The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1920-02-16

fessionals, like Tommy Sheehan, tn
that they are not particularly marve
Here's the way they conduct base
ball In the Canal Zone. The Govern.
ment. in pursuing its welfare cam
paign. has built concrete stands and
laid out a perfect diamond In each
town along the canal. The so-called
big league has six clubs and plays
its games on Sundays. Every player
mus'. be a bona hde employee on the
canal.
"Just as in this country, players
sign contracts and may be traded or
sold between clubs at any time. But
40 player collects any money until
the season ends. No residence Is re.
quired. A man living in Colon may
play with the Balboa club, for in
stance.
No Deadheads Are There.
1.-THE zone is without the deadhead.
that pest of amusements in the United
States. Everybody passing through
the safe must pay for his pleasure,
even to the officials Of the league and
players Of other clubs not in action.
No courtesies are permitted. even for
big bugs from the United States. II
they don't pay, somebody has to for
them-that's all.
when the season ends, the profits
are divided among the players, minus
B per cent, which goes for admins
tration expenses. That's how they
run baseball on the Isthmus.
"As q sort of minor league. there
are the shop teams. These teams are
made UP of bona fide shop workers.
No player can represent any shop but
that In which he is employed. These
teams play twilight ball almost every
Il day, and act as feeders for the big
league teams in the six towns on the
Isthmps.
HOY good are the six teams in
the big league? Well. Ray Caldwell
went down there expecting to have a
soft time. He was knocked out of the
box two or three times and had to
work his head off to win at all. He
found that the zone batsmen were
quite, as vicious as their brethren in
this country. Ray was a wiser man
when he came back than when he
went
Hears About Carey.
II hadn't been on the Isthmus a
day before I was told about this
Carey. 1t seems he pitched sixteen
games last season and won sixteen.
naiy of them being two-hit and three
nit games. Naturally I was anxious
to see him. saw him pitch his first
game this season and, unfortunately,
he was defeated, 1 to o. He held the
opponents to two hits and lost on a
helder's choice. a steal. an, error and
a sacrifice fly.
"Carey looked like q. oo0, 900 down
there He weighs about IT'S pounds,
stands about Gil and must be abour
twenty-five or twenty-three years
old. He has good fast ball and a
pippin of hook. AS soon as got
back to Chicago. though was in
town but day or so, I got Bill
veeck on the phone and spilled my
stuff to him. Bill was tickled at the
information and Immediately got
busy. He wants Carey to be at Pnsa-
dena with the Cubs for a complete
trial. Tho Cubs can use a right
handler like him
'How fast are tho teams in the
Canal Zonef Well, speaking con-
servatively, should rank them with
any Class A teams in the United
States I'd back them against South
ern Association teams, for instance.
II they played International League
or Pacific Coast League clubs, they
would win now and then. but on the
whole they arc hardy strong enough
20 win q series.
Would Pay Mig CTubs Here.
TT would pay any major league
club in the country to send An ex-
perienced scout down to the Zone
and take q look at some Of the
players there. He might come back
with some likely prospects. Scouts
now range among slower leagues
than the Zone league, bringing Up
for trial many players who don't be-
gin to compare with some of these
youngsters I saw down there.
rowing to the warm weather, one
might naturally expect former profess
SIGNALS from this country to be wiz
ards in the Zone, but such is not a
fact. I mentioned Tommy Sheehan a
while back. There are several more
players. though not a large number,
who have seen service in various
minor leag-es here. THEY hold their
own. that's all. By no means are
they among the stars Of the circuit.
The stars are youngsters developed
tight there on the canal, young men
who never played anywhere else.
Tho playing nelds are really mag
rifcent Built BY the Government,
money was not wasted. but plenty
Of II was spent Nothing has been
overlooked In the appointments. The
parks arc far prettier than the aver
age minor league park in this coun-
try, and few minor leagues Of any