Evening star., 1955-01-10
outfelders Also Promising
Cubs II Big Rookie Pitchers
Include Games Top Winner
., me A..eela,ed Pros.

NEW YUM, JhU. 1U.-41E
winningest pitcher In all base
ball last season will be one Of
the % rockies to report to the
Chicago Cubs spring training
camp at Mesa, Ariz.. March /.
Robert Thorpe is the name
and this l9-year-old righthand-
er has fred the imagination OF
everybody in the Cubs front
office. Pitching for Stockton Of
the California League, Thorpe
reeled OF % Of his teams 30
victories and lost only four.
True, the California League Is
Class C, but no one can make
light of the lads fantastic rec
ord which includes 80 complete
games in SO starts, 1877 strikeouts
and only "a bases on balls in
800 innings, and q 2.28 earned
run average. Three Of his losses
came by one run and the other
by two runs. In his only unfin-
ished game he was taken out in
the ninth inning.
Il. would not be surprised II
he stayed in the big leagues in
his first year." said Gene
Hanley, former major league in
fielder who managed Thorpe at
Stockton.
Thorpe. is one of II fresh
man hurlers on the Cubs roster,
and, If nothing else. they're big.
Joe Stanka, Stan Pyecha and
Hy Cohen are 6-foot-5; Jim
Brosnan is 6-4la; Sam Jones
and John Andre are Ga; VIM
cente Amor is 60; Thorpe 6-1,
Don ElSton and Bob zick 6 feet
and Darius Hillman is the
shortest at sill.
Jones Finally Ready?
Jones is the boy the Cubs are
counting on the most. The
front office thinks that the big
righthander, now 30. finally has
reached major league status
after years of ups and downs.
No longer plagued by q sore
arm. Jones, who came to the
Cubs along with a bundle OF
cash and Outfielder Gale Wade
in the deal that sent Ralph
Kiner to Cleveland, won is and
lost eight at indianapolis In
1854.
Jones currently is pitching
for Santurce in the Puerto Rican
League and every week the Cubs
receive good news about him
Within a space of two weeks the
red hatred Negro, with the in
evitable toothpick in his mouth.
struck out II batters in one
game, Is in another and hurled
two one-hit shutouts.
Sam is easy-going and he's
inclined to be a little non
chalant.' said Eddie Stumpf,
Indianapolis general manager,
but he's got everything pitcher
needs to win in the majors. He
needs a little incentive now and
then, but get him inspired and
he can beat any club on any
given day"
Seven of the rookie pitchers
have a combined minor league
record of l32 victories and only
56 defeats. Andre, 30-year-old
righthander, had b 2l-s record
at Shreveport and was named
| the outstanding pitcher in the
Texas League. edging out Karp
Spooner. Brooklyn's strikcout
specialist.
Draftee Wen 10.
Amor, Cuban righthander
drafted from Oklahoma City,
had an Is-I1 record. Elston won
II with Des Moines, and Cohen.
his teammate, had the Western
Associations top mark at 1876.
Three Beaumont graduates. Hill
man. zick and Brosnan. won is.
Ia and I, respectively. Stanka
had a fine 1875 mark with Ma
con. Pyecha was TT Mt Los An
geles.
The Cubs think they have
come up with the answer to their
long search for q lefthanoed
power hitter in Ted Tape, .
strappine 6-foot-3 outfielder OBJ
tanned in q trade with the Gin
cinnati Reds.
Tappe, who came to Chicago
along with veteran Harry Per-
kowski and Jim Bolger. another
rookie outfielder. In the trade
that sent Johnny Klippstein 20
the Reds. poled n home runs ut
Tulsa to establish q lew Texas
League record for lefthRnded
hitters. He batted .2Bl and
drove in e6 runs IN Ill games.
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