Evening star., 1960-05-16
WIN, LOSE OR
HNAV By FRANCIS STANN
Popeye the Sailor Man

hottest hitters is James Edward RunnelS the IA
milar Pete The way he's scing and pulling and nbbng
the ex-senator be there at the finish despite his
Sunday for that dropped him to S61 And of his
boosters is Cal Griffith who January 1853 traded Run
neS to the Red Sox.
1T doesn't embarraSs that Pete has been doing so
we Cal was saying today I'm the first place Runnels is
real nice guy, pro- It's just that when traded him
needed centerfelder and first baseman AS it turned
out didn't get either one"
Griffith swapped the lean Texan from Lufkn for Abie
Pearson and Norm zauchin. The latter proved to be
nothing player, big temperamental guy who is having
trouble sticking in Class AAA ball. The dminuve Pearson
played up to the limits of his skilS, batting 275 and
winning acclaim the AIS rookie -theyear before
being traded himself for Lenne Green.
But RunnelS had the best of his He hit
1922 92pont boost his 1857 with Washing
ton and lost the batting title Teammate Ted Will
liams here at Griffith Stadium in the last games
Last season he followed with 34 go points better
than Williams. s
gs- HOW MUCH RUNNELS profted by his close asSoca-
Zion with williams conjectura Pete suddenly became
new and respected hitter following his transfer to
Boston. All of his managers at Washington, beginning
with Bucky Harris and including Chuck Dresser and
Cookie Lavagetto agreed that Pete swung solid bat
Not for too much distance perhaps but he could hit to
all fields ..ts...
"We-the Washington club mean-paid $125OO for
Pete back in 1949. think it the most money
spent on Glass player. Joe Cambria-the fellow
everybody makes jokes about-ound him at ChckaSha
Texarkana, somepace" Griffith recalls
Cambria is the little Italian laundryman from Balti
who went broke trying to promote team in the
old Blue Ridge League and threw himself upon the mercy
Of the late Clark Griffith, who baed him out and deSg
mated Cambria scout, means of working off
modest debt Joe then now cut ncongruous figure
with his dumpy frame and heavy accent, but unless it
is Joe Enge he developed into the best Washington
had.
Runnes was one of his discoveries Just offhand so
were George Case and Mickey Vernon and Early Wynn
and Camio Pascual and Pedro Ramos
AFTER RUNNELs HAD SERVED his one year
apprenticeship Chattanooga he joined the Senators
shorstop when Harris manager Pete's credentials
good he % and not a-scaired of any pitchers
and his batting average at the Tennessee proving grounds
1856 The only thing wrong that Runnes claimed
to be shortStop.
Harris, who played opposite Roger Peckinpaugh
and managed Rizzuto in Phs sprightlies days, could
little defensive resemblance between Peck and Rzzuto
and Runnels Bucky like Dresser and Lavageto later
began to the wry Texan around the ineld Indeed
even the outfed, although he hadn't the
Pete played second and first base and, if he no
Lajoe or Chase, he specifications until he up
with that awful 23O cropper In 1857 before Cal Griffith
finally traded him.
"And told Joe Cronin at the time This guy is liable
to lead the league in hitting" Cal says At the time
Cronin general manager of the Red Sox and Gris
hrotherin-law. He's still the latter His paycheckS of
course made out to the president of the American
League these days.
81 DIDN'T WANT to give up Runnels," Cal says, but
had choice One position he can't play centered
"As matter of fact-and this hasn't been printed as
far / KNOW made pretty good offer for Runnes
last winter offered Bucky Harrs has succeeded Cronin
GIN of the Red Sox) what thought pretty good
deal He just laughed it off, but that's what think of
Runnels"
To the charge that Peter seems to bat in many
runs explains 81 all that. Just knocking in
isn't everything Pete sets the pace for ball club On top
of everything, he's much smarter hitter than he
used to be-"
On this note shall take leave of Pete Runnels.
But there may day. when he's ffty-ish or sixty
ish and lazing his shortstem corncob pipe
gripped in his teeth and looking like Popeye the Sailor
whom he already beginning to resemble when Pete may
reflect upon the days when he at least batting