Evening star., 1939-02-07
Baker Regarded
Best Of Green
Material
Promise Also Is Seen
In Mosterson; Nat
Bund in Good Trim
BY FRANCIS E. STAN.
Star Stan Correspondent.

| by FHANClS T.. SIAN.
Star Stan Correspondent.
ORLANDO, Fla, Feb. THE busi-
ness of separating the wheat from
the chaff among the Washington
baseball firms school" already is
under way, to hear Manager Bucky
Harris, as he sends a remarkably
well-conditioned group of rookie
pitchers through more advanced
workouts in this second week of
spring training.
I've got about eight or nine of the
youngsters picked out SO far" an
nounced Harris today. These aren't
the only prospects on the club but
are older and more impressive than
some of the others. In other words,
they are closer to being major league
material right now"
What is he going to do with those
six or eight?
Pitch EN-" is Harris answer
These are the fellows I'm going
to pitch in the opening exhibition
games. BY that time they should be
in great shape. I'll know, off what
they show, what chance they have"
Bucky High on Masterson.
On Harris list are excluded Joe
Krakauskas and Ken Chase, the
young southpaWs who are scheduled
to be starting pitchers. They don't
count among the rockies" explained
Bucky. Those on the list are headed
by Tom Baker, who was procured in
the deal that sent Zeke Bonura to
the Giants; Walter Masterson, an
18-year-old semi-pro from Phila-
delphia; Kirby Hayes. 20-year- old
southpaw from Charlotte; Joe
Haynes, 21-year-old right -hander
from the same club; Arnold Ander-
son, a huge 22-year-old right -hander
who also comes from Charlotte: Bob
Overstreet, % and right and
Bill Holland, 22-year-old southpaw,
both from Orlando of the Florida
State League; Early Wynn, an 18-
year-old right-hander, and Bucky
Jacobs. two more from Charlotte
Harris, of course, isn't fooling any
body when he talks of these pitchers
being close to major league caliber.
In fact, he makes no pretense of
fooling anybody. If more than one
of these hurlers make the grade
the Mats will be ahead. They SIM
ply haven't had the experience, with
the exception of Baker, to be ex-
pected to make the jump from class
A, B and D minor league teams to
the American League.
| There are couple, though, who
figure to stick" said Harris. "You
may not believe this, but I think
Masterson will be around. He's only
a kid and raw as the devil, but he's
a good ballplayer. I'm figuring on
keeping him and Baker and if they
fall down I'll be disappointed.
Hayes, Haynes Have Chances.
Bucky is high on Masterson. a
dark. athletic-looking young right
handler with good fast ball. poise
and lot of native ability. Master
son has all the earmarks of a good,
all-around ballplayer. He is the best
of the pitchers in camp when it
comes to shagging flies. hitting and
running. Bucky doesn't think his
lack of experience in organized ball
will be severe handicap and neither
does Owner Clark Griffith, who is
due in Orlando the end of the week.
Il expect to use him as a flll-in
pitcher for while" said Harris.
"A young pitcher who Is fast, has
control and isn't scared, always
stands chance, no matter how lit
tie experience he's had"
| After Baker and Masterson the
next bets are Haynes and Hayes, who
throw right and left handed, re-
spectively. Haynes was the sensa-
ton of the Piedmont League last
year, winning 25 games. Hayes had
a bad arm most of the time. but he
is good, dependable type of south
paw who may figure as stop-gap.
Jacobs also must be considered in
this class. Bucky isn't big or fast,
but he is cunning and knows how
to unravel the timing of hitter.
Baker Needs Slab Tutoring.
Overstreet, Holland, Anderson and
Wynn are not conceded much of a
chance to stick this year but it Is
likely they will form part of the
Charlotte slab staff. Anderson Is
vastly improved over the green re-
cruit who was looked over by Harris
two years ago. Holland seems to
have nice delivery and Overstreet
was signally successful with Orlando
last year. Wynn has good chance
of developing into major league
pitcher in a couple Of years.
For the first time a row of bats
was laid out today and the rockies
paraded to the plate to take their
bunts under the system drawn up
by President Griffith. Most of them
didn't know which end of the bat
to use and Harris was forced to
start from scratch, emphasizing the
lack of teaching they received in
the minors.
Harris, who is becoming some
thing of National League hater in
his own right, was saying that even
in the other major league they
apparently don't teach their young
er players much in the way Of
f1nesse.
Take the case Of Baker," said
Bucky, nodding toward the big
right-hander who served terms with
the Dodgers and Giants. There's q
fellow who's been around for while.
had him pitch with an imaginary
runner on first base. He took a step
so big that I could have stolen Sec
ond base on him."
Mr.. Harris still is suffering from
sore back. He can hardly walk,
much less run. Making proper al
lowances for exaggeration, it still
must be accepted that Thomas Ba-
ker was taking a large step.