SCOUTING REPORTS
INDIANS' STARTING LINEUP
AL SMITH, If; bats R. throws R
Batting: Start him with fast ball, high and inside, but keep ball up and get mustard on it. Then try change-up or curve low and away. Duster doesn't bother him. Low fast balls are his strength. Hits them to left with power.
Fielding: Better moving in than back. Weaker to right than left. May shy from walls. Accurate arm.
Base-running: Very fast down line. Bad judgment on long flies.
R. AVILA, 2b; bats R, throws R
Batting: Swings only at strikes: has no pronounced weakness. Try curves low and away but he may punch them to right. Pulls fast ball to left with power and hits change-up hard. Fine bunter, bunts any time. Never throw him change-up).
Fielding: Plays hitters well, has speed, but weak coming up with ball, especially to his right. Fair DP.
Base-running: Fast down line, will steal, slides hard. Gambler for extra base.
L. DOBY, cf; bats L, throws R
Batting: Never throw him low fast ball over plate and never throw him change-up. Keep fast ball high; may fish for high pitches. Terrific power to all fields. Duster doesn't bother him. Left-hander's outside curve may catch him.
Fielding: Good range, accurate arm with average power. Is best coming in for ball.
Base-running: Good speed to 1st. Doesn't steal but gets good jump on bases.
AL ROSEN, 3b; bats R, throws R
Batting: Great curve-ball hitter. Can overpower curve and pull it hard to left. Also hits curve deep to right. Start him with slider, down and away, then come in low and fast. Don't use duster as waste pitch. Keep waste pitches low.
Fielding: Improved but not outstanding. Arm adequate, range fair. Handles bunts, plays hitters well.
Base-running: Only fair speed but can get good jump. Doesn't gamble.
V. WERTZ, 1B; bats L, throws R
Batting: Pull hitter with power, but can be worked on. Start him fast, high and away, then curve him high inside. Weak on low change if you set him up with fast ball. Stick with high outside fast ball. He'll chase it out of strike zone.
Fielding: Can't move to his left and lets Avila cover for him on right. Weak on drag, sacrifice bunts.
Base-running: Slow and knows it. Often removed for pinch runners.
D. PHILLEY, rf; bats L-R, throws R
Batting: Left-handed he has most power, but is not good curve-ball hitter and is bothered by change-up. Right-handed, hits curve, change-up and low fast ball well. Keep fast ball high, inside or outside, with plenty on it.
Fielding: Gets good jump and has good speed. Will fight fence for ball. Strong accurate arm.
Base-running: Good gambler; slides hard. Rough going into 2d.
G. STRICKLAND, ss; bats R, throws R
Batting: Likes high fast ball and has home-run power on that pitch. Doesn't like fast ball down and in, or curve down. Don't dust him; a good competitor and may get tougher after knockdown. Pull hitter; does not bunt, so play 3rd baseman deep.
Fielding: Wide range either way, very strong arm. Alert fielder, runs infield. Crosses base well on DP.
Base-running: Seldom will steal but tries for extra base. Not fast down line.
J. HEGAN, c; bats R, throws R
Batting: Falls away on swing and weak on low outside curve. Takes often but can hit long ball on fast one, belt high and a little inside. Stick with curves and don't bother with change-ups. A straight pull hitter. Never bunts.
Fielding: Calls pitches well. Good on pops, bunts. Arm not strong but accurate. Gets rid of ball fast.
Base-running: Mediocre. Not much speed. Never a threat on base.
THE PITCHERS
R. LEMON, p; bats L, throws R
Pitching: Tireless. Pitches side-arm, overhand and three-quarter. Has outstanding sinker, quick curve, slower curve and slider. Fast ball only average but control tops and changes speeds constantly. Does not blow up. Bad news.
Fielding: Originally third baseman. Death on bunts. Excellent covering 1st and backing up plays.
Batting: Pitch him fast, high, away. Has homer power on inside pitches.
E. WYNN, p; bats L-R, throws R
Pitching: Has overpowering fast ball, good fast curve and good knuckler. Watch wind-up. Will throw from anywhere and delivers ball suddenly. Try to hit his slow curve and try to hit him early. He is rough when the count is full.
Fielding: Slow coming off mound at times, so bunts may pay off. Good covering first, backing up plays.
Batting: Curve him, but don't throw change-up. A fair hitter.
M. GARCIA, p; bats R, throws R
Pitching: All overhand. Tries to overpower hitter with high fast ball, his best pitch, but can move fast ball around. Not much control on curve. Sometimes bounces it. Tends to tire in late innings. Wait him out; wait for curve.
Fielding: Often out of position after delivering ball, but it is hard to bunt his high fast ones.
Batting: Occasional power but generally hits like a pitcher.
R. FELLER, p; bats R, throws R
Pitching: Has become curve-ball pitcher and is smart. First pitch usually curve or slider, and money pitch is fast curve. Still can throw fast ball but uses it on corners or as waste pitch. Will not tire, and does not rattle.
Fielding: Excellent at covering 1st and now is fast coming off mound, so I don't try bunting on him.
Batting: Has tried hard for years but still hits like a pitcher.
INDIANS' BENCH
W. WESTLAKE, o.f.; bats R, throws R
Pull hitter and has power. Likes high fast ball. Curve him low.
D. MITCHELL, o.f.; bats L, throws L
Spray hitter. Keep ball down and slow up. Likes to take. Good speed.
W. GLYNN, 1b; bats L, throws L
Will sub for Wertz. Fields bunts well; good gloveman. Is streaky hitter.
A. HOUTTEMAN, p; bats R, throws R
Good hopping fast ball; good change-up; fair fast curve. Wait for slow curve.
H. NEWHOUSER, p; bats L, throws L
Great change-up. Lay off it. Likes to make 1st pitch a strike. Go for it.
R. NARLESKI, p; bats R, throws R
Big motion, throws hard. Control sometimes slips but keeps firing.
GIANTS' STARTING LINEUP
W. LOCKMAN, 1b; bats L, throws R
Batting: Must mix pitches but try to make him hit fast ball over plate below strike zone. Gets most power on low fast strikes but chases fast ball below knees. Keep curve inside, down and bad. Will chase bad curve too. Can slap to left. Best bunter on club.
Fielding: Worst play is throw to pitcher covering 1st. Good range and arm.
Base-running: Good speed down line. Plays safe on the bases.
A. DARK, ss; bats R, throws R.
Batting: Does not know strike zone but hits bad balls well. No definite weakness but likes ball up. Has trouble with lefthander's slow curve. Right-handers must mix pitches coming inside with man on 1st since he likes to hit to right.
Fielding: Hard slide may force bad DP throw. Good range, adequate arm, sure hands.
Base-running: Excellent judgment. Good speed. Is always a threat.
H. THOMPSON, 3b; bats L, throws R
Batting: Likes low fast ball over plate, doesn't like fast ball high and in. But in clutch keep everything away from him since he is home-run threat. Move ball around. Will foul low inside curve, and change-up bothers him.
Fielding: Best to gloved side, but good both ways. Good on bunts, plays in well. Good arm.
Base-running: Good speed but takes no chances on base.
W. MAYS, cf; bats R, throws R
Batting: Pitcher must gamble. Most long balls hit on high pitches, most hits on low pitches. Give him curve down and mix with fast ball high and away. May pop fast ball to short right—or in stands. Try to get him with fast ball high, but blaze it.
Fielding: Turns apparent hits into DPs. Throws behind runner. Great arm, range.
Base-running: Will take extra base, good speed and will steal.
D. MUELLER, rf; bats L, throws R
Batting: Can't be overpowered; slaps at ball, rarely fans. Start him with fast ball low, inside, waste one well outside, then curve him low and in. Keep outside pitches bad as he likes to go to left and is good hit-and-run man. Make him pull the ball.
Fielding: Improved this year. Arm average but surprises with good throws. Fair range.
Base-running: Faster than he looks but no threat to steal.
M. IRVIN, If; bats R, throws R
Batting: Has good power but hitch in swing. Good fast ball over plate will overpower him. Does not like good side-arm curve but hits all average stuff hard. Streaky but in slump for much of season and played mostly against left-handed pitchers.
Fielding: Fair range, good arm, good judgment. Plays wall well.
Base-running: Fair speed, takes no chances since breaking ankle.
D. WILLIAMS, 2b; bats R, throws R
Batting: Start him with curve down and away, but with man on base try fast ball down and in. In slump all year but can hurt you on ball thrown high in Polo Grounds where he can reach stands. Average stuff low has been stopping him.
Fielding: Is not afraid of spikes on DP. Good range, good arm. Very sure on ground balls.
Base-running: Fast, will take chance for extra base. Doesn't steal much.
W. WESTRUM, c; bats R, throws R
Batting: Wild swinger, rarely connects but can hurt you if he does. Good fast ball right down middle overpowers him but in a spot start him with curve wasted outside. Then come in fast, inside and low. Gets most of his few hits on pitches above belt.
Fielding: Good receiver, calls pitches well. Sure on pops, bunts. Fine arm and blocks plate well.
Base-running: Not fast, no threat. One of slowest men on the club.
THE PITCHERS
J. ANTONELLI, p; bats L, throws L
Pitching: Good fast ball, change-up, curve. Change-up seems to move away from right-handed batters and uses it often against them. Has learned to control all three pitches, uses all in spots and pitches out of trouble well. Will side arm left-handers.
Fielding: Good move to 1st and handles bunts well. Agile getting off the pitching mound.
Batting: He can hurt you. Keep ball fast, throw him breaking stuff low.
SAL MAGLIE, p; bats R, throws R
Pitching: Uses fast ball to brush hitter back, curves to get him out. Smart pitcher, with different speed curves, throws many in dirt and gets batter to bite. Has slider but in trouble goes with curves. Will curve any time, even on 3-and-0 count.
Fielding: Bad back better and now handles bunts well. Fair move to 1st base.
Batting: Hits like a pitcher. Hitting .130.
R. GOMEZ, p; bats R, throws R
Pitching: Wait on him. Sometimes will make pitch too good. Has above average fast ball, good slider, fine screwball but may throw any pitch too fat. Uses screwball against left-handers when in jam but no pattern against right-handers.
Fielding: Fast, agile, good covering 1st, coming off mound. Sure picking up bunts.
Batting: Use good stuff. Occasional hitter. Don't take him lightly.
H. WILHELM, p; bats R, throws R
Pitching: Knuckle baller and will go with knuckler all the way. Will throw fast ball or slider on first pitch, full count, or whenever he thinks batter not expecting it. Run on him. Catchers have trouble handling knuckler.
Fielding: Adequate. Hard to bunt on because his knuckleball is tough pitch to bunt.
Batting: Hits like a pitcher. Hitting .050.
GIANTS' BENCH
J. RHODES, o.f.; bats L, throws R
Tries to pull everything. He likes fast balls. Keep fast ball tight, curve low.
R. KATT, c; bats R, throws R
Does not pull but has long ball power. Keep fast ball in, curve down.
R. HOFMAN, i.f.; bats R, throws R
Good power on high pitch. Hangs in. You must move the ball around on him.
M. GRISSOM, p; bats R, throws R
Fair fast ball, slider. Good screwball is his best pitch. Does not rattle.
D. LIDDLE, p; bats L, throws L
Good sinker, good curve. Tries to keep ball low, but control uncertain.
J. HEARN, p; bats R, throws R
Has good overhand curve, throws hard but gets wild, makes pitches too good.
TWO ILLUSTRATIONS
TWENTY FOUR PHOTOS