Evening star., 1924-04-03

summer of 1916. He had come to the
Nationals The fall of the year before
and worked in four games on the
mound and started again as a slab
man the following season Clark
Griffith then manager. WAS not inn
pressed by Sans pitching ability and
considered returning him to the mi
nors. but tie 1.-the hurler revealed so
much hitting strength in pinchrs that
the boss decided to keep him around
little longer. 1t was Wei 'ie did,
tor an "utlield collision h,Iween
clyde Milan and Danny MoclIer oc-
cured that put both men out of
commission.
Rice Awkward Afeld at First.
Rice's outfelding value was un-
known. but he could walIop the
ball, and there being no other ath-
lete available. he was pressed into
service. He naturally was awkward
afield at that time, but breezed
through the season to 4 .299 batting
average and since has improved in
technique in the pasture and batted
above 500 every season except one
Incidentally, Rice is one of the cheap
est purchases ever made by the Ma
tionals. Petersburg of the Virginia
League, owing the Washington club
$500, turned over Rice's contract in
lieu OF cash.
Back in Salem. y J.. Goslin used to
battle the nome boys with an asSort-
ment of curves that won him much
fame locally. He finally got too good
for the Salem athletes and joined the
Semi-pro ranks in south jersey. CO.
iumbia grabbed him in 1929 and he
pitched fine brand of ball for them
that season. Goose also rose to great
heights as a hitter at the same time.
his SWattiuG ability exceeding that OF
any other member of the Columbia
team. so i'll 1921 he was switched to
the outfield. At that Goose adorned
the hill in the last game III which he
appeared in the South Atlantic
League and won his game. too.
George Fisher first attracted the at
tention of minor league base ball
scouts while slabbing for Il semi
professional club at Avon. Mimi, his
home town. Finally he Joined the
Minneapolis corps. but Willy Joe Can
more seasoning and sent him TO St.
Joseph. There Fisher was much
better batter than pitcher and the st.
Joseph manager. whose club was none
TOO strong in attack or in outfield
defense. tried the recruit in the gar
den. He made good there and did so
with New Haven in the Eastern
League last year when he was faFmed
after q brief trial with the Nationals.
. Smith Began as InfieIder.
Smith Joined Raleigh of the Pied
mont League last year as a third
at that position. He was no marvel
Al the hot corner, but was hitting too
we'll to take out of the game and was
shifted to the first sack. Work in
seventeen game there convinced his
manager that Smith was no initial
war club had to be kept in action. so
in desperation the boss put him in
the outfield. That seemed his natural
position, for he rounded into a fair
and continued to bang the ball hard
enough to give him a season average
of AIS. best in the circuit.
Richbourg played all around the in
field with Indifferent success until
last year. when Nashville used him
he was too handy with the bat to be
kept idle OF released. Leibold never
has tackled an infield job in the big
show. but once he was forced to try
his luck at second base in the minors.
In the first inning a husky batter
sent at him a. drive that Memo de-
clares he never saw. and the ball
struck him on the jaw. When he
"ame to, Leibold lost no time in re
signing the berth and has kept to
he outtield ever since.
The efforts of the converted ath-
letes were. of course, crude at the
outset, but Rice has developed into
high-clasS gardener, and Goslin is
Improving in form steadily. Leibold,
who has about reduced himself to
good playing weight. is the likely
choice for the third regular outfelder
to start the season. but Manager
Harris is not overlooking the trio of
recruits. Two of them will be re-
tanned. Fisher looks much better
afield than he did last season. and
smith is a promising player. Rich
bourg has not been able to. show
much lately because of a charley
horse from which he is recovering
slowly.
Rockies Play Tampa Tomorrow.
Leibold may have to take another
turn at the infield tomorrow, when