Evening star., 1939-03-25
'HubbeII Certain
'Griffs' Castoff
Will Be Aid
New Yorks Doubtful
Of Other Spots in
Inner Defense
By the Associated Press,

BY the Associated Press
BATON ROUGE, March 25.-The
strange case of Zeke Bonura still
is the best mystery story of the
spring training camps, because no.
body is any closer to solving the
thing than they were a year ago.
Here Zeke, approaching the 30
year mark and with five big league
campaigns behind him, is making
another determined effort to prove
he can play big. league first base.
this time with the Giants. It's most
peculiar.
Watching him cavort around the
bag, a 200-pound bundle of energy
and high spirits, he looks a dream
of first baseman, and there never
has been any question of his hitting
ability. Yet the fact remains that
seven American League teams
waived on Zeke few months ago
when Washington sold him to the
Giants for s25,oO0
Pitchers sold" on Zeke.
AS usual, Zeke already has made
himself one of the most popular
men in camp. The other PLAYERS,
especially the pitchers. are sold on
him and think he might put them
right up in the pennant fight. Yet
every last American League man.
ager I've run into says he wouldn't
have Zeke as gift.
Bucky Harris, Zekes manager last
year at Washington. did pay him
one sort of veiled compliment. I'll
say this much" Buck consented.
Hes the hardest luck hitter l ever
saw. III bet he hit 40 line drives
right into the hands of an out
fielder. But his fielding over the
long stretch is apt to run a man
crazy"
And there's another curious thing
about it. Zeke had the best fielding
average of any first baseman in his
league last year!
Other Infielders Uncertain.
How can you laugh that OFF,"
asks Carl Hubbell. who seems to be
one of the chief Bonura enthusiasts.
Hes one of the surest targets I've
seen on thrown balls, he's not muf-
flng any on the ground and he's
slugging that ball. What do they
want him to do?"
The answer to that is, of course,
that Zeke's previous managers have
wanted him to move little further
and faster to his right and left. They
say sure he's got a great fielding
record, but that the averages don t
account for all those balls zeKe
waved at.
Burgess Whitehead, who was a
fine second baseman on the Giants
last two flag winners. is back after
years retirement because of ILL
ness. but there is serious doubt
among the fellows here that he is
back to stay. They say he hasn't
made hit in five games. These
same observers, incidentally. also
are gloomy about George Myatt's
play at third base. so what kind Of
an infield is this, anyway?
SdNO ndtcu SldD StdI.
One thing about the Giants every
body seems to agree on. namely,
that Manuel Salvo, the coffee -colored
Sicilian from San Diego, is lot of
pitcher. He looks it. He weighs
better than 200, is inches over
feet, and has fast ball nobody is
going to mistake for a change of
pace. He won % games last season
and led the Coast League In strike
outs for two straight years.
Cliff Melton, who had a sensa-
tional freshman year and then flop.
ped inexplicably last season, feels
he has big comeback in his system,
and Harry Gumbert is equally hope
full. So the club will have plenty
of pitching if Carl Hubbell and Hal
Schumacher return to duty.
There's no doubt that the Giants
put over fast one when they got
Bill Jurges in that winter deal with
Chicago. Bill is a slick shortstop
and will be one for some years. They
predict around here that Dick Bar
tell, who is laid up with arthritis,
won't be worth anything to the club.