Evening star., 1939-02-12
Cuban Requires
Tutor Versed
In Spanish
Harris, Enthusiastic
Over HurIer, Unable
To Groom Find
BY FRANCIS E. STAN,
Star Staff Correspondent.


ORLANDO, Fla, Feb. 11.-Ethics
and intrigue were being discussed
in the Nationals spring training
camp today as President Clark Crit
fifth, fresh from vacation, bolstered
the board of strategy and joined
Manager Bucky Harris and Scout
Joe Cambria in determining ways
and means of making Washington's
new pitching sensation, Roberto
Ortiz, into big league hurler.
At q late hour tonight, Manager
Harris, still retaining his enthusiasm
after watching Ortiz in his first
workout, had come forward with the
most progressive proposal toward
polishing the 6-foot 3-inch Cuban
with the fast ball that, to quote
Cambria, "is faster'n Bob Feller's."
Harris, who is unable to make
Ortiz understand his wishes, has
suggested that Griffith write to
President Bob Quinn Of the Boston
Bees and ask that Catcher Al Lo-
PEI, Cuban and one of the finest
defensive backstops in the business.
be sent to Orlando for at least a
week to tutor Ortiz, who was brought
to the ball field this morning by
Cambria, his discoverer.
Lopez" said Harris, could make
a major league pitcher out of him
in month"
Griff. Quinn Are Friendly.
II don't know if it's entirely
ethical to ask for National Lacquer
to help an American Lacquer out Of
a hole" admitted Harris. but Ortiz
has been in this country only for
three weeks and it's a painful proc
ess, trying to teach him to pitch.
A fellow like Lopez. who speaks
Spanish and English and who
knows as much about pitchers as
anybody In the business. could teach
Ortiz more in week than I could
in month or more. Why, Ortiz
doesn't even know what the word
easy means. He throws every pitch
the same-which is about as hard
and fast as you'll ever see a ball
thrown"
1t may develop that Griffith will
feel justified in asking Quinn for
the loan of Lopez, who will be paid
by the Washington ball club. There
Is sort of tieup between Griffith
and Quinn. Although the Old Fox
and the keeper of the Bees are on
opposite sides of the fence and
Grif1th's hatred of the National
League is unrelenting, the WASH
ington club always has gotten along
with Quinn, who is Of the Griffith
type.
AS for Lopez, he broke into base
ball by way of the Mats. Back
around 1924, when Washington was,
training in Tampa, Fla, Lopez, q
Tampa boy, was batting practice
catcher for the Griffmen.
Colbert Fails to Sign.
Most Of the days news 'centered
around Ortiz, who put in his first
workout In a Washington uniform
and proceeded to astonish one and
all with his speed. Ortiz even took
the play away from President Grif-
fifth, who arrived in Orlando from
his vacationing grounds at Belleair,
Fla, and from Infielder Charley
Colbert, the new Nat who blew into
camp to sign contract.
Griffith arrived just too late to
watch Ortiz, but in time to catch
Colbert, who visited here before
going to his winter home in Braden-
ton, Fla. The veteran infielder, who
was procured In the draft from the
American Association. conferred
with Griffith but failed to sign. The
Washington club president an
nounced that he would continue
negotiations with Colbert via the
mails.
The first of-day OF the current
camp session will be tomorrow.
Harris has given all of his athletes
a day of rest with the exception of
Ortiz and Catcher Jake Early. He
wants to show Ortiz to Griffith.
The rest of the kids are due for
rest" explained Bucky. They're
almost ready to open the baseball
season right now After all, play
doesn't start until the middle Of
April and there's such thing as
overtraining"