San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-04-16
simon WILL
PLAY THIRD
/ FOR BRUINS
Lou Kraft, Home Boy, and
Pitcher Payne Also Sc
cured From Browns.
jim ROBERTS REPORTS
Twirler From Cincinnati a
! / Ciant-Three Young
= sters to Mexia Club.

Baseball news, rather dull at San
Antonio Bear headquarters until hate
last week, rocketed and pin-wheeled
up in III. ]. Benson's office Monday
morning. The sports editor loisted
his aerials and tuned in on the fol-
lowing:
Sylvester Simon has been secured
from the ST. Louis Browns to fill that
third base hole and complete a cork
ing infield.
Lou Kraft, the San Antonian, who
gained fame and fortune as a base
ball pitcher and welterweight boxer.
has been released to his home town
club BY the st. Louis Browns.
The Browns have also started a.
young pitcher named Payne, first
name unknown, toward San Antonio.
This is Payne. not Bill Bayne. who
has done several years Of pitching for
Lee Fohfs club. Payne's pedigree
is obscure, because OF the fact that
he pitched with Mayfield. Ky. in the
little "Kitty" League last year, but
he won JIG and lost % and looked
good enough for st. Louis trial.
As another item of news. the Bears
announced the release of three young
players. Rodney Whitney. the San
Antonio boy. who has been on the
verge of poisoning out as a Texas
Lacquer for a couple of seasons. has
been sold TO the Mexia club of the
Texas Association, along with Pitch
er Clarence Timer. another younyster.
who, experts say. would make good
moundsman' if be had q curve ball.
Pitcher Johnny Meek, with lots of
stuff but inclined to be wild and lack
ing experience. is returned to Mexia.
The trio are to leave Monday night.
Mexia Game Rained Out.
The Mexia team, scheduled 10 play
the Bears here Sunday afternoon but
! prevented from doing so by rain. left
for the oil town Sunday night.
San Antonio fans will not get
: look at Simon until the team returns
from its initial road trip. which starts
with the opening of the season We'd
nesday. The Bears return for their
first game at home April "a against
Houston.
Simon will report at Houston We'd
nesday. but Manager Coleman is not
counting on him to arrive in time for
the game and, has decided that his
opening day lineup will be as fol-
lows: 70 - -
Fuller, second base.
Gross. sbortstop.
Boone, right field (the Houston
sunfield is in Ieft)..s- @
Galloway, third base (first base IL
Simon plays).
Meyers. center field.
Booze, left field.
/ Todt. first base. (Simon will bat
here il he gets in the game).
Mckee. catcher.
Couchman, probable pitcher.
This Simon chap is husky fellow.
a six-footer. weighing around ISL
pounds. Coleman saw him in action
IN the Browns camp this spring.
Browns Paid $4,000.
This is his second year in organized
baseball, as he came to the Browns.
at price said to have been $4,000
from the Bay City club of the Michi-
gan-Ontario League where he broke
in with loud bang last year.
He was born about % years ago in
Evansville, Ind. and hasn't played in
the South, but he won't be lonesome
or homesick in San Antonio. He is
fortunate right at the start in having
an uncle residing here, J. p. Simon,
who lives on Garden street
Simon is a right-hander at bat and
in the field. He has marvellous
throwing arm. says Bob Coleman. with
big, strong hands. An injured thumb
held him back somewhat in the
Browns camp.
With Bay City. Simon hit .312.
slamming out 40 hits for oO5 bases,
)Ajncluding 20 doubles and is triples.
HI drove in 20 runs. His speed
also stands out in the fact that he
stole 81 bases.
The assignment of Simon to the
Bears, after being boosted as most
likely candidate by many critics. in
dieates that Homer Ezzell, the San
Antonio product trying out for that
position, will be retained by st. Louis.
Ezzell evidently has overcome the
early handicap of a sore arm, a mis-
fortune which gripped him almost the
first day at the Mobile camp.
May Return Here.
III Excel is ever turned loose"
said President Benson Of the San An
tonic club Monday. "he will come
| him.
Bob Quinn. business manager of the
st. Louis Browns. wired Mr.. Benson
.<c~ - was Ntitdiu SIlhOn. duu
Payne would all go big" in the Tex
as League.
All three Of these men are six-foot-
ers. which will make the Bears a
team of giants sure enough. Outside
OF Booe, Mckee Fuller and Meyers.
there are virtually no men under that
height on the team.
One Of the added giants is big
jim Roberts. the speedball pitcher
sent to San Antonio by the Cincinnati
Reds. Roberts. though he has never
pitched here. has been the property
Of the local club for several scasons.
Jim showed up Monday and 6tcu-
pied the largest chair in the baseball
office and more than his share of the
floor space. He is not Claude Dav.
EXPORT model. but a welLproportioned
mountain of man. And he was
one OF the leading pitchers of the
Cotton States League last summer.
He won 81 games and lost with
Greenville. winning nine in row one
time and seven another. The record
M4~dQesn't show him with all his
Victories. but Jim says the record
book editor made bad bust.
Kraft and PAYNE left st. Louis
sunday night and should reach .hcrs