Evening star., 1963-01-06
PROMISES INSIDE STORY
Quesada Turns on Critics
In His I'd Report to Public
BY MERRELL WHITTLESEY
star Staff Writer

BY MERRELL WHITTLESEY
Star Staff Writer
President Elwood r. Quesada
Of the Senators released Part
One Of his second annual re-
port to the public yesterday, one
in which he promises to discuss
the modest successes and the
disappointments and failures
with equal candor.
He said the fans are entitled
to it, particularly since some
incomplete and inaccurate news
accounts have tended to OBJ
scure the actual situation. He
plans to offer the second and
third installments on the next
two Sundays.
While in general Part One
concerns the second year Of
operations, Quesada promised
to tell the inside story of why
Ed Doherty's contract was not
renewed" Doherty was dropped
as general manager.
And "1ast but not least" as
he puts it, the fans will be told
"the inside story and the true
facts Of certain distorted news
accounts written by a small
coterie Of sports writer's during
the 1862 season."
Points to Distortion
The Senators President said !:
When criticism becomes a
distortion of the truth it can
and does undermine an essen
tial ingredient Of your teams
success, namely its spirit and
will to win"
Quesada writes that it is OBJ
vious that Jim Piersall had a
poor year at the plate in 1862,
but he says the reader, in ap-
praising PierSall, should ask
what the team would have been
like without him.
The general said that one of
the major deficiencies discov-
cred in the player development
program was an almost total
absence of Negro players.
In the outlook for 1868,
Quesada says he wishes he
really had a good answer to the
shortcomings.
Recent trades should bring
some improvement but not q
cure, unless we are much luck
Ter than we have been in the
past.
"Our pitching is good and
our defense should be better
Our team is larger and younger
and definitely faster. Our catch
ing is more versatile. If we can
get men on base, our running
game should improve over last
year. which. incidentally, is the
single department in which we
eXcelled."
QueSada was referring 10 the
fact that the Senators led the
league in stolen bases.
y He points out that the Sen
ators' budget for the player de-
velopment program is being in
creased 20 per cent over last
year.
The general wrote several
pages on the clubs responsible
tiles to the community and its
efforts to make baseball avail
able to younger people. He cited
The Evening Star Knothole
Club. with 10000 members, plus
the Schoolboy Patrol and Little
Leaguers and military per-
sonnel.
Aware Of Huge Task
Quesada reviews the develop
ments at the expansion draft
meeting In Boston two years
ago last November when Do
herty and Manager Mickey
Vernon invested $2,225, 900 in
two hours on players made
available by other American
League clubs.
Press reports Of the list, at
least to me, indicated that the
task ahead was even more
staggering than we anticipated.
I'VE were not naive. We were
fully aware that we would be
starting with ENTHUSIASTICALLY
nothing-except ambition and
determination" He said the
Senators we're the have nots''
and the eight teams with gen.
erations Of experience behind
them were the "haves."
In the first part Of the Sc
ries he does not mention the
Los Angeles Angels by name
The Angels were born the same
day as the Senators and fin
ished third last season.
while this first group OF
Washington players did better
than most people thought they
would. improvement obviously
was needed. We soon fSund
that our ability TO make trades
with other members OF the
American League was almost
nil. Help was occasionally Of
fered. but generally character
lied by offers Of their worst
for our best" he writes.
"Doherty had little choice
but TO turn 10 the Nationa
League. and II was there thai
our program Of building htC
ball team really commenced. Il