Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-02-22
THE BASEBALL
BEAT
BY BURTON HAWKINS

1N-H
ORLANDO, Fla, Feb. a.
Cal Griffith's admonition to his
unsigned players-"We finished
eighth with you and we can
finish eighth without you"--is
a bit too blunt for those who
have heard 1t and is winning
the Senator's boss no new
friends.
The Senators are interested
in acquiring Art Fowler, IS
year-old Highlander who for
merly toiled for the Redlegs. i, =,
He's the property of the Dodg-
ers' Spokane farm club and the
asking price is three players of
triple-A caliber. Fowler, who
would be used in relief, had a
9-6 record with a l.9l earned
run average in the Cuban Win
ter League, and Outf1elder Bob
Allison says, II guarantee he'll
help any major league pitching
staff"
*&*
Del Miller, who trains his
harness horses here, has named
four yearling PAGERS for his
friends. Meadow Chuck for
Chuck Stobbs. the Senators
lefthander; Meadow Bob for
Bob Addie, Post and Times
Herald columnist; Meadow Betz
for Adde'S wife, the former
Pauline Betz, and Meadow
Hawk for this oaf. Del's
breeding farm in Pennsylvania
is Meadowlands.
When Coach Ellis Clary
couldn't think of a rookie left
handlers name in the Senators
camp the other day he at
tracted his attention with, Hey,
wrongarm!" Clary's nick
name for the bronzed Ralph
Lumenti is "Sahib."
Able Pearson reports he got
fairly close to the revolution in
Cuba. Seems one night
when he was playing center
field that three Battista men
were caught just outside the
fence. "One of them tried
to make a break for it," Albie
said, land I heard those Nils
go into action. I got the story
on it later"
Pearson said before the Cas-
tro forces took over that bet
ting on ball games in Havana
was wide open. Guys in
the stands would bet $500 or
so on a game" Albie said, land
if you booted one you heard
about it,"
Minnie Minoso in Cuba isn't
the same player he is with the
Indians, Albie said. "a. Minoso,
who batted 1855 in the Winter
League. Spurted a bit, though,
when Frank Lane visited Ha-
vana to sign Minnie. /.
while Lane was there he had
a great SERIES" Pearson said.
"Smacked three home runs and
hit doubles and triples all over
the park. He knew when to
turn IL on"
Ball players are laughing at
Kansas City's $4,000 offer to
Bob Cerv, who merely batted
.305, slammed 38 home runs
and batted in 104 runs last
season, playing with a broken
jaw part of the time. IF
he takes anywhere near that
kind of money he'll set the rest
of us back 10 years." said one
Senator.
X 4 4
Kerby Farrell, former Cleve-
land manager, says he learned
he was fired as Miami'S pilot
when he read it in Venezuela
in the Miami Hearld'S Clipper
edition. A cablegram con-
firmed it four days later. .
Farrell will manage Buffalo
this year.
Steve Korcheck, the Senators
catcher, lost % pounds the hard
way. He got food poison
ing playing baseball in the
Dominican Republic, which
prompted a retreat to the
United States. Stoves late
brother, Mike, played Army
baseball at Fort Jackson with
Vito Valentinetti. Mix
was the property of the Dodg-
ers and a sizzling prospect, &C
cording to Vito.
During a recent telephone
conversation with Bling Devine,
general manager Of the Cardin-
ais, Cal Griffith asked him
when Bing was leaving st. Louis
for st. Petersburg and the an
swer was, Just as soon as you
let me hang up this phone"
Chuck StobbS became a little
upset the other day when he
plunked a golf ball into a lake,
but the mood blackened when
the pitcher dropped another ball
near the lake, gave it a tap to
get it in better position before
addressing it and saw that ball
trickle into the water.
X X
Cookie Lavagetto's expert
ence as a real estate salesman
during the off season was brief
and unsuccessful. =. The