The Washington times., 1933-11-21
ACE ATHLETE
IOYRS. AGO|S
ALLEY BOSS
By DANNY GILL

Somehow the Arcadia always
brings back memories of sport.
The atmosphere pervades the
moment ones foot touches the
bottom step.
It vas not so long ago that the
large bowling center was the home
Of the interhigh basketball series
and WaShington'S professional
ba' ?tball games as well as being
an early wrestling center.
Pictures on Walls
So it doesn't seem strange or
out of place to find sport pictures
In the managers office. in fact,
the walls would look bare and
forlorn wer- they not adorned
with figures of the sport world.
There's something familiar about
the face Of the slugger who is pic
tured, completing his follow.
through, and the halfback who is
starting on an end run with two
opponents cutting towards him.
He looks like Ralph Fraser,
manager Of the alleys, although
Ralph Is nearly 10 years older
than the athlete whose likeness is
hung from the wall. The name
Ralph Fraser may or may not
mean anything to you, but if you
followed Sandlot ball back in the
days when Washington was win
ming its first pennant, or to pro-
teSSional baseball shortly after,
you'd recognize him as monk"
Fraser, former sandlot idol.
But to those persons who have
grown up in the last few years
q few words about him may not
be amiss.
Was Great Back
monk" is one of the greatest
backfield men ever produced in
the days when the Mohawks,
Mercurys and Knickerbockers
had line-upS which read like a
coach's dream come true.
There was real heated rivalry
IN those days and that picture
showing him about to be tackled
told only part Of the story. On
that play he was thrown so
fiercely that four stitches were
required to close the wound.
Playing with the Mohawks
against Mercurys that day,
''Monk" threw a 47-yard pass to
''Mutt" Egan, who fell over the
goal line with the ball.
Baseball got a big play from
him in 1924. One of the photo
graphs shows him sitting on the
bench near John McGraw, as
he was receiving his baptism as
a movie actor in a picture which
featured Walter Miller and the
New York Giants, Of which he
was member.
Monk" played most Of the po-
sitions on the Giants bench, being
Just a youngster with a tough
team to break into. pep"
Young, "Irish" Meusel and "Hack"
Wilson made up the outfield, end
q young rookie named Bill Terry
was so good McGraw used Long
George Kelley, the regular first
baSeman, at second base part Of
the time.
Got ShuffIed Around
So Monk" was shuffled around
the minor leagues. He played at
Reading, Pa, when Moe Berg was
on the team and was a shortstop.
Playing with Rutland. of the
Quebec Ontario League, Fraser
went to bat "a times and got 10
hits, which includes four home
Guns, three triples, four doubles
and eight singles. He batted AIT
In 1925 and was at bat 336 times.
Fifteen home runs were pounded
but by "Buck" Fraser, as the Ca
madam rooters called him. He
also hit "a doubles and 13 triples.
His International League batting
average was 1886. He was the
only man, playing over so games,
to make no errors.
He was sold to Atlanta, and
poor health soon after forced the
end Of one of the most promising
careers of any Washington prod
duct in professional baseball.
But, like many Of the all-around
athletes, Monk" says:
"Give me football any day.
That's the game for you"
He protests he can't bowl very
good, but those who have seen
him in action will warn you not
to roll him a couple of games
with that idea in mind. Next
year he plans to heed the call of
the fairways and greens, but moth.
ing will ever replace football in
his estimation.