Evening star., 1939-06-27
Capital Racete Subdng Outside Opposition Two Tournaments Here
Big League Managerial Touch
In Fine Hand of 79-Yeor-OId
Genius of D. C.. SondIots

Meet Morton Llttman, l9-year-Old
mastermind who Is doing a swell lob
of putting the j. c. Flood Plumbers
in the forefront of Washington
sandlot circles. Young Littman, a
student at the University of Mary
land, wants to make managing his
lifetime work-managing big
league baseball team, not a corner
delicatessen or tire repair shop.
And Littman has big league way
about him-faintly reminiscent of
the Yankees, of getting players he
wants, winning pennants and max
ing a team click. Imagine friendly,
but bitter rivals from Tech and Cen
tral, Gonzaga and St. Johns,
Georgetown and Maryland playing
side by side and giving their all for
dear old Flood Plumbers and you
have faint idea of Littman's
managerial ability
Morton owes his present position
purely to accident of birth. He was
born a year too soon to play ball
with his teammates in the midget
class, age limitations being what
they are in sandlot circles, so he did
the next best thing and got himself
appointed manager. He enjoyed
free and unrestrained use of the
family telephone and sandlot pilot
must first OF all have phone for
booking games. Secondly, he must
be able to dun friends, relatives and
total strangers for nickels, dimes
and quarters for equipment. A
working knowledge of inside STRAIT
egy is totally incidental
Beats Hurlers, Then Signs EN-.
Morton qualified on all counts,
although there was some muttering
and a hint Of mutiny when no uni
forms and only two uncracked bats
were the sum total of his financial
campaign the first year at the helm.
Corr's Sports Supply team was the
sprlngboard that catapulted him
into the warm glow of the sandlot
spotlight. Too old to play himself,
he rounded up his cronies and en-
tered them in the National City
Midget League. They reached the
finals and met Deoudes Celery Sup
ply for the championship, and pitch
ing against them was young Buddy
OBrien, with Hymie Perlo behind
the plate.
O'Brien and Perlo were too good
battery to bloom unnoticed in
Deoudes Celery uniforms, thought
Littman, and they also might be
dangerous to his pennant aspira-
tions the following year. So he
signed them up-after beating them,
of course, 3-2
The following year, which was
1888, Littman piloted his team-now
the Coffey Screen nine. to the junior
championship. But in the titular
series he spotted lad by the name
of Jack Redinger pitching against
his boys Redinger, like O'Brien
was blessed with the earmarks of a
good pitcher, so Littman signed him
up. But Coffey first beat Redinger,
5-3, in a torrid 13-inning struggle,
to convince him he was joining a
better club.
After Two Flags This Year.
This year. although averaging only
18 years, the team is campaigning
in unlimited ranks and looms as
pennant threat in the second half of
the National City League after get
ting off to poor start Also en-
tered in the second-half flag race OF
the departmental circuit. Flood is
leading with victories over Interior,
first half champion, and District
Grocery Stores. which tied with
Klein Tavern for the first-half flag
in the National City.
In weekday and Sunday compe-
tition over two years, Littman has
piloted his mates to at least a half
dozen championships and firmly be-
lieves that if the boys stay together
two more years there will not be a
club in town that can touch them.
He thinks Perlo, 16-year-od vet
eran; OBrien. II years old Gall the
rest are 49,. and Johnny Thrift are
certain to break into organized base