Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-08-04
THE BASEBALL
BEAT
Zorro Is Aiming Hiqh
BY BURTON HAWKINS

THE SENATORS WILL display a new shortstop to-
night at Griffith Stadium in chesty 18-year-old zoio ver
sae who declares with the confidence of INFESTED brah
youth I'm two three I'll be good better than
Luis Aparicio"
This is akin to teenager who has appeared in a few
performances in barn announcing that it's only mat
ter of brief time before she'll be eclpsng Helen Hayes
as an actress Aparco the shoSop genius who perhaps
than any other individual responsible for accel-
Grating the White Sox to the top of the American League
Aparicio is incredibly Sure-handed He in for
ball he retreat rapidly to left and center to
oopers He can dart to his right and to his left He dis
poses of ball quickly unerrngy and with thrust He has
nimbe hands, the baseball instinct of the blessed and
perfect doube-play partner in smart Nellie Fox.
Honus Wagner may have been superior, and there
may contention that other superb shorstops of the
ahead of the agile Venezuelan Aparcio is
best of his generation in this humble opinion He's de-
fensve marvel who chokes off in wholesale lots who
makes White sox pitching seem stronger than it is
IT is ENCOURAGING, therefore to have player with
the aspirations of Versailles in midst He aiming HIGH
hoping to match the astonishing ability of his idol Apa
rco and there's no fault to be found with striving to equal
the best.
Furthermore, Versailles may not be Boosting He has
agility the reexes and the instinct Whether
to play herS with the skill of Aparcio the
vast amount of real estate show gifted glove, fire
curatey with steam behind his throws and perform pre-
cSely under pressure remains to be
At the moment, Versailles is inclined to approach his
work with too many fourishes It's called "showboatng"
applying unnecessary frs to simple plays but with
exceptions these extraneous erased with
experience.
One of the exceptions Vic Power the Indians first
baseman His nonchaant spearing of thrown balls with
faShy gesture irrates opponents who become further
ncensed because Vic makes look simple despite the
Theatres They have the feeling he should drop ball
occasionally because he isn't adhering to established tech
niques but he dsappons them and display
dain in the process.
VERSAILLES WAS IMPORTED to the Senator's train
ing camp in Orlando this spring when SamfordS sore
shoulder didn't respond to treatment when Reno Ber-
toa demonstrated he couldn't handle the job and when
the Senator's bosses realized they could be stuck at that
spot with Jose valdivielso
zolo who answers to the Zorro" nickname applied
by Coach Ellis Cary proceeded to pop some eyes with
his fielding in practice Perhaps it was because of the
contrast with what they had been seeing in their own
camp, but Versailles immediate sensation.
He could go, with glove, but the language barrier
and the fact that his experience had been limited to
mira, N T. functioned against him. The Cuban couldn't
comprehend the nicees of pickof plays cutofS relays
etc. His hitting suspect and there wasn't time to
teach.
Versailles farmed out to Fox Cities Wis., but before
he departed the Senators played an exhibition game with
the White zolo asked his fellow Cuban Pedro Ramos
to introduce him to Aparicio
YOU'RE NOT GOOD enough to meet him yet" Ramos
replied with a straight face
Why? What can he do that can't do?" sputtered
Versailles in Spanish
He goes back on ball much better" Ramos said.
Last year play in Chicago and Roy Sievers hit ball
Aparicio back to the centered fence chase Jim Lam
dis (centerfeder) off the ball and make the catch
do that?"
Versailles smiled slowly realizing he was being kidded
and insisted the introduction he has made the
leap to the majors and is unawed by the surroundings
He's fun to watch and it will be intriguing witness
attempts to approach the nesse of the MASTER Aparico