Indian Summer?

"You might call this a house of correction," said Cleveland Indian Manager Al Lopez amiably. Baseball writers, reporting early to the Indians' spring training camp at Tucson, Ariz., are calling it "The Greenberg College of Batting Knowledge." Whatever its name, Cleveland's General Manager Hank Greenberg hopes it will serve as a cram course for some postgraduate exercise: the 1952 World Series.

With a chance for the pennant last year--right up to the final week--Cleveland lost out mainly because its sluggers whiffed, its line-drive hitters popped out, and its six key batters hit .256, a full 20 points below their expected levels. Only Second Baseman Bob Avila managed to rise above the .300 mark--to .305.

"They'll Be Better." Last week Professor Tris Speaker, one of baseball's alltime great hitters, was spending hour after hour with his backward students: Third Baseman Al Rosen (.265), Shortstop Ray Boone (.233), First Baseman Luke Easter (.270) and Catcher Jim Hegan (.238). These, along with Avila, are the infielders--playing together last year for the first time as a unit--who gave Freshman Manager Lopez grey hairs by committing 79 errors in their first 77 games, next-to-worst fumbling record in the American League. But by season's end, their fielding technique was slick enough to tie the Athletics for first-place honors. "They'll be even better this year," says Manager Lopez hopefully, "and this will help our pitchers."

Pitching causes Lopez little worry. Cleveland's big four--Righthanders Bob Feller (22-8), Early Wynn (20-13), Mike Garcia (20-13) and Bob Lemon (17-14)--are backed by Reliefers Lou Brissie and Steve Gromek. Added to this array, probably the best in baseball, is Rookie Righthander Samuel Jones, 26, a rawboned (6 ft. 4 in., 200 lb.), red-haired Negro with a blazing fast ball. "Sad Sam" Jones's Triple A record with San Diego last year is a deceptive 16-13; in making it, Jones struck out 246 batters (Wynn, workhorse of the Cleveland staff, fanned 132) and was never once batted out of the box.

"If We Hit ..." The Indians may use Jones as trade-bait for a good outfielder to work with Larry Doby (.295) and Dale Mitchell (.290). They need a solid man in right field unless Professor Speaker can find out what's wrong with Harry Simpson (.229) and Bob Kennedy (.246).

The Indians are not forgetting the perennial world champion New York Yankees. Greenberg figures the Yankees will have a hard time replacing Joe DiMaggio, retired, and Second Baseman Jerry Coleman, called back into the Marines. "And," says Greenberg, "we've got another thing in our favor--the schedule. Last year we played our last month on the road, and the Yanks were at home. The order is reversed this year." Greenberg and Lopez agree on one thing. Fingers crossed, they say: "If we hit, we'll win."

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