Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1959-12-22
Coleman Not Bothered By Trade
Rockville Boy
Wants Chance
To Make Majors
By George Bragaw
SDorfs Editor


plays-just as long as it's il
the major leagues.
The 25-year-old "Mr. Mino
League of last season wa
traded by the Cleveland In
dians to the Cincinnati Red
legs in an inter-league witch
ing-hour swap that raiset
bowls from other players in
volved.
The last minute trade met ;
midnight inter-league trading
deadline on Dec. 16, and sen
pitcher Cal McLish, bad-boy in
fielder Billy Martin and Cole
man to Cincy for slick fielding
Johnny Temple and deprived
County baseball fans of ;
chance to see a local boy per
form in the Washington bal
yard.
"Gabe Paul Cincinnati Gen
eral Manager) said he'd give
me a chance at first base anC
that's all I'm asking for" Cole
man said this weekend.
Don't Care Where"
"As long as / get chance,
don't care where it is. Since
was a little boy I've wanted ;
chance to play in the big
leagues. If this is it, I'm fol
it," he said.
His view was not shared by
the other players involved who
filled several yards of sport:
copy with reasons of reluctance
Gordy returned home tt
Rockville early this month
from winter baseball in Cub;
to await, with his wife, Marian
the arrival of the latest add
ton to the Coleman clan. They
are staying with his parents
Mr.. and Mrs. T. Benjamin Cole
man of 206 Horners la. unit
spring training opens in Febru
airy.
Coleman, a free swinger WHIT
bats left and throws right, ha:
long been touted as a potentia
star by the Cleveland organiza
ton.
MVP All Around
Last year, after shaking of
the rust of a two-year hitch II
the army, Coleman blasted
Southern Association pitching
for 80 homers, LOG RIBS and 8
1852 average. He led the league
in all departments and was the
major factor in Mobiles coping
the championship. He was
named the Most Valuable Minor
League Player by the baseball
writers association at the close
of the season.
He was also named most val
liable in the Southern ASsocia
ton, and voted the most valu
able player in the Southern AS
ISOLATION All.Star game.
He closed out the last few
games of the season with
Cleveland and picked up eight
hits at Is times at bat for a
.533 average.
Coleman graduated fr ON
Richard Montgomery high
school in 1852 and was an All
State football player as well a:
baseball star. He attended
Duke University for one year
on a football scholarship anc
signed a Cleveland contract il
the summer of '53.
Spartansburg First Year
He played for Spartansburg
S. c., in 1854. his first full sea
son, and thumped across 10(
runs, hit IL homers and batteC
.31S. The next year he was pro
NOTED to Keokuk, Iowa, in thu
Three-I league and batted .349
knocked across 80 runs, ant
socked Is roundtrippers.
In 1856 he moved up to Mo
bile and racked up 118 RIBS
hit 81 homers and batted .316
A two year hitch in the Army
mostly at Fort Mcpherson in
terrupted his career. Las
spring he went to camp witt
the Indians, but saw little &C
ton in the early training an,
was sent down to Mobile again
Gordy thinks he may hav,
gotten a break in the trade
General Manager Frank Ian
of the Indians said Clevelan,
had two first basemen ahead O
him for the coming year
Cincy has only one, converte,
outfielder Frank Robinson.