Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-04-02
SEGH AT LARGE
It's Much Better
By CundIeIight
By MORRIS SIEGEL

NOBODY KNOWS EXACTLY how Apache Junction,
Ariz came to be discovered Nobody knows why, either
Not even the Apaches will up to It, Once you've been
there you better understand their reluctance to claim
an inch of the arid desert
Viewed in the darkest moment OF mldnlgnt eclipse,
Apache Junction might not be so bad However once the
first speck Of light hits it, you've seen enough
Until two seasons ago. when the newborn Houston
Colts moved in to establish spring training base Apache
was principally inhabited by ackrabbts and ratesnaKe
These original settlers may soon have the joint 10
themselves The Colts skedaddling out OF town. Paul
Richards, who does their thinking has been scouting
around for several weeks for new headquarters
APACHE IS IN THE middle of nowhere, and
rounded by similar beauty at every turn The Colts
not worried about their athletes violating curfew IN
Apache They encouraged it. ANY athlete caught out after
hours will be rewarded" they told Nobody got lucky
The Colts decision to bvouac in isolation was under
standabe their first year of operation They had to field
ball club made players gotten out OF the expansion
They wanted to keep away from public nspec-
ton as long as possible
Apache was perfect spot After finishing surprising
eighth last year. only SO gaines behind San Francisco the
Colts were not nearly DESTROYS to be alone They knew
they couldn't depend the few humans in the territory
for gate support the Colts provided their own audience
THEY BROUGHT 10 PLAYERS to camp 1t was the
largest concentration of hired hands since the filming of
Ben Hur.
In these surroundings with nothing to do but think
about baseball Richards basebas thinkngeS man, went
to Richards didn't work alone He mustered the 10
athletes at o'clock every morning and worked em nearly
until shutdown.
1t giant experimental grounds free from in
reference Richards who likes to tinker with basebals
tired formulas worked overtime trying to devise better
methods to play the He up with couple which
he insists the Colts will this When Richards
insists, it's 1Ol bet the strategy will be employed.
Richards idea that the traditional old methods Of
playing not invioate gave pretty good example Of
that years ago when he had two pitchers in
at Boston at one time.
HE SWITCHED ONE OVER to third base and brought
in lefty to face Ted williams When williams was dis
posed by Billy Pierce Richards shuttled Harry Dorish
who played third base while Pierce pitched to Williams
back the mound and preserved the White Sox victory
Now Richards is on a fielding kick Last season the
Colts lost couple Of games when their pitchers
able field squeeze bunts Richards thinks got
edy Throw away the glove and field the ball barehanded
They practced it for several days at Apache At the
moment the ball is hunted and the pitcher the
break for home he filings away his glove scoops the ball
up barehanded and shoves 1t to home plate Last year
OF pitchers trying to stab the ball with his glove
grabbed handful Of infield grass the Mastermind
planned.
THE COLTS DIDN'T lose all of their games because OF
faulty Fingers Catchers also caused losses
One Of the most grevous cachers failure to hold
TO the ball relay throw from the outfied The ball hit
the top Of the NIT
The Colts will play II differently this season. Under
Paus latest innovation whenever becomes necessary for
the pitcher 10 backup home plate throw from the
outfed he will quickly exchange gloves with the catcher
THE finger glove is easier 10 handle" he says There
won't be many overthrows There had better not be-
This should give you a vague idea OF how stimulating
Apache Junction Is Maybe the Senators should train out
there.