Interview with Hal Lebovitz, October 15, 1992

Partial Transcript: Mr. Lebovitz, can you, uh, tell me a little bit...

Segment Synopsis: Lebovitz talks about his being a high school teacher and a coach. He discusses getting more press for high school baseball and states that he wrote stories about high school baseball. He talks about his summer job umpiring baseball games, and how he was also asked to become a science writer.

Keywords: Cleveland Plain Dealer; Cleveland Press; Howard Preston; Masters degree; Writers

Subjects: Baseball; Baseball umpires; Coaching; Education; Newspapers; Teaching

Partial Transcript: That he offered me the job full-time. So, summer of '46, I went to the news full-time and ran their desk for them.

Segment Synopsis: Lebovitz talks about his colleagues at The Sporting News.

Keywords: Colleagues; Ed McAuley; Sportswriters; The Sporting News

Subjects: Cleveland Indians (Baseball Team); Newspapers.

Partial Transcript: ...Tell me what--(clears throat)--what baseball atmosphere was like here in 1946, what, right after World War II.

Segment Synopsis: Lebovitz talks about how bad the Cleveland Indians were directly after World War II, and states that they did not draw many fans. He also discusses the opening of League Park on July 31 and 1932, describing the park in detail.

Keywords: Ballparks; Baseball fields; League Park; Stadiums

Subjects: Baseball; Cleveland Indians (Baseball Team); Feller, Bob, 1918-2010; League Park (Cleveland, Ohio); New York Yankees (Baseball Team)

Partial Transcript: Um, when uh, when Bill Veeck came, he bought the Indians really from the Sherwins and not from Albert Bradley because Bradley did not have...

Segment Synopsis: Lebovitz talks about various owners of and investors in the Cleveland Indians. He gives his opinion that 1946 was the "perfect time" for Veeck take over the team.

Keywords: Albert Bradley; Baseball teams; Bob Hope; Investors; Sherwins

Subjects: Baseball; Baseball team owners; Chicago (Ill.); Cleveland Indians (Baseball Team); Veeck, Bill

Partial Transcript: Um, I want to talk a little bit about Bob Feller. Uh, he had in, in, in '46, he had one of the best seasons a pitcher's ever had, in his career.

Segment Synopsis: Lebovitz talks about Bob Feller's conditioning and how hard he worked to stay in shape, including running and lifting weights. He states that the manager actually tried to get Feller to cut down on his exercising, and that in 1948, he was asked to stay out of the All-Star Game.

Keywords: Barnstorming; Baseball seasons; Conditioning; Lifting weights; Pre-season; Running; Spring training

Subjects: All-Star Baseball Game.; Baseball; Feller, Bob, 1918-2010; Pitchers (Baseball); Pittsburgh Pirates (Baseball Team)

Partial Transcript: Um, you know, in '46, he, he, he pitched 371 innings, .3, and, and struck out 348, and 36 complete games. I mean, you don't even dare compare that to today.

Segment Synopsis: Lebovitz begins this segment by talking about Feller's career year. He also discusses the owners of the Indians. He talks about Veeck's going from "bar to bar" at night and drinking beer with the fans. He also talks about Veeck walking around the ball park before games, meeting with fans.

Keywords: Bars; Baseball fans; Drinking; Fans; Press boxes

Subjects: Baseball; Baseball players; Baseball team owners; Cleveland Indians (Baseball Team); Feller, Bob, 1918-2010; Pitchers (Baseball); Veeck, Bill

Partial Transcript: Were you involved at all or, or did you witness the midget racers controversy where Mayor Birk stepped in the muck?

Segment Synopsis: Lebovitz talks about the controversy of the midget racers, who destroyed the field. He also talks about some of the trades the Veeck made to improve the quality of the team.

Keywords: Goldsteins; Midget racers; Player trades

Subjects: Baseball; Baseball players; Boston Red Sox (Baseball Team); Cleveland Indians (Baseball Team)

Partial Transcript: Um, one other thing too is, is that, that, at, um this point in time, um, gambling, off and on, was, was, was uh, something, Happy Chandler, commissioner got concerned about.

Segment Synopsis: Lebovitz talks about gambling, and how much Veeck loved to be around such "characters." He says that there was nothing "shady" about the club, or about gambling in general.

Keywords: Baseball clubs; Baseball teams

Subjects: Chandler, Happy, 1898-1991; Cleveland (Ohio); Cleveland Indians (Baseball Team); Gambling; Veeck, Bill

Partial Transcript: Did you, did you play any role in um, the uh, the Cleveland News survey that, that went out?

Segment Synopsis: Lebovitz talks about the tension between the Cleveland owners and managers. A main issue was that Veeck didn't believe that the manager could win a pennant with the current team. According to the survey, about 80% of the readers were against the trade. He states that the Indians went on to win the pennant.

Keywords: Pennants; Surveys

Subjects: Baseball; Baseball managers; Baseball player-managers; Baseball team owners; Boston Red Sox (Baseball Team); Cleveland Indians (Baseball Team); Minor league baseball.

Partial Transcript: Let me, um, talk about a couple of other things. Um, Satchel Paige... um...you were, you wrote a book with Satchel Paige called "Pitching Man."

Segment Synopsis: Lebovitz talks about how a deal he had to write a book with Satchel Paige, even though he had not met Paige at that time. He talks about meeting Paige at a hotel, and his discovering that he always carried a gun with him. He also describes how difficult it was to talk with Paige.

Keywords: Books; Guns; Hotels; Pitching; Weapons; Writing

Subjects: African American baseball players; Baseball; Harlem Globetrotters; Kansas City Monarchs (Baseball Team); Lebovitz, Hal; Negro leagues; Paige, Satchel, 1906-1982; Pitchers (Baseball)

Partial Transcript: You obviously saw him pitch several times.

Segment Synopsis: Lebovitz describes Satchel Paige as having unbelievable control. He says that he could throw a pitch right over a "gum wrapper." He states that Paige had no curve ball, but did have "gas."

Keywords: Control; Curve balls; Pitches; Pitching

Subjects: African American baseball players; Baseball; Baseball players; Negro leagues; Paige, Satchel, 1906-1982; Pitchers (Baseball)

Partial Transcript: Um, tell me, uh, also a little about Larry Doby. You said you did some clubhouse things with him.

Segment Synopsis: Lebovitz describes Doby as being an introvert and gives his opinions on whether Cleveland was a good place to break the "color line". He states that black players couldn't even stay in the same hotels as the whites, even when they were on the same team. He also talks about the resentment toward black players.

Keywords: "Color line"; Hotels; Integration; Resentment; Umpires

Subjects: African American baseball players; Baseball; Baseball players; Baseball umpires.; Cleveland Indians (Baseball Team); Doby, Larry; Robinson, Jackie, 1919-1972; Segregation

Partial Transcript: Let me, uh, uh, switch again. We, we, tell me a little bit about the Boudreau shift. Um, Ted Williams, um, fantastic hitter.

Segment Synopsis: Lebovitz talks about various ways to defend against hitters. He says that the manager came up with these ideas, like the shift, and various pick-off moves. He talks about having problems with Ted Williams, and states that Williams had problems, in general, with baseball writers. He discusses Williams' returning from military service in the Korean War.

Keywords: "Boudreau shift"; Hitters; War

Subjects: Baseball managers; Boston Red Sox (Baseball Team); Boudreau, Lou, 1917-2001; Cleveland Indians (Baseball Team); Korean War, 1950-1953; Williams, Ted, 1918-2002

Partial Transcript: Did you ever talk to DiMaggio?

Segment Synopsis: Lebovitz discusses his getting to know Joe DiMaggio. He discusses his meeting President Nixon with DiMaggio. He states that DiMaggio did not like to be interrupted while eating dinner.

Keywords: All-Star Game; Dinner; Presidents

Subjects: Baseball; Baseball players; DiMaggio, Joe, 1914-1999; Nixon, Richard M. (Richard Milhous), 1913-1994

Partial Transcript: Uh, let me ask you two quick questions about the '48 season. Um, do you remember, um, or were you at the game in which, um, when Don Black collapsed?

Segment Synopsis: Lebovitz talks about Bob Feller's pick-off play in the World Series. He says that he (Lebovitz) traveled exclusively by train, which allowed him to become closer to the players. He talks about sitting and watching the players play cards. He discusses the ways baseball has changed throughout the years. The interview is concluded.

Keywords: Barnstorming; Card playing; Cards; Don Black; Pick-off plays; Trains

Subjects: Cleveland Indians (Baseball Team); Feller, Bob, 1918-2010; Lemon, Robert; World Series