The Washington times., 1935-03-20

jam for pitch M An
ers. Griffith m
asked me to "T''1' ''N
send him the Frank Buck" o'Nein
man whom I thought would
help him most. I'm sending you.
Good luck"
"WashingtOn?" answered Nc
Coll. "Why they'll win that
pennant. And you're sending
me? I'm apt to get into the
world series. That's fine"
And so that night, Alec McColl
waited impatiently in the station
at Chattanooga for the train to
carry him into Washington, and
his first adventure in the major
leagues.
The minutes dragged as never
minutes dragged before. AS Nc
Coll sat there he prayed that
something would bring the rattler
in ahead of time; get him out of
the State before the telegraph
could countermand the order, and
condenmu him to further service
in the Southern Association.
Not that the Southern Associa.
tion was bad, as minor leagues
go.
Played In Dixie Series
The winner got into the Dixie
series. usually with Houston, and
the players picked up enough
money to carry them through the
winter.
But Alec McColl with the pale
red hair and the pale blue eyes
had been in the minors for 18
years. After all those years there
wasn't much hope of man ever
getting into the big time, except
in case of emergency.
Alec McColl reported at Grit
fifth Stadium in August Of '33.
Griff pitchers fell by the way
side injured or ill. The Capital
was seething with baseball fervor
and excitement. The pennant
could be won if a pitcher could
win.
Steps Into Box
Into the box stepped Alec Nc.
Coll one day with the Chicago
White Sox on the field. Yes, AL
Simmons of the mighty bat swung
at his offerings. And swung
vainly. The veteran with the pale
blue eyes, the faded red hair and
the crooked right arm shut them
out. His name fairly flashed at
his bewildered eyes from the sport
pages. Yes, it was he; it was
Alec McColl. And then the series.
He couldn't win that, but he was
in the majors. He drew down
money.
And that winter he underwent
an operation on his right elbow.
Fragments Of bone were removed.
He was a major Lacquer now. Time
and years-pitching and winning.
Other old men. Sure, they'd
failed. But all men were mortal
except himself. Yes, brother,
even as you and I.
The season of 1884 found the
Griffmen crumbling. Not hing
went right, and the arm that had
undergone the knife refused to
rally as McCou had hoped it
would. Still, he was better than
anyone they could have picked
up, and Joe Cronin kept him. Kept
him because he liked McColl and
his fine spirit. There's sentiment
in baseball when the manager is
blue-eyed and Irish, and the pitch.
er is of the same hue and the
same race.
Little On Fast One
AS the swift, fleeting years roll
remorSely down the mill race Of
time. McColl had little on his
fast ball this training trip.
81 can't gamble on old Alex"
said Bucky Harris.
Joe Engel came to town looking
for pitchers. They gave him Reese
Diggs, Dick Lanahan, Orville Arm
bruSt and frankie PeticolaS. These
are all young men, boys to whom
baseball'S trail is the great ad'
venture. For the years are few,
and the views are new and the
grand old world is before them.
But youth isn't all Engel is TAX
ing back to Chattanooga. He is
taking Alec McColl with the pale
blue eyes and the pale red hair.
The man who waited for that
roaring train meath the starlit
skies of Tennessee two years ago.
Those eyes don't dance today.
II think you'll help me, Alec"
said Engel.
A tumble Of games, a whirl Of
dust and a clang of strife beat
upon the senses of McColl. The
hopes and the dreams Of a life
shattered in a twinkling.
He grimaced for a minute and
then said softly:
Thanks, Joe, I'll do my best"
Although there is no positive
word on the matter yet, the prob
abilities are that young Archie
Scrtvener, the lefthander from
George Washington University,
will be shipped to the Washington
farm In Lancaster, Pa.