Evening star., 1932-06-28
ST|RS CURIOSITY
Of NET OFFICIALS
Youth Is Protege of BeaSeIy,
Who Admits He Is Maker
of Champions.
BY LAWRENCE PERRY.

~ YEW YORK, June 28.-Back
M of this sensational kid,
Y frankie Parker of Milwau-
kee, who won the Western
singles title at Chicago on Sun
day, stands an interesting person
ality, to wit, Mercer Beasely,
Beasely describes himself without
any modesty whatever as developer Of
champions officials high in the coun-
Gil of national tennis have been inclined
to smile at Beaselys claims But now 1t
begins to look as if the man is one OF
those rare birds in athletics, talker
of resounding verbiage who produces as
advertised
So much, for the moment, about
Beasely while we turn to his young
prodigy, who from an established posi-
ton on the base line-a Lacoste-haS
been burning opponents off the Western
courts
Unlike his mentor. Parker, who is 16
years old, has been letting his deeds
speak for him. They have been lustrous.
Aside from what he has accomplished,
United States tennis authorities know
next to nothing about him. Whether
he is the son Of wealthy parents, and
thus able to devote a lot of time and
money to tennis, or whether he is a
scion of parents of small means and is
playing tennis on a shoestring, no one
hereabouts seems to know.
LIVERY one concerned with the con-
Il duct of tennis does know. however,
that any 16-year- boy who can
turn back George Lott and Junior Coen
and then in the finals dispose of the
gigantic Lester Stofen-who defeated
Ellsworth vines in the Pacific Coast
singles last Springs a boy worth
keeping in mind. Frankie has beaten
Lott twice this Summer, and has also
handily disposed of Gilbert Hall. All
of which viii be regarded as justifying,
concerning this boy, the colloquial
phrase, some kid!
A search of the records reveals that
Parker won the national boys singles
title in 1881 and that in 1880, teamed
with George Boynton, he won the ma
tional boys doubles
Not a large boy. He has years in
which to grow, of course, but just now
he meets in general way the physical
dimensions of little Bill Johnston. He
has never played in the junior cham
pionships, and since he is eligible to
compete in them 1t may be that this
wear he will 60 after the junior title.
Or he may skip the juniors as beneath
his notice and plump his arrow for
senior honors in the big tournaments
now falling due.
Nov Beasely comes into the picture
IN because of the fact that for two
years Parker has been under his
instruction.
Beasely coaches at Tulane University
In the Winter and has there developed
some fine players, including Clifford
Sutter, the present intercollegiate cham
pion. In the Winter he repairs to the
Detroit Tennis Club and 1t is there that
Frankie Parker has taken instruction.
Beasely is not the sort of man who
hides his light under bushel. He talks
a great deal about his accomplishments.
But it should be noted that the burden
of his conversation is what he has done,
not what he is going to DO.
For instance, there was his assertion
that he had made Ellsworth Vines into
q national champion. The reaction was
that he had gone bit too far that time.
Derisive smiles were seen IN high quar-
ters. Then, behold Vines statement it
was even SOTO an extent at least.
1t may be recalled that two years
ago Vines was going strong until ne met
Sidney Wood The New YORKER oe-
cided to slow up the Californian,s ournL
ing pace and accordingly he soft-oslleo
him to death.
Then it was that Beasely took the
future champion in hand and taught
him all about how to handle an oppo-
nent who deals out fluffy balls. vines
has acknowledged his Indebtedness on
this score. So all in all we may accept
Beasely as we are accepting young
Parker-on the basis OF definite &C
complishment.