Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-02-21
FARMS OPEN WAY
TO TRY OUT TALENT
Clubs Connections, Those
of Allies, Offer Many Train
ing Fields.
BY JOHN b. KELLER.
NfpTTIOIIS Youngsters of

MIDI i 4OOS yO0ASosSAo ~
~ CAPITALS sandlot base ball
~ mines are about to get long
delayed break. With the
Washington ball club and its allied
interests gaining control of little
minor outfits galore, the path to a
professional career in the national
pastime soon will be wide open to
this city's stars.
The recruiting of local talent has
begun this year with the signing OF
Archie Scrivener, former George
Washington University pitcher, by
President Clark Griffith of the Ma
tionals, and the opportunity given
Dick Lanahan. one-time Eastern High
School stellar hurler and later a great
winner for the N. R. A. nine, to prove
his worth while training as a guest"
member of the squad at the Nationals
camp in Biloxi.
Lanahan could not be signed dl-
rectly by the Washington club. A big
league club these days can pick up
players outside of organized ranks
only from the colleges. The minors
have full sway on the sandlots. But
there is Misunderstanding Judge
Lands, the car of base ball-to pre-
vent big league club adopting a
sandlotter. He may be signed" by
a minor subsidiary of the big league
outfit and Immediately bought by the
foster club.
Have Training Spots.
"HE Nationals, with their Chatta-
nooga in the Southern Associa-
ton Selma in the Southeastern
League and Panama in the Georgia
Alabama Florida League farms, now
offer excellent training fields for Dis
trict stars eager to make the grade
in organized ranks. So do Albany
in the International League and Al
bangs farm, Lancaster, in the new
Keystone League Albany soon will
control Harrisburg of the New York
Pennsylvania League, and will handle
MartinSburg if the Blue Ridge League
is revived. Washington has smooth
working agreement with Albany and
may place players with outfits under
the control of this club.
This agreement with Albany also
may open the entrance to organized
base ball ranks to Reds Miller,
Silver Spring boy who has starred
at shortstop with Washington sand
lot teams, and Richard Knight,
marvel" with the Heurich team of
last Summer. These boys were out
standing last season, and already or
ganized base ball officials are in COM
munication with them.
Actually, Miller has been promised
trial with the Albany club by Joe
Cambria, Baltimore laundry magnate
and red-hot hacker and president of
the minor league base ball outfit.
And Knight, who outfielded with the
Brewers, did enough to convince on
lockers here that the paid base ball
ranks were overlooking a good bet
in his case.
Once a Fertile Field.
has not been
w without its high-class base
ball players in times past, base
ball players that commanded the at
tention of big league scouts even if
they did not make the highest grade.
They were clever enough to get good
pay in the minors. And major league
players, too.
There have been Doc White
George Harris, if you would-who is
in charge of athletics at Wilson Col
lege. And if you would go back
somewhat, Eugene Demontreville, the
great shortstop of the Senators in the
old days of Washington in the Ma
tional League. And even more back,
the famous Mike Scanlon.
Then we have seen the late Charley
Moran come out of Georgetown Uni
versity to have a place as shortstop
on the Washington club; the late
Buck Becker rise from a Navy Yard
team to place on the pitching staff
of the Nationals: Mickey Kelliher,
now gone. who was one of the great
est inf1elders ever to rise from local
teams.
Some Stars Recalled.
DERHAPS the present day crop of
fans doesn't recall AL Handiboe.
Well, he was good. And he man
aged the old Savannah team in the
South Atlantic League for years.
Then there was Reggie Rawlings, a
former Business High School player,
who went to the original Blue Ridge
League. He played with Martinsburg
after starring for the Manhattan team
on old McDevitt Field, where the
Eastern Bloomingdale section of the
city now is, and was that leagues
greatest hitter. He outStarred Hack
Miller in the circuit, but preferred not
to get into major league base ball.
There were many others. Among
them Johnny Priest, who shorstopped
for the Yankees back in the days
when they began fighting for recog-
milton in the American League per-
nant race. Priest, before going to the
Yanks, had played great ball for East
ern High School and the Cornell
team In the annual sandlot city series
here.
And only recently Washington has
seen Bill Werber, former Tech High
School boy, make himself a wonder
among big league third basemen. He
did as much as any other member Of
the Red Sox to carry that club into
the first division for the first time
in years last season. Now we have
Bozie Burger coming up to the Indians
for another trial. And this one time
Tech High and University of Mary
land star has great chance to make
good.
And with the many ways now being
so have f1ocks of other stars
Of Washingtons sandlotS.