The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-11-07
WATTKUS MAKES COMP ARSON TO
 OPENING DAY.
Special to the Democrat BY BILL BRANDT

New York, Nov. 7-"Like stealing home in a ball game. If it worked swe1l If it failed, 1t looked idiotic. Here it worked
 Description of an amphibian op. eration on 8 certain D-Day in the South Pacific. It's baseball langu- age because the describer is Cpl. Ed Waitkus, southpaw first baseman of the Los Angeles Angels in 1922, tabbed to be Chicago Cubs first baseman, leading hit maker of the Pacific Coast League, the No. fielding expert at his position, voted the Most Valuable Player of his ball club by the baseball writers.
 "As the boats circle and head for shore you get a feeling like Opening Day." writes Corporal Ed in 8 V-Mail letter to Ford Prick, National League president. "You keep checking your rifle hundred times. I was in one of the first waves in this invasion. We hit in deep water and had to go in over our heads.
 Surprise Saved Lines
 "It's an endless stretch through the water to the shore, but finally we made it. A machine gun got 8 Jap sniper pinned up in 8 tree just as we hit. On shore there wasn't much opposition and right now things are coming under control. I can't help but respect the men who planned this one for the ann phibious force and the strategy that gave us surprise and saved lot of lives. It was like stealing home in ball game. If it worked, swelll If it failed, 1t looked idotic. Here it worked.
 T don't know where or when we hit again. All our bats and balls are temporarily packed away. I think the fellows would like to break them out in the Philippines, but that's up to the fates and Mac Arthur. All I can say about the place we hit is that it's in the Netherlands East Indies. Nothing like Wrigley Field, eitherI''
 Ed starting heading for Wrigley field in 1888, when he was chosen firSt-baSeman on the All-American Semi-pro team following the tour- nament at Wichita, Kan, and like wise caught the eye of Jack Doyle. Cub scout. Ed spent 1889 at Mo line. He tended first for the Cubs Texas league outpost at Tulsa the next two years, starred at the gate- way hassock for Los Angeles in 1942, hit 1886 in 175 games. The only two ahead of him in the Coast league batting averages, Ted Norbert and John Moore, were in 149 and 134 games respectively, so Ed was MT. Base-hit King with 2S5 of them.
 Left-hand thrower as well as hit ting from that side of the plate, Ed in 1889 played in every inning of the Moline Flows 121 games, led his club in batting with .321, was first baseman of the Three-I Leagues Al-Star team, all in his first year out of Cambridge, Mass, Latin School at the tender age of 19.
 Advancing to Tulsa, he led the Texas League in 1940 in assists by first baseman, in triples and total bases, tied for the lead in two- baggers. His Coast splurge in l942 made him sure shot for National league service in the following sea- son. That's where the war stepped in, with Ed getting his action the next two years in the Army and the Cubs having to wait for their most promising junior first-baser until the Jap is crossed off of Uncle Sam's memo pad.
 Broken Army
 Ed was inducted Feb. 3, 1943, in his home city, Cambridge, Mass. He started his Army career at Fort DevenS, Mass, broke his arm ill the first game of ball he played in the service, but on the side to hossing machine gun crew with an Anl- phibian command during the train- ing period, he managed to get i'll some licks with a baseball bat and some fancy stepping around first base to keep his diamond touch sharp.
 Bill Sweeney, former big league first baseman who was coach with Los Angeles in 1942, moving in as manager when Arnold (JiggeD Statz retired, called Waitkus. '"The best first-baseman ever saw. I haven't found a fault in his play yet. I never saw Hal Chase, but I'll take Waitkus.''
 Statz said: Nothing upsets him. Nothing botners him. He's great team man. Always keeps the rest of the gang popped up when the going is hardest" |,
 That's Cpl. Ed Waitkus, of the Amphibians.