Evening star., 1942-03-17
Shorty Hughes Picked
AS Baseball Coach
Al Catholic u.
CoIorful D. c. Product,
Ty Cobb Of Sondlots.
Now Is DociIe Vet
By LEWIS r. ATCHIsON.

ny LE WIS Ls nASAAAoO4Ns
James Y. (Shorty) Hughes will be
Catholic Universitys baseball coach
this season. Director of Athletics
Eddie La Fond announced today,
and the news bestirs nostalgia mem
cries In the minds of those who
can look back on the times when
every completely equipped ball
player carried one set Of brass
knuckles and was considered a pea
green rookie until he had suffered
multiple fractures of the arm, leg
and head.
The Ty Cobb of the sandlots they
used to call him, well-deserved
soubriquet, according to reliable in
formants. Oldtimers say Shorty"
was a Observation-Disclosures sort OF
a guy who not only knew his way
around the diamond but could ham
die himself in the most belligerent
company. They say he'd carve his
initials in your leg sliding into sec
ond base if you had the gumption
to stand two feet within the bag,
and add this, his courage was bull
warked by one of the sharpest and
most nimble minds in baseball.
Admits He Was Aggressive.
To look at Hughes today, gray, ro-
bust and mild hammered, one never
would suspect that he said anything
worse than "smithereen" or would
even think of talking back to an UNI
pire, much less take a poke at one.
But he admitted all today with a
twinkle that was more than hint
that he enjoyed every minute OF his
career on the lots.
He remembered the time he had
to be escorted from the grounds at
First and M streets NV, scene OF
the old and famous st. Stephens
Institute-St. Aloysius feud in pa
troll wagon surrounded by a squad
of burly gendarmes. 1t seems he
was catching for the Institute that
day and Billy Kerr was pitching.
All the Irish in town were there,
about 5000 in number, and when
one of Kerr's wild pitches got away
from Shorty" and hit small boy
in the crowd it was too much for the
spectators. That, they decided, was
more of Hughes diabolical work and
called for repayment in blood.
They used to say Shorty" had a
glass arm, a weak wing that couldn't
heave the apple from third to first
with less than two bounces, but that
was after his ill-starred trial with
the Athletics at the old Union
League Park ct Fifteenth and II
streets northeast. He had spent a
season under old King Kelley at
Raleigh in the North Carolina-Vir-
ginia State League in the outfeld
and another at third base for Utica
| in the New York State League, and
Connie Mack decided to have a
gander at him.
But in his anxiety to make a good
showing he threw his arm out OF
place and it never regained is ole
| whip. But those who knew him
before that incident recall that there
was nothing wrong with the wing
barking back to the time he took
g. fiy ball in deep left field at the
site of the present American League
Park and doubled a man OIL flrsi
base.
Started Career In 1896.
Hughes official career dates bacl
to 1896 when he joined up with th'
old Shamrock nine then playing. a
North Capital and G. streets, bu
his first appearance on the diamond
was a member of the Dummy
How kid team. which took its nam'
from the old Senator outfieider
After that he was with the Eastern
Stars, perenniel rivals of the South
ern Stars, whose mound ace was
promising youngster by the name
DOC" White.
Hughes spent one year at George
town, 1898, playing alongside Of
Charley Moran, first coach at Cath
olic University, at second base. III
left the following year to entel
Government service.
1t was ironical that after quitting
active service on the diamond tina
Hughes should found the Distric
of Columbia Umpires Association
and serve as its president the frs
10 years of its existence. He alse
officiated in other sports and hi
services were highly in demand. Fol
the last 26 years he has umpiret
all of the Naval Academy's home
baseball games and is still goint
strong.
Practice at Catholic U. already Il
underway, with the squad, some 81
strong, slated to move outdoors al
soon as possible. While this is tn,
Cardinals first team in a hal
dozen years it will be a formidable
nine, If strategy can make 1t SO
and if 1t can't, it'll be well disci
plined, at least. Or maybe Shorty
has changed completely.