The guardian., 1956-04-21
Wise Baseball Men
Watch The Piro+es

w OtOII IHG TTQTGS
This may sound like case Of Get The Doctor Quick
but the best looking young ball team we watched down
south were the PittSburg Pirates
Most of the clubs had one or two promising rookies
sprnkled in with team of veterans But this new pirate
look. ''O- '0u
They can run, field, throw and hit They won't win
the pennant They won't make first division
Those who watched them in action however will
this summer when these Pirate kids frisky and rarn
go, will run their rivals ragged
Inc Pirates are staging the only real youth movement
in the majors. You now seeing in the MAKING the
eSt ana perhaps the last masterpiece of great player
Under Branch Hickey.
Once this brilliant baseball mind mt togetber ~.
FAMOUS Gas House Gang from ST. Louis Later he trans
1srreo TO Brooklyn and built farm system that has
kept The Dodgers far out front the National League
And now it would seem that at the ripe old ape
baseball again ~ "
The Pirates have not set the grapefruit league on
anyone and hide. ' -''1'
Two years ago they were unknowns. Last year
you heard occasional mention of Frank Thomas
their sugging Outielder.
But down south this spring you could sit in the
press bOx and hear the veteran baseball critics
talking very seriously about Kravitz, j. OBrien
Eroat Freeze Thomas, Skinner and Clemente
Get down these names carefully in your base
pan dlary, for you are going to hear plenty of
them in years to come.
The way the Pirates slowly being moulded into
one piece is typical of what happened when Rickev
creating his masterpieces at ST. Louis and BROOKLYN
For couple of years there new names bobbing
stars in every position ' -''
They are still far away from stardom The kids have
been shufng back and forth at or more positions
for the past couple of years
Up to now there has been no signs of defni+e 1ire
up on the Pirates ball club
Like when he was with the Cardinals and Dodgers.
Hickey was putting his kids through the screening fest
Now he's apparently got them where he wants them
ana the new Pirates are ready to take off,
Ine hand d-writing is already the wall and
Walf
read it. w
He sort of shocked the scrbeS couple weeks back
when they asked him for prevew of the 1855 race
Reds he declared
"The Reds" he warned "have got the most
explosive bats in the league KusIewsk Post Bell
Atwil, etc. etc The only thing that saves all of
us is their lack of pitching"
But the Pirates, asked Bob Adde of the Wash
ngton Post? what have they done to make your
blood curdle?"
ITS not what they've done, much as what
they can be expected to do in the future" replied
Alison.
Remember" he went on, "that when you talk about
the Pirates, you talk about ball team, plus Branch
Hickey We've played the Pirates twice down here and
believe me when say that they sound and strong
at every position
"I use to shake my head in bed when read stories
last year that the Pirates only one major league ball
player in Frank Thomas The critics were understanding
Mr. RickeyS ability and overlooking his uncanny pattern
OF whipping ball team into place.
tive been watching and admiring Mr. Hickey go about
his work since was kid in baseball You see somebody
playing Tor MS pirates couple OF and then he
disappears for couple of weeks
"What you don't know, is what takes place
In the meantime. Hickey puts rookie out there
only long enough to check his weaknesses.
Then he removes him from action and turns
over to the coaches for instruction. When you see
him again-if you see him agan-he's much better
ball player.
"That's what's going in Pittsburg now. He's
been sitting them out Now he's got what he wants.
Every kid on the cIub-and they're all kids-are
fundamentally sound His Outfeld of Thomas Skin
and Clemente hit with power. His infed,
it shapes up, of Freeze, GrOat, OBrien and Long
compare with anything in the league defensive,
and besides that Freeze and Long also hit
that long ball. He hasn't got any depth in his
pitching staff yet but he has got Friend and
Law, which is nothing to laugh at. And he'll find
others later on He usually does. That's my analysis
of the Pirates. Now ask why I'm little bit
afraid of them. They'll keep getting better every
day"
The Brooklyn manager got heavy support in his ap-
prasa of the Pirates from John Carmichael veteran base
ball writer from Chicago
"Walt is right Everybody has been crying about the
poor Pirates But nobody has checked to what Branch
Hickey doing. Guess the old guy busy, finding
good young ball players as usual
"YOu know" Carmichael II honestly
think Hickey could discover outstanding ball players
by radar. I've his newest crop in action. If
you ask me, they've got it. And stop mourning
about his pitching staff.
keep in mind that Hickey dropped his general
manager duties this year and assigned himself as
scout. If know Hickey, he's the search for
those pitchers right now. BY the looks of his kids,
he's got everything else right And next year,
you may some strong throwing pitchers out
there and wonder where they from all Of
sudden. The answer will be obvious
There's plenty of good young pitchers around loose.
And Hickey is the who find them"
We only had occasion to the young Pirates
in action this spring. but that enough for to share
the enthusiasm of veteran observers
Right they are capable of scoring runs. All they