Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-07-16
WIN, LOSE OR
GNAV By FRANCIS STANN
Of the Scouts of Yesterday


BUCKY HARRIS, DURING all those lean years when
he managed the Senators, not bitter man but he
envouS one. The Yankees" he was won't to
muse, have the best in baseball and that's why
they always win. 1t isn't money it's the caliber of
scouts"
BuckyS words, uttered winter after winter in Florida
come back in the wake of the Yankees low estate
Since is fashionable to speculate what happened,
why couldn't it be the crack scouts who no more
Bill EsSlck, Joe Devine and Paul Kritchen?
1t is significant that not since Tony Kubek have the
Yankees come up with hot rookie and that Yogi
Berra Hank Bauer, Bobby shantz and Enos Slaughter
are beginning to show signs of age, and Mickey Mantle
and Bill Skowron less than sound the absence of
requirements is conspicuous.
There is not single young Yankee pitcher in a class
with the Orioles Jerry Walker Mt Pappas Jack Fisher
or Billy ODe, out1eder compare with the Senator'S
Bob Allison the Orioles Willie TaSby the White Sox
Jim McAnany, no inaelder to stack up with Harmon
Killebrew
THE YANKEES HAVE BEEN accustomed to having
young men standing in the WINGS ready to take key
positions When frankie Crosett down. Phil Rizzuto
was ripe to give New York the shortStoppng in the
American League.
When the Yankees needed the true successor to Babe
Ruth Scout Essick found him in DiMaggo second
baSeman-third baseman? Gil McDougad. That good
solid catcher to succeed Bill Dckey? Yogi Berra. The
one to take DiMagS place when he out Mickey
Mantle.
Harris envous because in the mid and late 193Os
the only scout the Washington payroll Joe Cambria
Baltimore laundryman who made periodic trips to the
cane fields of Cuba where the talent cheap and the
source relatively untapped Cambria used bring or
two Cuban to the Orlando training camp every year and
the haraSSed Bucky shackled by language difficulties
would sigh resignedly and do the best he could.
But then would the exhibitions against the
Yankees and Bucky would the young Rizzuto and
Bauer and DiMaggio and the rest and he would-coud
not help-compare what Yankee managers were given to
play while he BUNDLED along with Cambra's proteges.
ESSICK DEVINE KRITCHELL they are
unlisted on the Yankees scouting roster About the
only active ivory hunter who discovered it big is Tom
Greenwade who found Mantle.
"a fireman in Commerce Okla, told me about Mantle"
reminSceS Greenwade properly proud of his find Mickey
was in his third of high school and playing for
Baxter Springs KanS.
"I wasn't much impressed I'll admit Mickey was
only 6 and they called him Little Mickey Mantle because
he wasn't full grown couldn't sign him. anyway because
he was in school but my fireman friend kept posted
and finally went to Baxter Springs Mantle got his
high school diploma a Friday night On Sunday l
saw him play in Cofeyville, Kans, which Walter
JohnSons home town. Just the game ended there
terrific rainstorm. Mickey his dad and ducked into
my car behind the grandstand and that's where he
signed. I gave him $1,000"
Mantle sensation at 90 his second season up
Now at &C. he may already be the downgrade because
of bad underpinnng But he filled DiMaggo's spot.
SCOUTS EssICK AND DEvINE used to cover the
Pacific Coast. They DNaggio in 1884 the year when
Joe'S left knee popped on him. DiMag spent six weeks
wearing Splint, which scared away most scouts.
EsSck died hard on the young man, who was big and
graceful and strong in the Yankee image. LET turn
him over to Dr. Spencer here in San Francisco" Essick
told Charley Graham of the San Francisco Seals
III you'll allow him to treat DiMaggo the Yankees will
give $4,000 and four players and you keep the
boy for 1885,"
The docs treatment worked and in 35 that $25 900
outlay became pittance DiMag batted 1893 for
san Francisco and became a Yankee star the day he
reported in So
Paul kr1tchel head scout of the Yankees and
everybody idea what an ivory hunter should be like
He conducted tryout of youths at Yankee Stadium and
unlike Pancho Snyder of the Giants who laughed a
dmlnutlve candidate out of the Polo Grounds he saw
possibilities IN kid from Queens named Rizzuto. The
See WIN, LOSE OR DRAW Page D-4