Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-09-15
NEWTALENT TOUTED
AS VERY PROMISING
Stewart, BigeIow, Shirley
and Mccullough Seem
Ripe for Majors.
BY JOHN b. KELLER.

~ ETRCIT. September 15.-News
of the accomplishments OF
some of the players with which
~ President Clark Griffith hopes
to make the 1929 edition OF the
Nationals better and brighter is reach-
ing the club as it starts its final swing
through the West this year. Partlcu-
larly pleasant are the reports OF StuIIy
Stewards work with the birmingham
Barons. Although veteran IN service
this stocky chap still has pair OF legs
good enough to keep Birmingham az the
top of the heap in the Southern ASso-
4 cia ton. it seems. In fact, Stewart, re-
Gently purchased by the Nationals, Is
regarded as the player most valuable to
the Barons.
The second -sacker appears as fleet
now as when he was with the Nationals
from late in the 1925 campaign through
the last. He has combined speed and
stickwork to such an extent that ne is
leading scorer in the Southern AsSo-
citation. incidentally. he also has been
playing p great game around the mldoIe
sack, It's said.
Stewart has hit close to 200 safetieS
and has stolen around SIS bases, the
combination being good for something
like 1875 runs His pilfering proves is
the best shown in the league. although
his batting average of 500 is Topped
by a number Of others. Stuffy evident
" has improved with age.
Elliot Bigelow. the outfiei5er uoCGht
from Birmingham, continues to loil
contentedly ct the top of the Southern
Association in batting, position he
has maintained almost from the begin
ming of the season. Not SO long ago
Bicelow had played in lib games and
his swatting average for them was .423
But seven other players in the league,
who had been in more than 100 games,
had averages above $50 when Bige-
lows mark was announced. Among the
seven was Mule Shirley, firSt-Secker,
recalled from Birmingham by the Ma
ticnals. He was hitting at .33l clip.
Quite different Shirley at bat from
the one that was tried before by the
Washington club.
Word comes from Minneapolis that
Paul Mccullough. right-hand hurler,
bought from the Millers. needs only one
thing to be the very best in the Ameri-
can Association. That one thing is
luck. Mccullough. who is credited with
having as much swift" as any ard
nifty curve ball with fair control. has
been going along winning most OF his
games, and hurting just as we'll when
losing. But Mccullough. it seems has
been a victim frequently of scratchy
hits that spilled the beans for him and
his club.
Paul broods about his lickings. the
Minneapolis report declares. He wants
10 win and he wants the hits back of
him. And he wants his own hits. 1t Is,
related that once when he had pitched
a fine game he bemoaned the fact that
the day had not been kind to him be-
'rai,se he had not made a WallOp. That's
the kind IF fellow that does no ball
club any harm.
Several others recently assigned TO
the Nationals have fine records. too. al
though they are not the superstars in
the minors as are those here mentioned.
All told, the statistics relating to many
of the purchases indicate that the
Washington prexy has garnered ma
terial of much promise for the rebuild
ing Of club that can stand some re-
building Here's hoping, anyway.