Evening star., 1941-09-18
Two Are Teammates
In School, on Minor
Road TO Bigtime
'Eph' Member of Combine
IdIes as 'Ev,' St. Louis
Bow TO Nationals
By BURTON HAWKINS.

DSN oAN
Only one detour has marred the
blended baseball careers of brace
of ST. Louis Browns rockies. The
trail was picked up in New Mexico
some 20 years ago and since that
time Shortstop Vernon Stephens and
First Baseman Chuck Stevens
haven't been very far apart. There
Is more to their relationship than
similarity of names.
Both born in New MeXico-Vernon
at McAlister and Chuck at Van
Houten-within two years of each
other, Stephens and Stevens actually
first merged at Long Beach ICalif)
Poly High. Their families. YOU see.
had moved to Long Beach about the
same time and lived within six blocks
OF each other.
It was in high school, too, that the
baseball careers of Vernon and
Chuck were nodded. On that
scholastic team. Stephens was the
shortstop and Stevens the first base
man. Even then on trips, the boys
were roomies and constant COM
panions and the same setup con-
tinued at Long Beach Junior College.
Separated Only in 1899.
They were together, too. with
Johnstown, Pa of the Mid Atlantic
League in 1888. In 1889. however,
they separated. but TO the Browns
II was similar to whacklng a sand
vich in two and then eating the
halves.
To Mayheld. St. Louis farm in
the Kitty League. went Vernon that
year and he led the league with
1861 batting mark Chuck mean
while was playing with Springfield,
Ill. of the Three-Eye League, an
other OF the Browns farms, and
doing a good job.
Last year they got together again,
this time at the Browns San Antonio
farm of the Texas League. They
weren't sensations, but at least they
cemented their baseball brotherhood.
Vernon hit .266 and Chuck batted
.264.
To Toledo, the ST. Louis farm in
the American Association, went
Stevens and Stephens this year.
Vernon, the more powerful of the
pair, hit .28O and Chuck says he
hit about 300
They're with the Browns now.
imported for trials, and naturally
they're pulling for each other. Back
at Long Beach. hoping, too are their
vives-the girls they met in high
school and double-dated
Chuck Shows Wares Here.
Chuck broke into the lineup here
yesterday as the Mats spanked St.
Louis, 9-8, in 10 innings. On his
first trip to the plate he swatted
an Early Wynn offering of the
rlght-feh fence to drive across two
runs, but Chuck narred his feat by
neglecting TO touch second en- route
to third.
Later he thumped a single that
led to three runs, but ne also con-
tributed an error that led to a trio
of Washington runs in the fifth
inning. A switch hitter, he Is con-
fronted with no easy assignment in
attempting to oust George McQuinn
from first base.
Vernon. at 20 two years younger
than Clark, is a right-hand batter
Last year he spanked the Texas
League in runs batted in and is re-
garded as one of the Browns more
promising youngsters.
1t was Mickey Vernon who de-
Gvered the game-winning blow yes
terday, a single to left with two out.
Rookie Hills Layne had reached
first safely when his grounder took
weird hop past Second Baseman
Don Heffner and Travis had moved
him to second with single to CEN
ter. Vernon's hit was the Mats Goth
off Eden Auker. Maurice NeWlin
and Archie Mckain.
Mats Tie i'm Seventh.
Vernon collected four hits. while
George Case, Layne and Roberto
Ortiz fashioned three hits each.
Ortiz poked a double in the seventh
to score Vernon and lock the score
at 8-8 after Walter Judnich had
smashed a 3-run homer over the
right field fence in the same inning.
Today the Mats were to face the
Browns for the last time this sea-
son in ladies day engagement.
Washington will be idle tomorrow,
but will meet the Athletics in sin
gle game here Saturday and
double header on Sunday.