Evening star., 1944-03-18
Vets Round Into Form
Fast; Knee Healed,
Nigge|ing Shines
BY JOHN B. KELLER.

BY JOHN b. KELLER.
| When infielders and outfielders
|step up to the batting cage at the
Mats College Park training camp
next Monday they'll face a flock of
pitchers sharpened to give them a
brisk drill. Favored by fine training
weather this week, many of the
hurlers, hustling in conditioning
work, have their arms well loosened
and are ready to serve a good as
sortment to the men at the plate
With the exceptions of Bob Albert
son and Turkey Curtis, among the
younger moundsmen in the squad
Manager Os Bluege's men have ad-
vanced amazingly. Albertson and
Curtis purposely have come along
slowly, but the older pitchers will
keep the practicing batters busy
until these two are prepared to
shoulder some of the burden.
Especially far ahead in training is
Al Carrasquel, the hefty HEAVIER
| from Venezuela. Although he says
he pitched only four or five games
this winter in South America, Car
rasquel has come close to midseason
form with some of his flinging. In
fact, the Venezuelan has been so
free with his fast ball Bluege and
his camp aides have had to keep
him in check the last two days.
Vet Hurlers Advanced.
Also well ahead with his condi-
tioning work is Johnny Niggeling,
oldest member of the Mats chucking
corps. For a day or two, Johnny
was hindered by sore knee, the
result of slipping off curb while
rushing for train in Chicago last
Sunday, but the limb is sound again
and he is ready to try a few
knucklers.
Mickey Haefner, the Mats lone
lefthander, and Dutch Leonard are
near top trim and eager to cut loose.
The same goes for Milo Candini.
another holdover from last years
squad, but Roger Wolff, knuckle-
baller brought from the AS last
winter, has been slowed by stitch
in the side.
Wolff was well advanced when he
reported last Sunday. having done
a deal of throwing in gymnasium
workouts in st. Louis during the
winter. His ailment has kept him
idle much of the time for the last
two days, however, and not until
late next week perhaps will he be up
to par again.
Ullrich in Fine Fettle.
Santiago Ullrich, the Cuban right
handler, is in fine fettle and prob
ably could give a good account of
himself for three innings at least
when called on. Juan Hernandez,
protege Of Carrasquel. has been
bothered by cold, but has man.
aged to make considerable. progress
in his conditioning efforts.
More hurlers are due to report
next week, but those now in camp
will give the batsmen all the prac-
tice they want when the firing be-
gins Monday.
More than baseball playing Is
done by the Mats .Cubans when they
are home. Rogelio Valdes, the
catcher, is a policeman when not on
the diamond. Francisco Quientis,
the outf1elder who may become an
infielder, has job in sugar fac
tory. Ullrich Is a carpenter.
Some line on the Cubans' private
lives was cleaned from the Spanish
speaking efforts of Candini. Milo
had several years of Spanish in West
Coast schools and gets along pretty
we'll in conversation with the BOYS
from the island.
Leal Unlikely to Report.
This is Ullrich's second visit to
the United States to play baseball.
He came here in 1910 when he was
18 for term with a team in Dam
bury, Conn.
According to the Cuban boys, Al
berto Leal, who made quite repu-
tation as a pitcher in the islands
leagues, won't join the Mats this
year. A citizen of Mexico, Leal has
entered that nations army, the
Cubans say.
For 23-year-old, Pitcher Curtis Is
quite family man, He is the
daddy of two girls. He married his
|childhood sweetheart in Cairo, ILL.,,
when he was 10.
Rain hit the Mats camp yester-
day for the first time, but it didn't
halt practice. Bluege kept his ath-
letes going at fast clip more than
two hours. And the work will be-
come tougher next week.
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