The Washington times., 1937-09-02
Dozen Keeps Rolling Along
rs u. {. SandZOt VeterAn
Govt LEAGUER.
STAR OF LARGE
GROUP OF MATES.
BY GARRETT WATERS

There's man VINO SnoCllo
get all the credit in the world"
It is Stanley Tracey. secretary to
]. Edgar Hoover, the country's
Number One Oman, talking. The
occasion is q tete-a-tete at the
r. B. l., where activities Of the
Government League are the sub
ject.
Continued Tracey:
Lem owen is the object Of my
enthusiasm. Why, when he
turned in that .o-hit game a
week or so ago. wanted to
Jump on my chair here in this
office and cheer to the ceiling.
A grand veteran of the sandlotS
and q splendid pitcher"
This department agreed heartily
with Mr.. j. Edgar Hoover's ace
secretary, and allowed as how it
had been putting off writing q
piece about Mr.. owen, anyhow.
Also the Government League-to
be tactful.
IS INSTITUTION"
Going over the background once
again, anything in Owens behalf
brings out that old phrase that
he is an institution" to baseball
affairs locally.
Lem has been pitching for years
and years now, and nobody can
quite remember when he started,
how many games he's won and
how old he is. But the fact re-
mains he's been mighty active
and we'll venture to say, for 20
years. This includes a big league
trial.
In fact, IS years ago, maybe
further back than that, Lem was
turned down by a manager be-
cause he was "too old" to pitch.
This slant is offered by A. l..
Pierce, who acted as official scorer
for the Government League up
until this year.
Pierce said he met an old friend
on the Monument Grounds last
season during one Of the Govern
ment League gameS-Joe Turner
by name, and formerly a ticket
agent at the Washington Ter
nainal.
NAME FAMILIAR
Pierce was showing Turner
league statistics he'd just compiled
when the name of Owen was eyed.
"Owen?" queried Turner. The
name sounds familiar. It's not
Lem Owen, is it?"
Pierce confessed that it was.
"Well," answered Turner,
that really is something. In
fact, I can hardly believe 1t.
Because IS years ago, it was
that long at least, owen came
to me when was then manag-
ing q team in the old Terminal
League, and asked me for q
chance to pitch. I turned him
down because I figured he was
too old!"
Owen has pitched for the Treas.
ury team in the Government
League for the past three or four
seasons, while on Sundays he's
taken his turn for the Ballston
A. C.
The talk turned to other indi-
vidualS and teams of the Govern
ment League. The names of Clay
ton Sheedy, manager of the cham
pion r. B. I. team; Ray Davidson,
sensational lefthander of the same
team, and William Moore, Treas
ury outfielder, were mentioned.
"BEST MANAGER"
"Sheedy is the best manager
on the sandlots," came the opin-
ton from Tracey. THE record
he's made with the F. B. I. Club
Is proof"
we had to agree again for
sheedy has directed the team to
two chan4p !onships within the last
two seasons and promises to lead
it to q third this year. And David
son, His record is IA wins as
against only one loss. Can't speak
against that.
Then Moore. This lad has a
"history" well worth any album.
He's played ball ever since he was
able to put on a uniform, has
starred since 1928, when then a
member of the Sam Rice Costello
Post Junior team, up to the present
season which finds him the bat
ting king Of the Treasury Nine.
Moore played first base for East
ern High in 1890, 1881 and 1882.
In 1888, the st. Louis Browns tried
him out every time they visited
Washington, then in 1884, he went
south with Knoxville, of the Sou
thern Association, was released to
Black Star, of the Cumberland
Valley League. from there went to
the Lonesome Pine League where
he lYl league with All, hitting 26
doubles and 13 homers.
TRIAL WITH HENS
In 1925 he went south with the
Toledo Mud Hens and attracted
enough attention for q trial later
with the Cincinnati Reds who sent
him to Durham, Of the Piedmont
League. The latter released him
after Q few months and being
unable to find another job, he
grabbed one in the Treasury De-
partment when the opportunity
presented itself.
80 you see," said Tracey in
conclusion, "the Government
League has its stars, Owen,
Sheedy, Davidson and Moore, to
Soaafioyo OVo1U q fouV -