Evening star., 1928-03-07
By II. e. BYRD.
MORAN, director of

HARLEY MORAN, director OF
athletics and base ball coach
at Catholic University, appar-
~ entity faces the most difficult
task this Spring that has been
his lot in all the years III which he has
tutored diamond teams at Brookland.
Without infielders of real merit, more
froated with the proposition OF taking
his best outfielderS 10 make infielders.
and that without other outfielderS 10
put in their places, the outlook FOR
Moran is not particularly encouraging.
Two of the hardest problems facing
Moran is the finding OF players to flll
frSt base and ShortStop. 70 take places
vacated by Keale and Hartage, both
brilliant on last years nine. 1t is
doubtful If Moran really expects to find
any men. or any man, as capable as
either Of these was, but II seems that
about the best bet he has is TO take
Raw Foley from the outfield and use
him at Shortstop. It has often been
said Of college base ball that good
shortStop. a good pitcher and good
catcher are team. and 1t may be that
Foley. versatile athlete that he is. may
develop rapidly enough and sufficiently
70 Ill the ShortStops position very sat-
!ssactorilv. But il he does. then Moran
must find somebody 10 take care Of his
star outfielder's job, and that is just
not going to be done. because few men
IN college base ball are as capable as
Foley in garden position.
Has Good Backstops.
II is only in the catching department
that Moran seems fairly well fixed, as
he has back the same three men who
did his backstopping last Spring. Tier
rey, Grogan and Flanagan should be
able to hold down. the place back OF
the plate very capably. and it may be
that Moran viii pick one Of them 10
use at first.
Murphy, who pitched on the fresh
man team and from whom Moran ex-
pected a gooG deal, probably will not be
available, as he has been operated on
for appendicitis and Is not strong
enough to stand violent turns such as
o pitcher must go through. Jioffre,
another freshman hurler. is practicing.
and so are Conlon. Ryan. Bononlo and
Sheffield. all hurlers on the 1927 squad.
O'Connell. third baSenlan on the 1927
freshman team. is likely looking pros
pect for the hot corner On the varsity.
Moran unquestionahly IS one of the
two or three best base ball coaches in
the country. and If anybody can get a
team out Of the material at c. Z. he
can. And it is doubtful If, year in and
year out for the many years Moran has
been coaching al Brookland. any other
mentor has a better record of victories.
Moran has been TO base ball what Fred
Rice has 10 basket bali, and both have
about the same kind Of records-that
kind OF record involved In an apparent
ability to turn out a good team, win
ming team. year in and year out no
matter what kind OF material Is avail
able.
Lose Basket Ball Stars.
Incidentally, in talking over base ball
prospects with Moran, il was brought
out that the Brooklanders lose four
out OF the five members Of the basket
ball team that has gone through a
brilliant season and two OF the four
are. perhaps. the best au-around ath-
ietes that haye ever worn c. y. colors.
The four men who have played their
last basket ball for the Brookland school
are Carney. Foley, Long and Harvey.
Two most brilliant performers are Foley,
and Harvey. and Il would not be a1iSS
70 make that three and add Long.
Foley has starred for Catholic Uni
vers!ty IN foot ball, base ball and basket
bal, and has been one Of the most bril-
Liant men In the section IN each sport
Sometimes a great foot ball player
makes q fairly good base bali man or a
great basket ball player. is better than
the average on the grtdiron, but II Is
seldom indeed that any man Is brilliant