Evening star., 1955-04-25
WIN, LOSE OR
DRAW BY FRANCIS s1Auu
That Shortstop Problem

1T CANNOT BE NEWS now that where Uncle Clark Grit
ths athletic team hurting most at shortstop position
more less improperly tended for embarassngy long
period of time AS these lines written undete-
mined number of the Washington club payroll
is beating the bushes, which, Griffith resgnedly,
where to look.
The old gentleman confined to his office with case
of the snes yesterday home while the sena-
tors bade farewell the Baltimore AS he nk
cred with the knobs his TV receiver, Grif laid it
the line.
"Therere not many good shortstops in baseball today
and may be time before the day plenty of
back he sighed shucks only two in our league
Carrasque and that other fellow"
"Kuenn? Harvey Kuenn?"
That's the one," Grif agreed "The boy at Detroit
don't know what's in the National League Reese guess
WHILE GRIFF sNIFFLED into his handkerchief
visitor suggested that although National Leagues such other
shortsops Johnny Logan of the Braves the
Giants and Granny Hammer of the Philles might look
good the Washington club
Even that Roy Mcmillan of the Redlegs" he added
"shoo" Grif scofed, "he's just glove
good shortstop My man, Kline, field all right Trouble
s he don't look like much of hitter and he hasn't
foot"
How hopeless does it look trying to wange short
stop from other club9" he asked.
Pretty durn hopeless" Grif croaked who's got two
shortstops these days? Who's got one outside
CLUBS? This Is cycle of some sort, guess"
"A FEW YEARS AGO, there wasn't any first basemen of
any account" Grif went on Now it looks like they're
coming back That Yankee rookie skowron doing good
and SOS the fellow City Power) Now it's the
shortstops who're scarce"
What happens during these so-called cycles?" Grfs
visitor asked. Where all the shortstops now?"
burned II know A few years we had Rizzuto,
Boudreau, Applng Marion, Reese Jurges Pesky Joost
Barte and couple of others all playing once All of
sudden they wore out most of EN- and there's hardly any
body left.
you've got to have good shortstop" Grff contended
or else you're dead There's pressure on that one
player than any other because your shortstop handles the
ball more often on key plays than anybody else He's what
afonciyo hy1fh
to hit little, too."
LAST ToP-FLIGHT aI-weather shortstop Griffith
owned was Joe Cronin and that 20 years ago. we
had him now Grf saying, dreamily might win the
pennant the only thing to do try develop one
or get lucky and find another Cronin.
II remember when were a-building our first penn
ant-winner needed shortstop But times different
there quite few in baseball traded Bng Miller and
couple of others to Connie Mack and got Joe Dugan
Philadelphia. Then sent Dugan and $4,000
Roger Peckinpaugh, who had just been the Red
sox in big deal Peck helped us win in 1924.
Fifty thousand lot of money those days even
for shostop like Peck Shoo I'd give as much now
for the kind of deal last legs maybe
but he was still a great shortstop
I'VE had 1t easier in those days and didn't realize it.
Can imagine club trading shortstop like Peck nowq
1t would be like Chicago trading Carrasquel Giants
giving up Dark"
AFTER ALL THOSE YEARS in which he had Phil Rizzuto
and Reese going for his sde Dresser can't help being
disenchanted with his present horstop situation his
catching isn't much better Going into yesterdays double
header his shortSops and catchers had given him grand
total OF two hits in 46 times at bat which amounts to
batting average of O43 They contributed total of five
hits against the Orioles yesterday but their average leaves
q great deal to be desired.
During spring training, Zach Taylor the old catcher
VINO used to manage the Browns and who
the White Sox was lamentng the shortage catcers Just
as was Grf in discussing shorsops "A lot don't
nave one good catcher" Zach pointed when broke
into the big leagues each club carried three and more
ofte four cachers I'll forget early spring train
ing days. worked like demon one of the four to
stick. After finally made the grade then 1 aimed nv
sights on winning the regular job"
1t was pretty competitive all right Of zachs
stories illustrates One day against the Phes Taylor
caught for Brooklyn and Van Mungo tossed
I couldn't resist needing Hank DeBerry who was |
supposed to be Mungo regular catcher Taylor recalled
reminded him stood behind only 27 batters DeBerry
walked away SO mad he couldn't speak Well lust when
nougnt had made DeBerry picked to catch Mungo
In his next game You can what happened can't your