The Washington times., 1929-03-06

No member Of the Washington
baseball club looks forward to
the 1929 campaign with more
eagerness than young Sam
West, outfielder.
Veteran Griffmen share with
West the belief that he will start
where he left off last season and
keep going. :,
Before Bucky Harris left Wash
ington he named West as the surest
prospect for stardom in the Amer
lean League. HE has everything
an outfielder needs and lots OF 1t,
said Bucky. "And / believe that
next wear will find him a real star. "
Said Sam today, on being re-
minded of Harris predictions: well,
/ wouldn't go that strong about my
self. but honestly, feel that I'm
going to have a big season.
'sUnless I have some tough luck
there is no reason why / shouldn't
do as well as / did in the last two
months of last year.
Ii was during this period that
West attracted the attention OF
the entire league. He pulled
.26O batting average to over .SOO
and his fielding was superb. In
enc series with Detroit ne
raped out 16 hits in 10 times
ut: bat.
Close baseball observers said he
had the best throwing arm in the
league. He was described by many
as a, ball hawk without peer.
He led the league in fielding aver
age with .996, his only error being
an overthrow to third base. For
q time it was thought that West
was weak against southpaw pitch
ing. He proved otherwise. He hit
ali sorts Of pitching equally well.
During the spring he batted
around .345 but lost his job to
Red. Barnes. who was given
chance when West injured a leg.
Barnes got hot with the fail and
kept West on the bench for three
weeks.
an injury to. Sam Rice put West
hack in the lineup and when Rice
recovered the other Sam again was
benched.
Then came a period Of irregular
nlaying in which Vests batting
kll off, but 1t picked up sensa-
tIbnaIly once the youngster finally
was given steady work. In the
minds of some there has been q
doubt that Sam ever recovered
completely from the nearly fatal
aeaning he received while with
Birmingham In 1925.
but, IL you'll believe Sam. he
ha. long since ceased to let II
bother him. He was hurt on July
I and was out for the remainder
of the season. The next year. as a
Griffman, the first pitcher he faced
was the southpaw Settlemeyer, who
hal beaned him. Settlemeyer had
come UP from Mobile to fling for
the Red Sox.
West Joined the squad at
Plant Field yesterday and for
8 first workout showed plenty.
He was one of the days at
fractions.
If BENNY Tate is beaten out Of
n backstop job it won't be be-
cause he didn't hustle, IL his first
workout is an example of what
il to come. There were no idle
moments for Benny from the time
he. donned a uniform until John
son ordered everybody to quit.
"It's remarkable" observes Uncle
Bill Smith, ''how Stuffy Stewart
keeps his speed. He hasn't slowed
even a little bit" Stuffy. who was
named the most valuable player
In the Southern Association last
year, is 81 years old.
Big Fred Marberry is frisky as a
kitten. but in frisking bout with
Muddy Ruel, Nick Altrock and Red
Barnes. the Texan met more than
Ills match.
Fred has formed the habit of
making passes" at people, and
tome Of his boxing slaps are more
han gentle. During a lull in a
3epper, game, the giant pitcher
made a pass at Barnes, and this
worthy retaliated with one of those
:ootbalI tackles for which he was
siamousA at the University of Ala.
bar1a. Fred went down like a
roped steer, and while Barnes
clamped his legs, Nick and Muddy
piled on. They gouged him in the
ribs and poked him in the mid
section until he folded like jack
knife. Some of the players halted
to watch the odd struggle,
Help" Walter. help" yelled Mar
berry between gasps. But he got
none.
LET him have it." commanded
the boss. and they did-for 10 more
minutes.
The Griffs WIN play their
first exhibition game next sun.
day, meeting the Tampa club
<. Of the Southeastern League
here.
Archie Campbell, Jim Weaver and
Paul Hopkins will be the Grit
pitchers. Two days later, at s..
Petersburg. the Griffs will tackle
the Boston Braves In the first oi
4 long. string of exhibitions with
National League clubs.
Cliff Bolton, the missing rookie
has the Griffmen guessing. A.
sorts of conjectures are being made
20 tOI why the kid catcher. sup
posed to have left his North Caro-
lima home more than a week ago
hasn't shown up.
II . sent him $50 railroad fare,
said Griffith today And added
Maybe he spent it and hasn't beer
abie to get more" Bolton hai
agreed to terms but hasn't signef
q contract
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