The Washington times., 1927-09-21
.L0ZA MI Y
Be MODEL
At HOME
BY Louis A. Dougher

A Polish Catholic priest Is be.
hind the acquisition by the Wash.
ington Griffmen OF Jack KIoza.
Jack Kloza is really Jacob G.
KIoza. q young Polish athlete. He
was born in Milwaukee in the next
parish to that boasting AL Simon.
isli, better known to baseball fans
as Al simmons. Connie Mack's
slashing. slugging young outfielder.
lie you know much OF Polish his.
tory, you know that the Poles are
intensely competitive. II no out.
side competition Is present. they
provide It among themselves. In
All their history they have been
great soldiers and all waFlike ma.
fions are made up Of natural
athletes. Soldering calls for the
athletic qualities.
when young AL SimonisIi
began playing professional base.
ban he stirred every young
Pole in Milwaukee. When he
got d Job and made good with
the Milwaukee Brewers jeal-
Ousy grew apace on all sides.
And when he went to the big
!. leagues and got his name In
the headlines along with those
81 nv Cobb and Iris Speaker
and Babe Ruth, the glad tidings
swept back to Milwaukee and
one Jacob KlOxa burned with
holy zeal.
8
Like q dutiful son, Jacob con.
4erred with his father. He told
him OF his wish to. go out into the
world, the great wonderful world
10 filled with sunshine and the wine
of life. to make good as baser
ball player. His father, knowing
little OF this game Of baseball and
fearing for his son. declined to
grant his sons desire. TO make
matters worse, the little mother.
also knowing nothing Of the great
American game, wept at thought
Of her boy out in the great world.
But Jacob wasn't beaten. He was
American-born. He knew far more
about life than either his father or
his mother dreamed. He knew
what baseball was and what AL
Eimoniski had done. So he went
to the priest In st. Stanislaus
Church ana told him his troubles.
"My SON. said the good father,
after listening to the boys story
'syou have been dutifui. You have
also done well to come to me with
your troubles. shall see what
can do for you. Besides, AL
Eimoniski belongs in the next par
ash and it is time we had q great
baseball player Of our own.
That wise priest knows his
young men. and he knows
young Poles. being one himself.
So he went To the elder KiOxa
and 10. as by miracle. pernlIs-
sion came overnight for the
ardent young KIoza to try his
wings lii the great world, TO
try his best to give st. stan
islaus' parish as great hero
as Al SinOnisld.
THAT was two years ago. Jacob.
ID catcher then, went into profess
aionaf baseball Young and crude,
but possessing q clear, sharp eye,
strong arms and legs and a burn
Ing zeal. he found the going rongller
than he had exported, which made
him work ali the harder.
The Birmingham Barons signed
him that spring. The crafty Johnny
Dobbs saw the lads possibilities.
He also saw that the lad needed
experience. SO he sent him to the
southeastern League where he was
turned into an outfielder.
This year, his second Ia baseball
young KIoza was sent to Albany,
Ca. ia the Southeastern League
and he proceeded to improve rapidly.
Scout after scout reported favorably
on his future, but he was Birm.
angharn's property and Washington
h entitled to any or aIl Birmingham
players. That squelched Brooklyn's
effort to buy him in August.
Next spring young Jacob
KlOxass name win appear til
Milwaukee papers. HI the Polish
papers Il win be III the head