The Washington times., 1936-02-25
Box Berth
BeckOnS
Chase
BY FRANK BUCK" O'NEnE

ny r MANN OONN " NGAAA
ORLANDO, Fla, Feb. 25.-Tha
golden road to diamond fame
stretches before Kendall Chase.
Unless every sign is wrong you're
going to hear Of this kid, for he's
ball player. Chase had been
out on the field for Just about
20 minutes when Bucky Harris
stopped delivering a lecture to
his corps Of youngsters and
watched him. Very abruptly
Harris walked over and watched
the high low game that was in
rip-roaring progress by the grand
stand.
"LoOk at that kid field the
ball." said Harris. Hes been
snOw-bOund all winter, but he's
out there looking like q cham
piOn. He's going to be q fifth
infieIder, and that will help"
Just then Chase leaped to his
right, snagged bad half-hop-
per, and executed the panto-
mime of throwing the ball to
first base.
I'D had him." he yelled and
laughed as he walked back to
his place in the lines. eyes,
sir; I'd q had him all right"
You could visualize a straining
runner trying to beat that play
in the race for the bag. And
you knew, that the runner didn't
have a chance. For master
a potential maSter-of defense at
any rate had that ball, and yoI
could see the umpire with his
thumb in the air yelling: Hes
out"
It follows, of course that Chase
will have to do something be.
sides fielding the ball. He'll
have to pitch for instance, for on
the roster of the club he's listed
as a pitcher.
Big Boy
Lefthanded, 6 feet tall, and %
years of age, this kid from New
York State is as timber as whip
lash. He pitched for Panama
City down in Florida and won
II games for an average of 500
on a team that finished last. He
struck out more than 200 hitters
in 1876 innings or Whereabouts,
and when rushed to Chattanooga
at the end of the season, struck
out three Atlanta hitterS with
the bases full to save a game.
"Chase's minor league record
indicates that he is a good
pitcher" Harris said as prac-
tice progressed. "He is fast
and has a good curve ball. He
was inclined to be wild, but we
may be able to cure him of
that fault. A kid with so much
natural ability and the diSpO-
sitiOn to learn the fine points
of major league ball is just all
right. T'm going to give him
lot Of my time"
When practice was over your
Uncle Nick Altrock and this
writer meandered forth to the
links of the Bubsdread Country
Club for a whirl at the ancient
and royal game of Scotland.
Dubsdread is we'll named. I
know, but this is story of base
ball.
THAT guy Chase looks good
to me-" said Altrock as he
laid a chip shot dead to the
pin and collected another dime
from your very inept reporter.
He's loose and he's fast on
his feet. He looks smart and
he fields a ball like he knows
how. I'll show him a lot of
tricks about pitching, and I
think he'll listen"
"I'm going out and ask Nick
AltrOck to teach me how to
PITCH" Chase said this morning
as they prepared for action. "A
lefthander will be the fellow fOr
me. It's just the right caper."
So it looks as if Chase will
get plenty of time when the real
shooting starts out there in TIN
ker field in a few days.
It begins to dawn upon the
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is a factor on all fields. We
know in Washington what the
little republic by the Baltic old
in football, and now we're COM
ing up with a pitcher who may
make the grade. The new Lith-
uanian threat to the security
of batterS is Joe KrakauSkas, a
lefthander who halls from Hamll-
ton, Ontario.
Needs Work
Crackers to give the name
that Uncle Nick Altrock stuck
right on him at the start of
practice, is a rather unusual type
Of young man. He is a good
overland pitcher who is a bit
raw, but has a lot of promise.
Oh, say for 1897 or thereabout.
He's a strong man, with heavy.
bowed legs, but he is loose
through the shoulders and the
type who hoUld make good
ball player. He had a long work
out yesterday, too long for his
own good,s it seemed, but since
all he did was strive to put the
ball over the plate, his arm
should not suffer.
HE needs work and a lot
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