Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-02-28

Senator'S Tipped
Ante on Brown
By MORRIS sIEGEL

= THE CHOICE TOM BROWN had to make whether
to sell himself to a football team which had two
world championships in the last two to q
baseball club which had lost 20l games over the same
span.
Brown selected the Senators over the Green Bay
Packers Only time will tell whether the Packers the
Senators hurt the most Brown certainly wasn't.
He got estimated $4,000 from the Senators for inter-
ruptng his studies at Maryland.
This tends to prove couple Of things; Pro football
not quite ready to bury baseball the gdiron sadists
insist and Brown physical education major, obviously
tinkered with a couple Of courses in medium finance
we'll
THE MONEY OFFERED BY the Packers, who drafted
him second, and by the Senators, who didn't draft him
at ALL about the same Brown admitted. Its just
that prefer baseball. I'm bug guess"
Brown, who hoped off to Pompano Beach shortly
after becoming the newest Senator, is unusual case
He hasn't done anything except play football at Maryland
since the Senators last propooned him. yet they upped
the ante considerably to get him.
"Percentagewise" Brown said II got about so per
cent the original offer for signing It suits
me fine" ..
Were the Senators impressed with him as the top
defensive Tom Nugents football team1 Not at
ALL according to Scout Joe Branzel who trapped Brown
for the Senators. I'VE got interested again when we
found Tommy wasn't married to football We thought
he when first talked to him."
...
BROWNS SUDDEN DECISION to turn pro seemed ILL
timed Wouldn't it have been better to play out his
naming year of baseball Maryland and gamble on q
higher bonus than he got2 don't think so he answered
what else could have done out there?"
The answer Is not much. He batted 44e, an Atlantic
Coast Conference record the A-Amerca and a. he
said had out Of goals at College Park Besides his
bride of last August is expecting and the need for money
more pressing than the need for more glory.
Every major league team except two contacted Brown
The exceptions the Yankees and the Dodgers The
failure of Los Angeles to show interest o mild
surprise to the handsome 22year- When the Brown
family lived in his native Reading Pa, his dad official
of the American Red Cross here the trainer for the
Dodger-owned farm club. -.-
Suppose the Yankees had offered the same amount Of
money the Senators would the outed candidate have
Joined the champs2 =
II don't think So" he replied i've got better chance
to make 1t here quicker The Senators don't have too
many players in their organization. don't want to beat
around the bush leagues. II I'm not In the majors q
regular in three or four years I'll quit and teach school,
BROWN DISTRIBUTES HIS 100 pounds over s-foot-l
frame but he doesn't regard himself power hitter by
long shot. Although q switch hitter he probably is
better batting efthanded than right he reckons and it's
not accidental
When he youngster about 10 or H. he was the
star player in lefhanded softba league the kids got
up at the Woodside Elementary School,
Everybody had to bat lefthanded even the natural
lefthanded hitterS" he explained There was building
close to eftfield, batted away from 1t. was
natural righhanded batter at the time but got to be
pretty good batting from the other side Later when
kneF what doing. decided to become q switch
hitter"
While he was talking Brown noted newspaper head
newhch read Senators Try Breeding at Three Jobs"
Brown looked up and smiled.
"Is he that good?" he asked.
One Of the Senator lesser lights left at home to mind
the store while the major employees at Pompano
happy Brown had become organization man. Suppose
he doesn't make it, 1t costs only $4,000 but it's step
in the right direction for u.s."
Brown armed with the dough, couldn't agree with
him more