The Waterbury Democrat., 1935-03-29
BY HARRY CRIMSON (SDOrts Editor, NEA Service)

Biloxi, Miss, March 29-"Joe En- gel certainly can dig 'em up," re- marked Bucky Harris, as the rangy Cecil Travis Shot a three-base hit into right field.
 Harris, happy in his new-old as- signment as manager of the Wash ington Americans, says the 22year old Travis is just catching up with major league pitching.
 And when Travis does catch up with it, what a shellacking it is go- ing to. take" smiles Harris. "If Travis pulls consistently, he'll be U 400 hitter"
 Yes, Joe Engel certainly can dig 'em up.
 Not yet 21, and with only a sea- son and a half of professional ex- perience, Travis beat Ossie Bluege, one of the finest third basemen in baseball, out of his job with the Senators.
 Engel paid Kid Elberfield $200 for Travis in the spring of 1881. Clark Griffith asserts that he wouldn't take $125,OOO for the young Georgian now, but there's never any way of telling what the Old Fox might do. Griffith's only regret is that he had but one son. in-law, Joe Cronin, to sell to the Boston Red Sox at $250,0o0 a crack.
 But getting back to Joe Engel- My Poy Choe" certainly can dig 'em up. The Washington scout not only knows a ball player when he sees one, but has the happy faculty of being on the ground when one arrives.
 Engel stumbled into Elberfeld's baseball school at Atlanta four wears ago on them orning that a gangling kid in blue overalls and tennis shoes hopped off an old truck and sought admittance. Ills name was Cemil Travis and he came from the cotton fields around Riverdale, Ga.
 Travis didn't have to be in unl- form to look like ball player. He hit three home runs in his blue oyeralls and tennis shoes the first day, and became the property Of the Chattanooga club of the Soutn, ern association, of which Finger finds time to be-A Aresident while on his foxy foraging. Hits Ring on Rockies Bat
 Engel sent Travis to the Ne". port, Tenn, club, a member or semi-profestsional circuit, Watn n which the cotton picket mt .4oO. Travis reported to the Chattanoosa club in September, and compiiea an average of .410 for US re1naii- ing games. , c.ot+anooea to a Southern Association pehiiai'' with a mark of 1862 in l932. Cecil trained with the senators at Biloxi in 1883, and hit .3S2 "iieii returned to Chattanooga. l..
 Washington recalled Travis III mid-season of that penna WIT ming year, and ill the nrst DIS league game the young man ever saw he made five hits in nVe tliilss aft bat against Oral Hlloeprana' star of the Cleveland lnuians' Travis has been Washington No; i third sacker ever since. lie cioseu the 1883 campaign With an Aiho ican league average or .54o.
 Travis hit .319 in 1884. desplte a heaning by Thornton Lee oL ths Indians in early May that put mn out for several weks, ana les ih- jury suffered later.
 Rookie Gardeners Can Hit
 But Travis isn't the only playea Harris has in camp over whom ne can wax joyful. He has coupie ,f rookie outfielders who can clou' Inc apple in big league fasnloh'
 One is Jake Powell. who my .ooo with Albany last season. anu lne ,ther Is Fred Sington, the ioriav' Ia hama An-America footbail pay ar, who compiled an average 99e with the same club.
 Roth youngsters are pretty sure .o sticlt around to help out Manusn Ered Schulte and Johnny 0.ono with outfield duties. oe
 The infield will be came UP oi roa EuheI. at first, if his ankie; I,noLan Last year, is sound; buuuy sr,,artat second, and l.yn Lary @ 1, .tnrt Tary has big task 10 III 2, rerlacing Joe. Cronin, put ne nas assured Harris he can turn l c,;ff Bolton's job as first-strins catcher Is endangered py 5i'n tqn,hrno,s and Jack Redmond ,ounle of rockies. The Iorinel ,onies from Chattanooga ana the latter from Birmingham. ,v Pitching will be handled 6y Earl Whitehill, ace of the staii' tWaItar , Stewart, Leon Petit, a .ookie. ~ M Ray Prim, and Bob Burke, eft handlers; Bumps Hadley, op- 70 med from the Browns, Monte Weaver. Ed Linke, Jack Russell ,nd Al Thomas, rigbt-handers. P Prim is likely to be returned ,eti h the minors, as his record With he Senators and Albany last sea- ,on was far from impressive.