The Washington times., 1936-06-04
Van zahn Fan
For Quarter
0fCentury
BY GINO SINH

ny OANO OAMAA
The baseball enthusiasts who
live in the neighborhood OF
Twelfth and c Sts. N. E. perk up
their ears and keep very, very
quiet when a husky, florid-jowled,
elderly gentleman begins to crate
in q quiet but commanding voice
on baseball Of either major league
or sandlot variety.
The pink-cheeked old chap is
Van A. Zahn, affectionately called
"Pop" by his numerous friends
and admirers. He has followed
baseball with a keen and critical
eve for more than quarter OF a
century, and when he passes an
opinion on the national pastlme
none can gainsay him.
Scanning the various An-Time
District sandlot teams which nave
appeared in the washington
Times during the past two months,
"Pop" was gracious enough to Slt
down and compile an Au!Tlme
team rich with the authority OF
many years Of personal obserVar
ton, contact and study.
Appends Valuable Notes
Doing the job with his accus-
toned thoroughness, Pop" has
also appended valuable notes as to
the why's and whereforeS OF his Sc
lections.
Sentiment plays absolutely no
part on Pops" team, for If 1t did,
he could have readily placed the
name of his own brilliant athletic
son, Arthur "OttS" Zahn, a former
All.High second baseman, and
good enough to hold down that
position with one of the best mines
in town, Heurich Brewers. "Otts"
has been picked as an All-T1me
second sacker on teams already
printed. But OTIS dad, though
proud of him, deemed the old
timer, Tommy Ford, superior.
Here's Pops" outfit and his ex-
planatory notes:
Pitcher-Lem Owen.
PitCher-Frank Watt.
Catcher-Givy GiOvanetti.
First BaSe-Lefty Deck.
Second BaSe-TOm Ford.
ShOrtstOp-BOb Stevens.
Third BaSe-BrOwnie LemeriSe.
Left Field-MOnk Fraser.
Center FieId-Pepco Barry.
Right Field-Denny Southern.
UtiIity-JOe FreSchi,
"Owen and Watt were good
pitchers before going to organ
lied ball. They made good
records there and have been
good since returning and are
still good. If any team doesn't
believe that statement let them
try to win from either Of them.
SLOW EASY WAY
'The principal good points I
always liked about GiOvanetti's
backstOpping was the slow easy
way that he went about catch.
ing . ball game. His defense Of
home plate and the way he had
Of making a lot Of just fair
throwers around town look like
real pitchers.
Lefty Deck always looked
and acted like q first baSeman,
even in his high school days at
Tech.
"TOm Ford played most Of his
games with the Union Printers.
He not only fielded his position
well but could pole them for
distance when up to the plate.
"BObby Stevens shOrtstOpping
was always something to ad-
miFe, Western High School,
league ball, and now on the lots.
Every infielder in town could
learn something by watching
him make hard plays look easy.
MADE UNION PRINTERS
Brownie Lemerise, with the
help Of two or three other play.
erS, made the Union Printers
what they have been over the
last Is years.
''Monk Fraser, Pepc0 Barry
and Denny Southern could al.
ways 90 and get them and all
three were clever at the plate.
PepcO undoubtedly Is the best
Outfielder in or around Wash.
ington today.
"JOe Freschi has been play
ing ball several years, bot seems
to be just as good as ever, ir-
respective Of whether he Is
pitching or playing the Outfield
or infieId."