The Washington times., 1931-03-11
WASHINGTON TIMES SPORTS
PUNCH At BAT
G|VESROB|NS
BIGCHANCE

0uO
This Is the third of a series of
stories covering 1881 prospects of
the National and American Base
ball League clubs.
BY MAX KASE
international News Service Special
COrrespOndent)
CLEARWATER, Fla, March II.
With requirements made at Sec
ond base and in left field, the
Brooklyn Robins will come up to
scratch this season one of the
strongest clubs ever to represent
F1atbush.
The trade at the close of last
season which made Robins of
Fresco Thompson and Lefty"
O'Doul, and sent elise Dudley,
Jim Elliott and Hal Lee to the
Phillies has more than satisfac-
torily plugged the two outstand-
ing Robin weak spots, which
broke their 1880 pennant drive.
Fresco, fast and spry, a sue
fielder and a potential 300 hit
ter, dovetails in perfectly along
side the brilliant Glenn Wright
in the play around second base.
FreScO can 60 to his right or
left with equal facility, has
perfect throwing control and
while not as powerful at the
bat, is big fielding improve
ment over Jake Flowers, the
keystone custodian of 1880.
ODoul's record speaks for it.
self. The black-haired Irishman
batted 1888 last year after lead
ing the league with 1898 in 1929.
He brings enough batting strength
to the lineup to condone for
occasional lapses in the outfield.
For the first time in fully a
score of years, Manager Wiloert
Robinson brought his flock to
the Southland with his 1881
lineup definitely decided on.
With an outfield having 4 bat
ting average of .370 and an in
field listed with a $40 average,
and a pitching staff needing only
another southpaw, the regular
Robin battle line was Simple
matter for the portly Brooklyn
leader.
Del Bissonette, Is pounds
heavier and completely recovered
from the maStoid afflicvion of
last season, will be at first. Thomp-
son will get the call at second,
Wally Gilbert at third and Wright
at shortstop.
The Outfield, q real night
mare and headache to other
pitchers in the league, will have
O'Doul at left, Johnny Fred
erick at center and Babe Her
man at right.
A promising group Of young
sterS has been recruited by
Brooklyn scouts and with last
seasons material still available.
good reserve strength can be
marshaled by Uncle Robbie. The
most promising of the newcomers
is Ernest Lombardi, a catcher,
purchased last season from the
Oakland club of the Coast
League. Lombardi hit $40 and
had fielding average of .925 last
season. He is expected to help
the spectacular AL Lopez carry
the catching burden this season.
One of the interesting expert
mentS in camp is the effort of
Robbie to salvage some pitching
skill from the arms of Joe
Shaute, a left-handed Cleveland
cast-off, and Jack Quinn, the
Methusaleh of the mound.
Shaute's arm went dead in 1928
but Robbie is bringing him along
slowly and may make a winner
of him.
The Brooklyn boss has per-
formed pitching miracles with
has-beens in other years, notably
Jack Coombs and Rube Marquard.
Watson Clark, who won 13 and
lost 13 last season, and Freddy
Heimach, former Yankee, are the
only two left-handers in the
pitching lists. Great doings are
expected from Dazzy Vance, who
although still unsigned, reported
weeks in advance of his usual
reporting time to work himself |
In shape.
Ray Mos, recovering from
the neuritiS, which retarded
him last season, has had a
boiling out siege at Hot Springs
and figures to be one Of the
most effective of the mound.
men.
Among the newcomers, Clyde
Day, Highlander from Kansas
City and Phil Gallivan, Bill
Greene and Larry Mattingly,
right-handerS from Macon, appear
the best prospects. Gallivan won
20 and lost eight games last year
and has shown plenty of stuff
in the preliminary workout.
But with a mound staff COM
posed Of Vance, Moss, Luque,
Phelps, Thurston and Clark, with
Heimach, Shaute and Quinn fight
ing it out for relief jobs, the pros
poets are that only two of the
half dozen newcomers may hang
on. Day and Mattingly have
shown the most promise.
Paul Richards, a catcher: Max
Rosenfeld and Murray Howell,
right hand hitting outfielders; Al