The Washington times., 1929-04-05
HARD LUCK
NML0PS
sH0TT(|N
b Davis ]. walsh

5&N ~ W. - SAAAA9 "A kyk "A - N g M
the bally old kibitzer, who
uses yotr money with bolster
Ous generosity in betting
against the cards You draw,
seems to have draped himself
over Burt Shotton S shoulder
as he attempts to run q shoe-
string into a rope ladder with
his Philadelphia ball club.
To-day Tommy Thevenows key
man Of STATIONS new infield, lies
painfully injured in Florida hos
pital as d result OF an automobile
accident, and they say he viii be
out 1T least month and perhaps
the entire season. If he il out q
minute. it win be much too long,
40 far as the 1929 Phillies are con-
cefned, Il
Apparently destined to make some
I kind of d play for sixth place this
year TheyAnow's injuries mean that
ths Phillies virtually are committed
to another season in the cellar. AZ
1T was, they didn't have too much.
As 1t Is. they probably have what
they had before ShOttOn took the
club over. |. e., and roughly speak
ing. nothing.
Whatever the outfit expected
Ia the way OF minor successes
was predicated on ThevenpW i
fee0very from injuries sustained
m 1927 and Iais work at Winter
Haven this year had proved that
ls was an assured comeback.
But this only begins to tell the
story. For two years, Shotton has
needed, above all else, the following
In the order Of their Importance:
First. sympathy: second. pitchers
What happened2 he developed the
best collection Of first-class syn1pa.
thy ever seen III training camp.
Frank Ulrich was rated as one of
the best young pitchers III the league
when Shotton took the club. ne it
was is gO anywhere III 1923 Ulrich
was the lad who might have taken iii
there. He contracted serious I'LL
ness and was lost for the season. He
was getting himself ready for the i'm
pending campaign when illness over
took him again and he died.
His passing left Ray BeHge, d re-
cruit developed by Shotton as the
best pitcher at the camp. Benge to-
day has 4 loose bone in his elbow
and his future on the ball field IL far
from assured.
The iIlfield has been almost clam.
aorous with its problems. but Shotton
seemed to have conniyed his way 0llt
OF that pretty well. after ne wangled
sshevenow from the Cardinals In an
alleged $50. 900 deal. For Theyenow.
almost useless in 1928. had played
great bali at sllOrfstop this spring
and was working perfectly with
F'resco Thompson at the axis of the
dnfield. His only available success
aor II the none too eligible Barney
Friberg.
And SO fate seems to have II
ellivvied ShOftOn out OF the not
again. Maybe he didn't have u
winning hand, anyh0W. But the
fact that he was in position to
draw cards at aIE was, and il. q
tribute to his ability.
Shotton has done a lot of things
for this outfiS I'M two years. 1t
aeeded q third baseman. He gave
IT 4 coming star in young Whitney
from New Orleans. 1t needed &.
first baseman and 50 he traded
sJina1Ay Wilson To the Cardinals
during the 1928 season, taking in
1etuEn d lot aof unknowns.
One Of them was Don Hurst, and
that took smart figuring. Hurst
hit very well for the last two
an0nths Of the season and looked
the part of good first basernan..
iNfralI Davis WAS included In this
.dAal ana behind the plate he's no.
bodysg sap, either. think All op-
4ion on Chuck Klein the Fort
Wayne oatfieIder. went with this
trade, too, ii which case it would
have to he conceded that Shotton#
had done himself, proud. indeed. For
MI Klein did was to hit $50 for 64
games last year.
Thompson, however, Is Shotton,s
Gold medal exl1ibit. The Pittsburgh
club had this young man for a year
ard couldn't use him. So Shotton
gladly traded 4 couple of passe vet.
erafls for the lad who was to be-
come one ok the ranking second
basenaen of the league.
Yes, hes no man 5 chump, this
Yellow Shotton, and little by little
he Is building his structure on a
permanent stable foundation. How
ever, fate certainly Is & swell de-
zn0lisher.
Charles Town Sla tes
chOOIhOy Track Meet