The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1937-07-16
Gates SELECTED
ONFLORIDASTATE
LOOP ALLSTARS
KEY WEST BOY PLAYS
THIRD BASE ON ST. Angus
TINE; STARTED ON CAREER
BY JOE WILLIAMS

In an article appearing in the
July IS issue of The Sanford Her
aid, it is shown that William
Gates of Key West, playing third
base on st. Augustine Saints,
has been nominated third baseman
on The Herald's Florida State
League, Ail-Star nine.
Excerpts from the article, which
was written by Julian Stenstrom,
follow:
"The move of Bill Gates from
Sanford to st. Augustine looks
(like a dose of that old change of
lscenery" tonic that spruces up so
many ball players all over the
United States every season.
Gates, a former member and third
baseman of the Sanford Lookouts
for two years and now tied up
with the Freddie Francis outfit,
has been playing such good
brand of baseball and his excel
lent hitting this season has earned
him a position on The Heralds
Florida State League All-Star
outfit. ''se
"Bill was selected to the all
star third base position after
battling it out with Bob Pitman
of the G-Men because of the fact
that his hitting as well as his de-
fensive work has given him
the name as the most improved
veteran in the Florida State
League over his work of last
/ season.
Last seasons poor showing by
the 185-pound Key West youth
while with the Lookouts can be
well accounted for in two ways.
His eyes were giving him a
great amount of trouble and an
injury to his shoulder, while
sliding into third base one aft
ernoon at Harris Field in Gaines
vile, did a lot to impair his
throwing arm.
I According to the latest batting
averages issued by Peter Schaal,
Florida State League statistician,
Gates is slapping the apple around
lat an amazing pace of 81.
"Bill began his organized base
ball career in a peculiar manner.
according to the story, Joe Viii.
liams, sports columnist and cdr
tor of the New York World-Tele
gram, has to tell Joe happened
ito be in Sloppy Joe's place, pop
Iualr bar in Key West, a few
springs ago. One of the bar
keeps got to raving about his
boy, who happened to be Bill
Gates and who was burning NJ
independent baseball in that sec
ton Of tire state.
civilians made a little deeper
investigation Of the situation and
went out to see 'eWillie" Gates,
as he was called in those days,
play in a game. willie" did moth
ing less than slap out two triples
and two singles. According to
Williams story. that was enough
for him. He took Gates to Or.
lando and asked Manager Casey
Stengel of the Brooklyn Dodgers
to give the kid a tryout. Stengel
did but Gates dveloped a sore
arm and didn't get out that sea-
son.
ssBill broke in with Sanford
| which was member of the Cen
trail Florida League but Williams
continued to watch him all along
the rough road. If Bill can carry
on this season as well as he has
been playing so far it may be the
turning point. for Williams is
still keeping tab on his discovery.
"Bill was a great athlete during
his high school career, being a
ifour-letteF man three seasons. He
stood out on the football eleven.
ran the 100 meters in 10 seconds,
| pitched and played at all points
on the diamond in baseball and
was an ace on the Key West bas-
ketbalI five. In 1882. Bill was
| picked on the Southern Florida
all-star basketball five as a for
ward.
Gates prefers third base to any
other on the diamond although
he Is an experienced catcher. IEe
hopes 10 20 up as . third base
] ran, ns,d d. has akiIl r,lnnir. nf