The Washington times., 1935-09-11

y ~
full of fans,
make good
Kirk Miller under the
Griffithian colors, he will be
one of several of a long line
of lythe Latins from the
midst of the Caribbean, Griff
will have had the distinction
Of introducing to Americas
national pastime.
! Griff, be it known, since the
time, vars and vars ago, when
he was manager of the Cincin-
natl Reds, in the "other and
lesser league" as he refers to
the National loop, has been the
chief importer of strictly cuban
ball players, on the hoof.
First For the Reds
"Banny" Bancroft, for 20
years business MANAGER of the
Cincinnati Reds, was barn.
storming with a ball club in the
Antilles, meeting talent local
to the Queen thereof, when he
spotted a third-baseman by the
name of Almeda, Carlos Al
media if my memory isn't
a.w.ol. again.
Arrangements were made to
give Almeda a trial in Cincin-
natl and during the approach
of spring, Griff received word
in Cincinnati that Almeda was
bringing along an interpreter,
being that Sir Carlos couldn't
speak a word of English.
The pair showed up at the
Reds training base and to be
real companionable with Al
media, his interpreter, one Ar
mando Marsans, tossed the ball,
knocked flies and otherwise
practiced right alongside Al
media.
Better of the Two
It developed, of all things,
that the interpreter was a bet
ter ball player than the genu-
inc article, Almeda, and so
Armando Marsans had a far
longer career in the majors
than did Almeda. The latter
was 8 fair hitting third-base'
man, but Marsans was built ike
Clyde Milan and developed into
a better-than-average hitting
outfielder and later was coach
on the New York Giants.
That was all in Cincinnati,
mind you, and before Gritf
adopted the American League
which was the brainchild OF
Ban johnson, with Gritt in at
tendance as nurse and intern.
Griff wasn't long at the helm
of Washington Sooners (sooner
be in second division than the
first until Griff's arrivaD, than
he was again recalling his liking
for Latin ball players.
He adopted a wee Cubanese
by the name of Baldomerlo
Acosta, an outfielder who hung
around for several years. Some
of the writing boys fell to call
Ing the youngster "Merito,"
which is a Cuban way of refer.
ring to those of midget stature.
He was, insofar as Washington
baseball history is concerned,
Acosta the First, as another
Acosta was to come later.
Acosta II
Acosta II, the pitcher, was
simply called "Cube" Acosta and
he also enjoyed some promi-
nence and no little success as
one of the growing number Of
Cuban ball players, the greatest
of whom was no doubt Adolpho
Luque, the Giant hurler, who
trimmed the Griffs in the last
game of the 1888 world series.
Then, too, Griff had other
outfielderS of the Cuban school,
Jacinto Calvo, who could go
get 'em and haul them down
with some Of the good ones of
his time. Gonzales Moroles was
another outfielder of Griff's i'm
portation.
Also 1 recall Griff enlisting
the services of a Cuban catcher,
one Ricardo Torres and a
Cuban Shortstop by the name OF
Gomez, the last of whom I re-
call was when he was released
to Chattanooga.
The latest edition of Cuban
performers, Roberto EStalella.
who has attracted the attention
OF the baseball world and who
four times has drawn the Cuban
Ambassador, Senor Guillerno
Patterson through the local
turnstiles, comes to Washington
from Albany, having only been
optioned out to Harrisburg
whence he is popularity sup
posed to have hailed.