St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1957-03-08
Tan Players Moy
Bolster The Pirates
This BIB Season

| NhCdBO - AA4NEJ - EOE sAs
weeks or 80 in 1856, the Pittsburgh
! Pirates was the most exciting club
in baseball. National League tail
enders the year before, the Pirates
| led the senior circuit for stretch
and then the bubble burst. The
club finally ended the season in
seventh place.
One Of the key figures in the
early season Of the team was a
young Puerto Rican outfielder 49,
Roberto Clemente. Clemente re-
NAMED a consistent performer
throughout the season and wound
up with the third highest batting
mark among the National League
regulars.
His 81 mark trailed only Hank
Aaron. the Milwaukee outfielder
and batting champ, and Bin Vir-
don, another Pirate outfielder.
This was the highest average
Clemente's has reached in his
three seasons in professional base
ball. He also stared defensively,
making stunning one-hand catches
and leading the Pirate flycatchers
with IT assists.
Although he hit only seven home
runs, Clemente made four Of them
game-winning clouts. Roberto sell
dom walks. He was issued only 10
bases on balls last season and set
what is believed to be National
League record when he went 40
games without a walk.
The considered opinion Of pro-
fessional baseball observers is that
Clemente has not yet matured as
major league player. And if he
gets any better, he might be a big
factor in lifting the Pirates from
the second division doldrums.
Clemente is one of three tan
players on the Pirate roster and
three others are getting inspection
during spring training at Fort
Myers, Fla.
Outflelder Roman Mejias, "a
year old Cuban, is getting a sec
ond chance. He played last year
with Hollywood in the Pacific
Coast League, batting .274 in leo
games. He batted only PIG for the
Pirates in 1855, but had a big year
with Waco in the Big State League
in 1854, batting 1854.
Al Griggs is a 24-year old ser
vice returnee, who has had only
part of one season of professional
experience. Also an outfielder, he
batted PAS for williamsport Of the
Eastern League in 1854, after be-
ing sent there by Pirates. Pitts
burgh signed him after his gradu-
alton from Springfield (Mass.)
College where he captained the
baseball team. In Service, Griggs
played and coached baseball.
Manager Bobby Bragan wants
to have a close look at three minor
league prospects Bonnie Daniels,
Alvin Jackson and r. c. Stevens.
Daniels, a righthanded pitcher,
won IS and lost 3 for the Glass A.
Lincoln team in the Western
League last season. He has been
in the Pirate system since 1851,
having been signed after his high
school graduation in Compton,
Calf.
A southpaw hurler, Jackson pit
ched in the Glass IA Mexican
league last year, his second in pro
baseball. He won IA and lost 10.
He was another athlete signed by
a Pirate scout after high school
graduation.
Stevens was a highly touted
player when he joined the Pirates
system. but he has never fulfilled
his billing. With Hollywood last
year, he batted 1862, but hit 81
home runs, He was out for six
week period because of a broken
wrist. His best year since he
broke IL was with st. Joan in the
Provincial League in 1858 when he
batted .S1S,