Evening star., 1940-04-17
Gains Place on Quint
As He Plays 10 Get
Rid Of Is Pounds
Hits Home First Tally
In Capturing 2-to-0
Duel With Briscuso
BY ROBERT HENRY.

A few weeks ago Buddy Webb Of
Tech High School started to prac-
tice a knuckle ball patterned after
that owned by Dutch Leonard of
the Mats and today he was one up
on Washington's No. hurler. While
Leonard lost his opening assignment
TO Boston yesterday, Big Buddy won
his from Woodrow Wilson, 2 to 0.
Buddy worked hard for the victory.
He trained faithfully last winter and
listened carefully to the advice of
his father, Heinie Webb, one Of the
towns best sandlot pitchers, and
when Eddie Polhamus of Wilson
went down swinging to cinch the
Maroon's victory sigh Of relief
swept over his hot, red face.
Buddy has been a good pitcher
for some time. Three years ago
when making his bow to high school
sports and only IA years of age he
was good enough to step into a close
Tech Wilson game in the ninth
inning and hold the foe scoreless
and crack out tenth-inning double
that spelled success.
Hits Across First Run.
That hit was no flash in the pan,
for unlike most hurlers, Buddy can
sock the apple. BY way of proving
as much he stepped up to the plate
in the first inning as cleanup man
yesterday and poked hard single to
left that scored Ches Ciomei with
the first run. AS things turned out,
that hit was enough to win the
game.
1t hasn't been an easy road for
this overgrown, freckled-faced kid.
After enjoying success three years
ago he tripped over a basket ball
and threw a hip out of joint He
spent most of that spring getting it
back where it belonged and played
no baseball. However, when the
sandlot boys turned out Buddy
Joined them and won Is out of II
starts for an American Junior
League team. Last summer he won
10 out of 13 for the Landover nine.
For Tech he won 3 out of s.
During the past winter Buddy went
out for basket ball and made the
first team. The main idea was to
lose about IS pounds, and that's just
what he did. His newly trimmed
220-pound frame helped yesterday
and instead of firing in the late
stages of the game. Buddy was as
strong as when he started.
Invincible in Pinches.
Up to the eighth inning he had
allowed only two hits, both short
doubles over the right-ield fence.
During that time he had famed
nine batters, but four more i'm
portant ones were to follow
Tech was stepping along with a
2-to-0 lead going into the last of the
eighth when trouble threatened.
With one down, Ralph Calisto, who
had doubled in the third, singled.
Norman Harry did likewise and the
hosts visioned runs. Not Buddy,
however. He frightened his belt and
calmly struck out Frank Hetten-
kemer and Bart Fugler, mixing his
knuckle ball and fast one.
Wilson tried again in the last
inning, but Webb was too tough.
This time Nino Briscuso, losing
hurler, who pitched a good game,
too. smashed his second double after
one mate had been retired. Big
Roland Cornwall batted for John
Kowileski and went down swinging.
So did Eddie Polhamus, the last foe. |
kessler Greatly Pleased.
Coach Bruce Kessler of Tech was
pleasantly surprised with his teams
showing. 1t was the first game of |
the season for his green squad and
while Webb was the big gun in the
triumph, Kessler praised the
work of Charley Wilson, catcher, and
Reds Green, shortstop. Both played
heads-up ball. Lewis scored the Sec
ond Tech run in the second inning. |
After singing he went around on
a wild pitch, a passed ball and an
infield out.
Carl Heintel, Wilson coach, also
was pleased with the showing of his |
nine, which easily had won its first |
two games with outside teams. It |
was case of too much Buddy Webb,
Heintel said after the game, and his
players agreed heartily.
u