Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-03-18

IA
M The best looking third base
VI prospect that has bObbed up
4 since this expedition set sail
around the major league train
ing camps is young fellow named
Russ ROllings. now working out here
with the Boston Red Sox.
If Rollings can bat he is sure TO be
a major Lacquer. and IL his showing
at this New Orleans camp is not mis-
leading hs will be one of the big SEN
sations Of the 1927 season.
If he is not a natural batter he sure
ly is a natural fielder. and that will
stay with him as long as he remains
in base ball. because f1elders seldom
go back-unless physically injured
until time sits on them.
Besides Rollings for third base. the
Red SOx have Haney. Haney has the
experience for third. but Rollings, who
belongs to Mobile, Ala, and who
played with Portsmouth and Mobile
last season, fits into the picture with
so much artistic worth that ii will
take lot of clawing and pulling to
get him out of it. He is ball player
of about the size of Arthur Devlin,
when Arthur started in--one who is
as loose Jointed as Devlin, and who
takes the ball with greedy snap,
Il
Has Fast-Working Mind.
The ball never plays Rollings. He
traps the ball. He is on it like a
fiashs and his mind works with the
CELEBRITY of his fielding Skill.
Two grizzled heads bob to and fro
directing the affairs of the Red Sox.
nnn nf ie hnf DF Co Y-,.fe
and don't call him "OP Bill" even
for the sake of affection, because he
puts the old mask over his face, pads
his ribs with the old chest protector
and goes behind the bat to teach the
young hSw to shoot and the old how
he would like TO have the ball served
to the batters.
There is another. famous player
with Bill whose hair is frosted a wee
bit but whose legs are not. He stands
on the coaching line and tells the
boys what they had better do. He is
Heiuie Wagner. shortstop for the Red
Sox when Bill Carrigan was cap
tain and the Sox were winning PEN
nantSs. of all kinds. He can step
around as spry today as he did once
upon a time when he drove despair
into the hearts of the New York
He was a Giant once, too.
Boston Is another of the clubs that
are responding this year to the teach
ing of new managers. 1t Is not the
same kind of Boston club that IL was
down here in 1926. Carrigan has in
duced the boys ID believe there is
no such thing as being picked to
round up the tail end and succumb
weakly to fate.
Sox Are Batting Merrily.
The Red Sox are batting merrily
and chirping to themselves with
pleasure. Last year they were SOM
nolent Sox. Maybe it was the wealth
err, which was awful in New Orleans
last year.
This year it is typical New Orleans
and that is. ideal weather for training.
julius Heinemann, who owns the local
park, say New Orleans is one of the
two places fit for training. The other
is out in Texas.
First of all, this Boston team has
batting strength. If it were as
superior in fielding as it is powerful
in batting it might not be classed as
a pennant winner. but it would do a
lot TO any would-be pennant winners
on any day in which the latter were
not up to snuff.
The outfield can maui the ball.
There are Baby Doll" Jacobson. hit
ting as far and as hard as ever; Flag
stead, who always has batted more
than 800 or as well. since he escaped
from Detroit: Tobin, who once was
the best lead-off man in the American
League, and three others, Carlyle,
Shaner and Bratche. The Sox have
better outfielding than they had at
the start In 1926 and that's helping
some.
On the infield, besides Young Roll
ings and Haney for third, there will
be Phil Todt at first. who feels better