Evening star., 1932-01-11
.CROSETTTS CAREER
READS AS FICTION
Yankee Rookie, First of Fam
lily to Play Ball, Hailed
as Certain Star.
BY RUSSELL NEWLAND,
Associated Press Sports Writer.


= AN FRANCISCO, January II.
- Roaming the left side of
- the San Francisco Seals in
field is a big, black-haired
youngster, businesslike, efficient,
the best shortstop in the minor
leagues.
A half dozen boys, most of them
about 16, cluster around the dugout
stairs, waiting for the final putout.
With the last play the shortstop lets
out an undignified Whoop and races
for them. They all troop off together
to play catch. They're his chums.
The shortstop is Frank Crosetti,
bashful, sensational 21-year-old Italian,
who still plays with the kids" His
base ball career is a fiction story. Next
Spring he goes up to the New York
Yankees. labeled a 5000 beauty and
certain star 1t all seems like
golden dream to the youngster who
started playing bush league ball here
only five years ago
T Until Frank came along no mem
" Der of the Crosetti family had ever
SeeH d DdsoS Ddll SclAiS' oHS Wv
he caught on with one of the teams In
the San Francisco Winter League. His
team played in the park OF the Seals.
One good look and the Seals grabbed
him. At IT he was in the regular line
up at third base. Another year and
he was the regular shortstop. The
Yankees bought him in 1880, and left
him here for another year OF expert
ence.
Crosetti is right handed, good look
ing, modest. weighs ITS pounds, and
has the nerve of highWayman at the
plate He never has hit less than .3O0.
Base ball held for him greater lure
than higher education. But the laws OF
California compel school attendance
until 18. SO the club owners had to get
special permission for Frank to play
ball.
EOR a year he went to school part
l. time, playing ball in the day, lug
ging books at night. He started at
the customary rookie salary of $3.50
month. Four seasons later he was draw
ing ST. 900 a month, rated one of the
highest-salaried. players in the Pacific
Coast League.
The men who raised his pay rate him
a smart business man. He has made his
own deals and never argued about
trif1es. He has never made an unrea
sonable demand. never has had a re-
quest turned down.
Frank has been the baby of the
Seals since joining the club. He has
never quarreled with teammate, never
tried to alibi an error. The few times he
talked back to umpires found him trot-
ting around later to apologize, even
though every one concerned knew he
had been right in the first place.
LIE weighed only 135 pounds coming
L L into the Pacafic Coast League
and so he was milk-fed baby.
One Of his daily practices the first year
consisted of drinking quart of milk
day. The system was so successful
that the Seals did the same thing to
build up Vernon Gomez, and now Ver-
non Is the Yankees star left handler
He has regular routine during the
off season. The afternoons he spends
at the playground near his home play
ing catch with his chums. Two nights
a week he goes to movies.
The prospect of playing with the
Yankees almost takes his breath away.
Along with the rest Of base balls youth,
his idol is Babe Ruth.
He met the Babe when the home
run king was out here this Winter.
Remember" said the Babe, when
you hear me boom, my ball-get out
of the road"
Frank was SO fiustered all he could
say was:
'Yes. sir; Mr.. Babe"