The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1938-10-18
Miami, Fla,
Oct 10 102Q

l. P. Artman, Jr.,
Sports Editor, The Citizen,
Key West, Fla.
-
Dear Mr.. Artman:
Your open letter, published in
The Citizen Oct. 5, just came to
me, from Roy Hamlin, manager
of your baseball team. had re-
ceived letters from players on the
Key West team apologizing for
il, so grew curious as to what
charges you had made.
III answer your questions, for
as your own players will tell
you, someone not a sportsman
gave you information which has
led you to write a story COM
plefely erroneous.
Cd In the first place we did
not send an all-star team onto
the field. Every player we used
with the exception of Red Bogart
was with our team all season.
Red was used because Harold
Rubin, our regular shortstop, has
gone TO University of Florida,
and Harold Vaughn, our second
string shortstop, has gone to Uni
versity of Illinois. The Smith
boys you speak of have played
with as ell year. One of them
played under an assumed name
that day, since he had been i'll
with a bad cold and his doctor
had ordered him not to play at
all. He was Johnny Duncan, our
regular second sacker, as all your
boys know. The other Smith
played with us all season, until
he was forced to leave town ow-
ing to his mothers illness. Som
ny Leathermar was graduated
from Miami high school in June,
played with US all summer and
is in University of Miami now.
He never even saw a game in
the Georgia. Florida league. Jake
Allaben, sitting on the bench, is
not an east coast star. He caught
for Ojus in our local league all
summer, and caught for us in the
playoffs when Dutch Bandera,
our regular catcher, got a bad in
lection on his hand.
Ia Il Is not q fact that on.
both Sundays ! insisted on play
ing until dark because the head
Of the batting order was up. Your
team manager and ] talked it
over and agreed when to call the
game In fact. Roy asked for an
extra inning each time. As for
the head OF the batting order
coming up in that last inning,
Key Vests hitters were up there
too.
cd Now, the black and white
bali charge There were two balls
in the game, a new one and an
other that was soiled. I tried to
get the old bah out of the game
but your pitcher insisted on using
Il. which Is his prerogative. So
did our pitcher. Naturally, when
some batter fouled the dark ball
Out of play the pitchers-both of
them-had to throw the new
one.
Cd II is true I didn't mention
that pitcher Carbonell cut off the
throw from leftfield in the last
inning. instead of letting II 60 on
through TO the plate. Why am l
blamed for mistakes Of your bali
players? AS a matter of fact Car
honell did what he thought was
best for his team ~Your inform
ant toldfyou the bali was coming
home when our man was round
ing third. II was clean single
TO left. II you know baseball,
use your own judgment.
CD I might add that your own
players are so ashamed Of the
unfair attack on US, printed in
your paper, that they're beggins
70 be allowed to return here
just TO prove they're better sports
than was your informant. Hialeah
had the field this week. so I've
secured II for next Sunday and
am inviting Roy Hamlin and his
boys back again. / would sug-
gest that YOU come up too. Then
you can write with first-hand
information and won't make the
mistakes contained in your open
letter to me.
Very sincerely,
JACK BELL
Manager, Railey- Milan.