The Waterbury Democrat., 1946-06-21

proven by his 300 batting average and his .890 fielding percentage. Bernie has gotten 29 hits for SS trips to the plate and has batted in g runs, which makes him one of the most feared of sluggerS in the Valley League. This was Law- lor's second regular season with Crosby and 1t was his third year in the school. He plays for the Blue Jays in the summer and promises to equal if not top his enviable rec ord of the past season, next year. Yes, Bernie Triple Threat" Law- Tor lived up to his nick name and has won a place on our All-Star team.
 Leads FieIders
 Hard-hitting Wally Armonaitis of Naugatuck, by virtue of his .357 bat ting average and fifth place in the Valley League batting standings, was selected out of group of eight candidates to fill the right field berth on our first string All-Star Naugatuck Valley baseball nine. Wally's 20 hits for 56 times at bat make him one of the outstanding members of our team. It was his heavy hitting which pulled Naug- atuck through to many a victory which they might not have regis tered otherwise. This is his last sea- son with the Foley outfit and Walt can credit much of his effectiveness on the ball diamond to Pete Foley, the Greyhound mentor.
 Bright Future
 Jim Piersall, the Leavenworth outflelder and City Amateur League player, was 8 unanimous choice of the Board of Experts and this writer for the center field post on the Democrats All-Star baseball combine. Although Piersall's batting average was only paltry .232 for the past season his fielding average completely overrides his perform ance at the plate as 1t was .989. This display of fielding aptness on the part of the East End Slugger, earmarks him as one of the best schoolboy fielders in the Naugatuck Valley League circuit. AS all the coaches will tell you (if you are in- clined to ask) Jimmy is hard hit ter and all the fielders in the League were playing him deep, thus cutting off his extra base cloutS. His throw from the outfeld to the infield has nipped many a rival rally and given Leavenworth hard earned victory. Piersall has one more year in Leavenworth and if Bill Tracy can teach him to place his hits he will set the Valley cir cult "af1re' next season.
 Not Least
 Last but not least, to complete our first team roster in Torring- tons diminutive but speedy left fielder Frankie Russo. Russo has another year at Torrington in which to shine on the football field, the basketball court and the base ball diamond. In the past season he has been sporting batting average of .263 and fielding percentage | of .933 which makes him one of the best fielders in the Valley League. 1S SpecO HI IIle OuIIlclu HaS Sd1IleQ him the distinction of being one of | the fastest fielders in the league. His selection on the Democrats | All-Star Naugatuck Valley Base ball team rounds out our team of | able high school athletes who are tops in their particular line of en- deavor, which happens to be base ball. We feel very safe in saying that not everybody will agree with our selections but that they have been unbiased and are the very best as they are the choices of the men who teach the boys to play baseball, the coaches. The boys on this team are the best in Connecticut, which our high schools can produce. It is this course in baseball which the boys go through in High school that makes some of our big sest names in Major League base oall. Our second team selections follow: