The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-05-17

team at Prattville. An importan
the neighboring prep teams and q
schools. Both had good teams and
On; the schedules Of either, involvil
Prattville has a right-handed
pitcher who was regarded as the
best in the district and because he
was so good the matter Of finding
q pitcher for relief work FOR the
games, which were played once a
week, had never occurred to the
Prattsville coach.
AS in all prep athletics scholastic
standing was the chief point in
eligibility on the Prattville team.
Here was the point where Fate
entered to pave the way for
career that promises to gain fame
and fortune for Wingard In major
league baseball.
As the story goes, the pitching
ace Of the PrattviIle team failed
ID meet the scholastic demands
and just two days before the inn
pOrtant game he was declared
ineligible to paIy. TO. get q
pitcher who could step into his
place without weakening the
team appeared out of the ques-
ton; but after several members
Of the squad had been given
trials Wingard was selected for
the work simply because he was
D 1eft-hander.
To make a perfect ending for
the story, Wingard won the game,
81. and allowed the heavy hitting
opponents but three hits.
He became the regular pitcher on
: the team from then on and before
his prep career had ended he had
five no-hit games to his credit.
From high school he went to De.
moplis, Ala, to play in the South
ern Alabama League in 1921. He
started the 1922 season there, but
shifted to the Americas, Ga, team,
In the Southern Georgia League,
before the season closed, as the
Alabama circuit was forced to dis
band.
Neither Of these leagues had
minor league rating and it was
while Wipgard was pitching In them
that Pat Moynihan, Brown scout,
was attracted by the reports Of the
brilliant games he had pitched.
Moynihan kept in touch with him
during 1921, 1922 and 1928, and this
year took him to Mobile for spring
training with the Brownies.
Wingard is now twenty-one years
Of age. He was born In the little
hamlet, Prattville, on October II,
1902. He has the unassuming air
Indicative OF Southerner and takes
his unusual success with a non
chalant air.
.t When the Browns were playing
at st. Louis in the series with tne
Tigers, Wingard was given ms
first real chance to work when
the game was apparently iOSe.
He was sent in during the third
inning after Billy Bayne had given
the Tigers a Al lead. He was not
ifVincible. as the 81 score will at.
test. but he was there at the finish
to get credit for the victory.
He started the final game against
the Tigers, but was forced to retire
when q series Of bad breaks allowed
them to score four runs in the
eighth after he had held them SAFE
In the first seven sessions.
He made his second start Tor
Eisler against the, Indians. Six
singles and one run was the sum
total OF the Indian attack.
On Thursday of this week George
Sisler sent him against Herb Pen
mock and the champions OF the
world and he came home a winner,
2 TO 1. He held the Yankees to
eight hits, Ruth's homer being the
lo1l6 tally against him.
Wingard, besides having the
natural ability, is favored with a
nerve of steal. He pitched TO
George Burns with the same con-
fidenCe and precision as he showed
while throwing them past Sher.
rod Smith.
Asked whether he came to the
training camp last spring with ex.
pectations Of making" the team
Wingard demonstrated the conf
dence he has in himself with this
reply, "I knew was making a big
step to try to go from the back.
woods Of Georgia to q major league
team, but I thought 1 had the quail
3ieations to make good and was anx.
ious TO learn"
''Did you learn? Is there any diff.
1erence In pitching to major leaguers
and the bushers?" he was asked.
His answer was a surprise, but he
emphasized his reply.
II learned much, that Is, HAD
TO be taught the major league sys.
ITEM, for had never even seen a
big league game. But as far as
actual pitching good I found 1t
much easier to pitch to the major
leaguers.
ss.'When you are trying. to pitch
out to q busher he is just as likely
10 hit homer as not, in fact, that
i6 when most Of the hits were made
or me during my early career.
But when you have an experienced
batter in there you know that he
IL going to wait for a good one
and that gives yon an opportunity
10 try to work the ball through
where it is hardest to hit" 80.
Ia Wingard is regarded by the
Browns players as the best pitching
prospect TO don q major league uni.
form In several years. Chef
Thomas. I. whose experience gives
him every right to assert hts
|. qbbughts, expects Wingard to rank
among the leading pitchers this
SEASON.
I'D ReERM I TODAY