Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-03-22
WIN, LOSE OR
SNAV By FRANCIS STANN
OF This and That

TAMPA, FLA, MAR 21-As the week wore on the
rowooat In streets became commonplace In hotel
IoooeS the bapayers sat upholstered chairs bored
ana retfu The pro golfers hand for the St. Peters,
ourg open TUNED because their swings grew rusty with
the Masters so near The racngcar daredevs at Sebring
oanched at the slick treacherous track gray visibility
that made every outing risk.
And still it raned, hard merciessly, shameleSsly.
Even Sunshine Park the little track that legend
In its time, shut down. The tiny lake in the ined
suped over its edges and famed out toward the racing
strip, where its advance joined by casual water
spreading from the outside rail
The purpose of a trip to the barn area merely was
to look at gelded horse that had finished fourth and
unnoticed a week ago. Then chance remark by Bob
Brumby whimsical man attached to Sunshine Parks
publicity department. established that Bee Lee Tee
a celebrity
He had won $50 for finishing just out of the money
-. and now he had earned $lO0O0O He is IL years old.
THERE ARE FASTER HORSES in the barns at Sum-
shine but no winners of 100000 There are steeds of
better pedigree, including Come On Red who finished
third in the 1856 Kentucky Derby which Needles won
But Come On Red went wrong and he is racing without
much success against cheap horses. Bee Lee Tee is
better story.
Jim Pitt who trains Bee Lee Tee and his 11-year old
sidekck, called Two Rainbows doesn't know much
about the old gedngs youth how he got his Chinese
sounding name. Nor does anybody know for how many
owners and trainers he raced
Once upon time he ran at Hiaeah," old groom
spoke up An he raced at county fairs heard he
won $4,000 in one race"
Where and how many races he ran is something
we don't know" Brumby reported, "but figures
accurate Bee Lee Tees winnings He earned 500 900
going into last Saturdays He $780, he's
won 100000"
When the track is navigable for horses Bee Lee Tee
may rise at dawn but not to work like other horses
Disdainfuly he watches from his STALL
Bout the only exercise Oh boss gets when he amt
racing is walking from the barn the paddock and
sometimes allow him hour to do that much" the
ol hosS hacrI1 ha,r
special. Man, boss wins all that money. i"
THERE HAVE BEEN baplayers in the past-notably
Ike Boone and Nick Culopwho looked like great hitters
in the high minors but who Topped in the majors Rocky
Nelson be another like them Or maybe the soge
putting, staggering first baseman with the Pirates
tends, he "just never got chance to make good"
BY actual count the 34yearold Nelson has had eight
previous bg-league trials since 1949 First the Cards
looked at him, then the Dodgers twice. the Pirates White
Sox Indians, the Cards two times . and now
the Pirates.
Rocky doesn't like to hear people refer to another
chance" He says 1--WE never had always hit
minor league pitching and hit the pitching the
majors But was always back of some Mr.. Big"
In 1855 Rocky batted 1854 in the International League
Once in the American Association he batting Alb
for 4S games This between trips bgleague clubs
Last season for Toronto he led the International League
with 1925, 43 home and 120 batted in. He
voted the Most Valuable Player award.
NELSON POINTS OUT that when the Cards looked
him over Stan Musia ahead of him. At Brooklyn it
was Gil Hodges His failure with the White Sox won't
bear close inspection perhaps because Chicago been
looking for first baseman for some time
Right now Nelson is the No. 3 first baSeman in the
Pirate camp behind Dick Stuart and Ted Kluszewski
He may or may not stick pinchhtter and part-tim
outhelder. One manager Walt Aston of the Dodgers
thinks Nelson might help some club.
managed Rocky in the minors" Aston says land
he hit well for under pressure the Little World
series think he'll make it if some team stays with him."
Another manager can't understand why Washington
didn't claim Nelson in last DEFENDERS league draft
when the draft meeting opened" he disclosed "the
RnnleS mad nrst pick and selected player Then
Washingtons turn. When Calvin Griffith said pass
most of us nearly fell off our chairs
How can last-place club stand pat? Nelson or
any other TrpeA player costs 5000 in the draft
If the guy doesn't make the grade he's always saleable to
a minor league club for at least $12500 1 don't say
Nelson is big Lacquer but I'd kind like to see him with
a club where he's got no competition for job. After
all, Rocky wasn't swinging a cornstalk in the minors"