts the blast on clubowners and calls them misers, unwilling to pay-a laborer for his hire. Unpopular, he blisters his manager, Hartnett, and suggests that he quit trying to. manage a baseball team and turn to some other field, be it making tufted quilts, breeding armadillos, or constructing shooting boxes on Scotland's moors.

He Roars Like a Star

On the down grade, he boasts, roars, bleats and challenges as if he ‘were the greatest star in the game. Instead of being grateful for the chance to make $10,000 for’ doing little more than ornament one end of ithe Cubs’ dugout in a becoming flannel suit, he bites no! only the hand that feeds him, but the wrist, elbow and shoulder. : As a morale builder: on a baseball team, Dizzy must unquestionably take rank with the great disturbers of all time. Given an opportunity, he could have the Dionne quintuplets flying at one another’s throats. His only value as a team man would be in a game of solitaire. Of course, there may be method in Dizzy’s madness. There is always the chance that he will make himself so disliked by the fans that they will troop to the park 'in thousands hoping to see him knocked out of the box, hit on the head by a fly ball, or in some othe; way embarrassed ¢ or hurt. Many an athlete has made money by becoming extremely unpopular. Remember Heavyweight Champion Jack Sharkey? His value as a boxoffice draw was based on the fact that thousands of men, women, and children wanted to be there when someone knocked him stiff. If that is Dizzy’s scheme he is making tremendous progress.

’Bama Loses Runner Wayne Osborne, one of the best prospects for distance runs Alabama has had in years, dropped out of school.

contract only. . . . If Pytlak ever sigs, Dieyctand w will dispose ¢ him. |

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too wide on the Atlanta dirt track. skidded, hit the outside fence and broke his back. That put him out of the Indianapolis race.

Seventh in 1937

Finally, in 1937, he drove his first 500-mile race and finished in seventh place. “The guy who kept passing me all day was Wilbur Shaw,” Billy said. He returned in 1938, to land in the money again with eighth position. DeVore went into last year’s race, 3| drove it hard and headily, but didn’t win. There was a fellow named Wilbur Shaw who had taken care of that. So Billy is back again to live up to his father’s prediction that one day he'd win, : “Perhaps Dad didn’t figure,” said Billy, “there’d be that guy Shaw in every race I drive.

Handball Star

Cotton Wilcox, former Purdue star who coaches the Washington backfield, is ‘the best handball singles player in Seattle.

Presence of Scout Clarence Row-|I land in Chicago led to reports that Dean might be traded if a satisfactory ‘settlement can’t be made. f Rowland is always around when|"° there’s a deal in the wind. Hartnett refused to say whether Dean would become a member in good standing if he paid the $100 fine slapped on him for staying out after curfew Tuésday night. “Dean has another charge against him,” Hartnett said. ‘He failed to dress for our exhibition in Topeka.” The Dean who arrived from St. Louis last night was considerably more subdued than the Dizzy who raged at his .$100 fine. Mrs. Dean apparently had calmed him down. “I don’t know just what to do,” Dean said last night.\ “Gabby said|2;. for me to see Mr. Wrigley tomor-|Eridd row and I will—if I'm permitted to.|} “We've got to have an understanding. The way Hartnett announced that fine—not in private but out in front of all those People —made me mad. “A fine’s a fine with me. Tl pay it. It was just his attitude.”

corpo wL~p0

Totals 38 Latshaw batted for Johnson urth,

KANSAS CITY

COOOL IO OO rb boo

Totals . Lindell batted for Larocca in the fourth.

Kansas City ...... ceeeeeds 402 000 302—11 a ci Cariansss RE 010 100 201— 5

Runs batted in—Priddy, 4; Bordagaray, 2 Pichardsol, Saltzganels Latshaw, erry, 4: Sc 2; an, Two-base hits—West, wei 1 Lindeil, Three-base hit— . . Home runs—Derry, Priddy, Scott, Stolen bases — Borda garay, ‘ Double plays—Rizzuto to Salts Rizzuto (unassisted); Priddy 2 azuto to Saltz aver. Left on bases— Kansas ? dig napolis, 12. Bases on balls Off ohison: HE ty 3; Doll, 1; Haley, 3. Struck i Johnson, 1; Larocca, 1; Haley, 2; Doll, 1 Hits—Off Larocca, 3 in 3 innings: Johnson, 7 in 4; ‘| Haley, 8 in 6; Doll, 6 in 4. .Winning pitcher—Larocca. Losing pitcher—Johnson. UmDiss7—MeCuicheon and | Combs. Time—

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