Evening star., 1938-03-01
RANGY ROCK AGILE,
|FLASHY IN ACTION
Coach Milan Says Mickey
Is SIugger-Harris Keen
About Leonard, HurIer.
BY FRANCIS E. STAN.

Stan Correspondent Of The Star.
ORLANDO, Fla, March IA kid
catcher who physically and facially
resembles Roy Spencer. the old Nat
backstop. was making talk in the
Washington training camp today.
Manager Bucky Harris had q squad
Of 20-odd players in uniform for the
opening day Of camp yesterday but 1t
did not take him long to spy Thomp-
son Orville Livingston, who is called
Mickey. And what he saw, plus what
he heard from Coach Clyde Milan,
made Bucky sit up and take notice.
The first practice consisted only Of
pepper games, which means a batter
whacking ground balls back at q
group Of f1elders, and the process Of
slowly warming up pitchers. But to
Livingston attention was drawn natur-
ally. If ever q kid can handle q
catchers mitt gracefully, it is Liv-
ingston.
The young man is only II years
old and has played only one season of
professional ball. That was last year
when he caught S6 games for Char
lotte and Chattanooga and batted
.249. He stands an inch and a halt
over feet, weighs ITS, and is the
most active catcher the Washington
club has taken to camp in years.
Milan Touts His Batting.
This is too early date to seriously
appraise the ball players in the Wash
ington camp, particularly the young
sters. Livingston hasn't had a bat in
his hand yet, for one thing. Nor has
he had q chance to handle . pitcher
But he can take care of himself with
the big mitt and there is no question
Of that item.
Livingston so worked up the enthu.
siasm Of Manager Harris, in fact, that
Bucky conferred hastily with Milan
who last year managed the Chatta-
nooga club. II don't know how much
he'll bat against big league pitching,
said Milan, "but If he gets hold Of the
ball he'll hit for extra bases. He has
power and is q conner"
The catching problem is a serious
one with the Mats. Only Rick Ferrell
Is q major league backstop. Last
year Rick was hurt several times. Il
the hard luck jinx pursues him again
this season the Washington firm will
be IN bad shape. Harris disclosed to.
day that he had tried to grab RAY
Berres in the draft earlier in the
| winter.
Harris Strong for Leonard.
We were all set to get him." sale
Bucky, but Pittsburgh bought hin
before the draft came up" Berrel
was with Brooklyn and Is rated q.
mechanically perfect behind the bal
as anybody in baseball. He is, how.
ever, q weak hitter.
Maybe it was q good break" brok.
IN Milan, that you didn't get Berres
You have a kid in Livingston who !,
going to be as good as Ray behind thu
pat and probably better hitter"
One thing seems to worry Harris
at this stage of training. Buck,
thinks that Pitcher Emil (Dutch)
Leonard Is going to be big help to tn,
Grinmen with his knuckle ball, bu
he isn't 80 sure that Rick Ferrell viii
handle the tricky pitch well.
Last year Wes Ferrell developed {
knuckle ball." revealed Harris. H,
used 1t several times and all Rick die
was bat 1t down. He couldn't seen
to catch it.
Leonard has one Of the best knuck
lers In the business. I have 4 stron,
suspicion that Livingston will handl'
the pitch better than Rick.
I'm all for Leonard. When I firs
broke into the big leagues I recall
Eddie Rommell pitching for the Ath
letics. They finished eighth in 1921
but Ed won rs or ~ games with tha
knuckler and maybe Leonard will b,
. big winner, too. But to do 20 h<
must throw that knuckle ball = lot"
Squad in Great Shape.
Even the newspaper men with thu
club were attracted to Livingston, and
most Of the writing mob do not know
which end Of the caddy to hit base
ball with. He reminds me Of PAT
Collins Of the Yankees," cracked one
of them, watching Livingston move
with uncommon agility.
YEAH" said Harris, hes 70 differ
ent." With that he blew the whistle
to signal the end of the workout and
the group began to run around the
ball park, which Is big enough, to give
Glenn Cunningham Q workout.
Here's ono thing Tvo noticed about