The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1935-06-08

polite south of the Rio Grand
At the time the Armada fam
lily lived in the province Of So
nora where the brood Of six
girls and two boys played and
prattled around the hacienda IN
happy oblivion to the grim I'M
certainties of life of the day.
It was in the days when an
assassin's bullet felled President
Obregon that Armada padre was
appointed governor of Baja Cali
fornia-Lower California in the
biographies you studied in school.
The appointment was declined
and instead Senior Armada &C
cepted the post of consul at Los
Angeles.
At this point we forget the
career of the politico and take
up the story of the growing boy
who has risen to stardom in his
first year of major league base
ball with the Boston Red Sox.
This boy is Melo Armada 4th.
center fielder of the Crimson
Hose, who one day not far dis
tant will be ranked with Iris
Speaker, Happy Felsch and some
of the other gerat guns Of the
last generation.
A Boy Star
Young Melo was just Is months
old when his father established
himself in Los Angeles. There he
lived the happy life of the we'll
cared-for boy. In grade school he
started playing lone o. cat" with
the rest of the kids. BY the time
he matriculated at Los Angeles
High School he was a tall. broad
shouldered youth whose potent bat
! and speed on the bases had at
tracted the attention of Coast
League scouts.
American in everything but ma
tivity. this tall CaStilian of Mexl-
can birth was completely alien
ated from the land of his fathers.
Obregon, Gales, Carranza, Huerta.
Madero, Villa-they were names
that linked the present with life
that only the older members o.
his family really knew. The youth
full Melo and his elder brother,
Louie, now in the Pacific Coast
League, heard them at the fam
lily table.
But Babe Ruth-now, there was
a name. for Melo Armada glorieS
in his American citizenship.
SPORTS IN MEXICO
'We shall talk Of the growth
of sports in Mexico" said the
striking Castilian. With my
brother, I went on a tour of
Mexico. We visited Mexico
City and several other larger
cities, playing games. My
brother and played on OppOs-
ing amateur and semi prOfeS-
SiOnaI teams. We were enthuS-
iaStically received, and attracted
crowds Of $4,000 in some in
stances.
Mexico is taking up base.
ball in enthusiastic manner.
But / was surprised to learn
that few of the Mexican boys
wanted to pitch. They pre-
ferred playing ShOrtstOp or first
base. The average kid in the
States wants to pitch. This per-
haps is due to the fact that
average Mexican boy is some
what smaller than the American
lads. Whatever the reason,
they do not care for the mid
die Of the diamond.
when did you start playing
ball?" your agent asked.
A BLOOMIN' COSMOPOLITE
Gas q boy in grade school,"
replied Almada, II pitched and
played the OutfieId, with a turn
at first base. In high school it
was the same thing, and after
1 was through at school 1 Joined
Seattle in the Coast League.
Ernie Johnson was manager"
What did you play then" we
asked.
"WeIl, / had q toe plate on
my shoe and . first baSeman'S
glove on my hand. So johnson
put me in the OutfieId. This
was in '32 when was Is years
old. I was very fortunate with
Seattle. 1 hit better than 800
and led the Coast League in
stolen bases and assists from
the outfield."
And this gay young cabellero is
still in the outfield. Unless sea