Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-05-23
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DRAW ;, FRANCE, s7Duu
The Drugstore Bot

BACK IN THE 1930s, Joe Cambria, scout for the
Washington Baseball Club, sent up for trial comica
Cuban with huge biceps Roberto Estaea it he
carried black bat when he reported He could speak little
English but he hit the long ball and first crack out
of the box almost Bobby put in the efted bleachers
against Detroit if correctly remembered.
Yesterday the rains down and cancelled the
Senaors-Red Sox finale Estaea sitting in the home
dugout looking like Buddha in Washington uniform.
was young Bobby had forearms and biceps like
those Jimmy Foxx they seemed twice as large as
he hatted in Spanish with Camlo Pasqua and Pedro Ramos
Hey long time see!" Bobby greeted visitor, deity
switching native tongue to advanced English rhetoric
Il tell them of my black bat, no? You remember"
Yes" said the other, u remember
them here and have no bat. So see this
in window which now know is of Peoples Drug
Store. pay 70 cents for it."
PASQUAL, A HIGHLY PROMISING young pitcher who
speaks English, looked doubtfuly at Esalela after
being told of the home run clout.
I'm the seats?" he asked.
Just about halfway up" said the visitor. II it.
That wasn't the only Bobby hit with that drugstore bat
THE players laugh" Esalella remembered, because
alone it is black and not Louisville sugger But the drug
made mistake, maybe. There losa good wood
in the black bat"
ut was kids young sandlotters bat" the
talking to Bobby tried to explain to Pasqual.
The young pitcher shook his head in disbelief Todays
CubanS in the majors have advanced great
field of skepcsm Not in Bobbys day Estalela bought
his black bat with his own money and, since he the
only Cuban the Washington club in those he solemny
believed everything the other players could make him under
stand including the conviction that motion pictures ruined
the batting and that ham and eggs trice daily
normal
THE YEARS HAVE CHANGED the picture. Estalella
was wearing the familiar uniform again at the behest of
Manager Chuck Dresser that Pasqua Ramos Juan
Dels Carlos Paula & may better understand what
difficult for Bobby to fathom in his early years.
Estalella started his parttime role only day
His futime employment is with local meat concern
which is ashamed of it's ball park hot dogs.
"We pack 'em good" Bobby added, patting his chest
AT perhaps $50 pounds Etalea in uniform looked more like
boiled knockwurst in a skin than skinless frank
Hes good idea Trainer George Lentz saying in
aside nodding toward Estalea Hes played up here
with Philadelphia long enough to know the
and he'll relay Cuban colony what Dresser wants those
to know. You've got to hand to Chuck he doesn't
miss many tricks"
DRESSER, AT THE MOMENT was standing in pouring
rain and signing autographs for kids The Little
uniform soaked and the ink and water blended
the scraps of paper but
mentary out of shril pleas of Hey Chuck" Then he
returned to the dugout to shake off the water like
cocker spaniel
Doc Lentz just finishing story in support of
lelas drugstore bat
1T in 81 50, forget which year because he
the leading American League hitter both seasons-that
Ferris Fain broke his favorte bat into slump
sThen asI remember somebody mailed him piece of wood
that wasn't rstne by any means, and all SCARED
Well Fain got desperate and he used TINS
to hit agan-just pokes all felds-and he finally did
him."
"A good thing, too, Dresser seemed to have mumbled
"You can't any bats with who know how to
em."