Evening star., 1960-12-23
WIN, LOSE OR
DRAW By FRANCIS s1AAn
From Strand to Stevens

IN FINISHING fading fifth in the "od" eight-club
American League last season. Cal Grts Senators had
to hit more home runs Q4D than any team except the
Yankees and Tigers This helped naturally to atone for
serious fielding and pitching deficiencies
Now, with Jim Lemon and Harmon Kilebrew gone, the
new Senators banking couple of strangers R. C.
Stevens first baSeman, and Harry Bright third base
man. to fill their roles best they 1t won't be easy
because Lemon hit 38 homerS Ke 81 Together they
drove 18O runs.
On paper the hitting credentials Of both Stevens
and Bright are valid barring couple Of qualifications.
First they did their sluggng in the Pacific Coast League
Secondly they played half their games in the raried
atmosphere of Salt Lake City.
Stevens, 60 2OO-pounder from Moultrie Ga led the
Pacific Coast League with 81 homers and Bright much
journeyed veteran hit e. Together they contributed 220
RIBS But the twin questions remain: Can they hit major
league pitching and. so, will the ball go far as 1t
did in Salt Lake City?
ONE OF THE MOST sensational sluggers in Salt Lake
Cys history Paul Strand, who had been bust in
the majors pitcher Back in 1929 at the age of &c.
Strand set worlds record by making 325 hits betterng
his own mark of 289 established in 1922.
Along with those hits he had 1894 batting average,
scored S0 batted in 1877 and slammed 43 home runs
1t should be added however that Salt Lake City played
199 games that season and Strand appeared in all except
ve Of them Nevertheless Connie Mack paid the $4,000
asking price for Strand who couldn't carry his Pacific
Coast League prowess in the majors Connie not
exactly snake bitten that year, though because for only
one-thrd of what~he paid for Strand he came up with
+ AL Simmons, one of the all time great hitters
With Strands flop still fresh in mind some major
league scouts wondered about another Salt Lake City
bearcat in 1925. This Tony Lazzeri slim second
baseman who enjoyed season fully as spectacular as
Strands
Poosh EN- Up hit go home at Salt Lake and drove
in 222 252 hits This over 197game stretch
Unlike his predecessor, however Lazzeri major
Lacquer from the time he acquired by the Yankees
,E TONY CAME UP in 1926 to stay. He close
TO hitting so homers in the majors but in II with
FNh Va he i1 hlo crinn
Yankee Stadium is not an easy park in which to hit
homers Not for righthanded hitter.
Lazzeri not only could hit when it counted but he
played the hell out Of second base and helped win half
a dozen pennants for the Yankees
Another Salt Lake City alumnus in the majors
is Dick Stuart the uninhbted first baseman of the Pitts
burgh Pirates Stuart who hit 66 home for Lincoln
in the Western League in 56 struck 81 two years later at
Salt Lake
Ironically, stuarts presence the Pittsburgh club
coupled with that of the lefthanded hitting Rocky Nelson
feasible for the Pirates to give up c. Stevens
the Bobby Shantz deal with Washington. Bright and
Pitcher Bennie Daniels in the tRade, although
sBennie didn't do his pitching at Salt Lake. -
/. MEANWHILE BACK at Grifhth Stadium after quick
inspection Of facilities at Pompano Beach, General Man
ager Ed Doherty and Field Manager Mickey Vernon
agreed the Florida community the training site Of
the Senator's t#
They've got the finest inhed I've ever seen any
where" Vernon enthused II such grass" After
all the years Mickey played the ineld at the old
Senator's stamping ground at Orlando cobblestone
street probably would look good Dohery and Road
rery Burt Hawkins however bear out Vernons extrava
CANT praise of the Pompano Beach layout.
In addition, the Pete Quesada Senators will occupy
clubhouse, which Is abuiding along with stands to
accommodate $500 spectators incidentally, If anybody
wants to drop any of the Senators line after training
begins, probably February 3d. the address will be the
Barefoot Mailman Hotel Pompano Beach, Fla
Seems that from 1888 to 1893 the mail train bound for
Miami slowed down to toss of pouch at Juniper Beach,
rout
paralleed the Atlantic Ocean Naturally, walking in the
sand, he shoes.