The Washington times., 1936-04-27
BLeier
OfL0cal
SandlOts
BY GINO SINH

By GINO SINH
Washington has sent many q
sandlot star to the major leagues
but its greatest sandlotter was
not one Of them. according to q
consensus Of selectors Of the Dis
trict All-Time Sandlot mines.
The man who has been named
most often on these teams Is
Johnny Bleier, the fleet-footed,
hard slugging outfielder who
saw a quarter Of a century serv-
ice on local sandlotS, spurning
bids from minor league clubs
though he did play for a short
while each year in the Blue Ridge
loop.
Among the teams Bleier played
with were the Navy Yard, Rex,
Silver Spring, Elks Club, the Mo-
hawks and a dozen more. Though
primarily an outfielder, he caught
on occasions and also played the
infield If required. A tricky hit
ter, he could lay down hunts that
were the envy Of many q big
Lacquer.
Six Other Players
Though not mentioned quite as
often as Johnny, six other play.
ers rack up a humping percent
agG. They are John "Givy" Clio
vanetti, catcher; Ralph Monk"
Fraser, outfielder; Walter "Tots"
Long. third base, Clarence
Brownie" Lemerise, third base:
Denny Sothern, outfielder, and
Jim Roxy Roche, second base.
According to the teams on hand,
here's how a first and second ALL
time Sandlot team would look:
FIRST TEAM Pos. SECOND TEAM
Frank Watt. ...P.... Pat Patterson
Givy GiOvanetti. g Handsome FgeraId
Wally Pipp. ......1B..... Cook Taylor
Roxy Roche. sB Shorty Hughes
Ping Purdy SIS -. Skeete Hayes
Brownie Lemerise. .SB. Tots Long
Monk Fraser L.F. Marcus ChacOnas
Johnny BIeier CT. Dutch SmlthsOn
Denny SOthern .R.F Earl Clark
Utility-Mal "Si" SimOns.
There are wide differences Of
opinion on first base and shortstop
and also on the pitchers, but the
catcher, second baSeman and two
third-baSe candidates as well as
the outfielders have big edge on
the field.
George E. King and Fred Reidy
hit off on a new tangent in looking
back over old Sandlotters. They
both lift entire teams out Of the
past and defy disSenters to do
better. King cracks:
"Why not shoot at an honest
to goodness organized team that
won every. game it played ex.
cept one and lost that to the
Griffmen Of that year by . close
score. It cleaned up Al wins
for the season against that one
loss. I am referring to the EIks
Club Of the early twenties which
had the following roster:
Pitchers-Lem Owen. Paul Bryant.
Pat Patterson. Emil Ph e... .s
First Base@"Monk" Fraser.
Second Base-"ROxy" Roche.
ShOrtstOp-"PinE" Purdy.
Third Base-BrOwnie Lemerise.
Left Field-JOhnny Fitzgerald.
Centerfield-JOhnny Bleier.
Right Field-Eddie Carroll.
And such subs as DeEnan, Mccarthy,
LubeP, EdmOnstOn and Etc.
However, George would neceS-
sarily be prejudiced in favor Of
this team for he admits II am
proud to say that the under
signed organized and managed
this team with the able assist
ance Of Johnny Bleier." But
then comes the clincher in a
Up. S.-There is a case full Of
trophies at the Elks Club right
now won by this team"
Old Rex A. C. Nine
Reidy sends in the roster Of
the old Rex A. c.. which cleaned
up everything in and around
Washington during the war
period. He adds that the team
batted $40 and fielded $40, and
climbs right out on the limb
with the statement:
81 think, without . doubt,
that they were the best all.
around bunch of performers
ever to play on the sandlOtS
of Washington"
Which is covering a lot Of
territory and a long period Of
time. Here's the Rex A. C.'s line
up as submitted by Reidy:
Pitchers-Lem owen. Bill Phelps and
Pat Patterson.
Catcher-"HandsOme" Fitzgerald.
First Base-"BrOnze" Howard.
Second Base-"ROxy" Roche.
ShOrtstOp-Charlie Bernhard.
Third Base-BrOwnie Lemerise.
LeftfieId-JOhnny Bleler.
Centerfield-JOhnny Fitzgerald.
Rightfield-Eddie Carroll.
ManaRer-Jimmio Wright.