Page 64 - 1934

B A S E B A L L

Gordon M. Ot i s ...................................................... Captain
Emery F. Sw a n ...................................................... Manager

At the beginning of March, baseball practice started, at least for the
pitchers and those few who wished to act as backstops for them. In the
gym each of the four who reported (Otis, Barker, Carroll, and Cotter)
worked out about fifteen minutes each day. These four horsemen were
reduced to three when spring conditioning started in earnest after Easter,
for Cotter centered his activities at short. However, the pitching staff is
well rounded, and the brunt of the season's games will not rest on one star
hurler. Captain Otis, a speed expert; Barker, a southpaw with a slow de­
livery; and Carroll, an artist of curves and deception, comprise a fine
change of pace.
The other end of the batteries is the same as last year. "Uncle Oss”
will do most of the catching, but Boston will be a competent understudy.
Competition has speeded up both considerably, for each is looking for­
ward to a successful season.
On Wednesday, April 4, a small squad of only fifteen candidates
reported to Coach Waughtel. However, what the team lacks in quantity it makes up in quality, for the three
newcomers, Barker, Brokaw, and Carroll, added to the six returning letter men, Otis, Ostrom, Sanderson,
Cotter, Young, and Davis, make up an experienced team. Of the other six, Boston and Boyden are members
of the ’33 squad, Gardner comes up from Mr. Raines’ team, and R. Mowry, Quinn, and Read are new to us.
When Barker is pitching, Boyden will hold down the initial sack. Second base will be ably taken
care of by Brokaw. Provided Sanderson loses a "little” weight, he will cover the hot corner. Mowry has
been developing fast and is pressing Cotter at short, but because of the scarcity of outfielders when Otis is
pitching, he has been converted into a right fielder. This capable infield promises to plug up the holes that
caused many of our defeats last year.
Although the material for the outfield is sizable, it is mostly green. Still Coach Freeman has at his dis­
posal "Didly" Davis, a reliable man in left; Randy Young, who covers center field like a net; and either
Otis, Carroll, or a youngster for the right garden. Mowry and Quinn, who were formerly helping out
around first base, have the edge on the other rookies. Pre-season evidence points toward an efficient outfield.
Always an important factor in baseball is hitting power. The ’34 team is somewhat weak in this
respect, but each one can deliver a single, and should the team bunch its hits, it will be able to outscore last
year’s four heavy hitters. Young is the best lead-off man we have had for some time. Barker, in clean-up
position, and Otis following him have broken up many a ball game, and indications show that they are
likely to connect with more mighty wallops. The lower end of the batting order is less formidable, but
Ostrom and Mowry do send the ball for a ride. Opposing pitchers will find it a bad policy to loaf on any
of our hitters.
Coach Waughtel and his able assistant, Mr. Freeman, will, with this well-rounded material and the
fine spirit that prevails throughout the squad, shortly whip into shape a team that will know success.
On Wednesday, April 11, the team lost a seven-inning exhibition game to the semi-pro Newport Red
Sox. The rawness of the weather robbed our pitchers and hitters of much of their effectiveness.
Saturday saw the Quaker team lose its first scheduled game 2 to 1 to an inferior team, Newton Country
Day. Otis pitched splendidly, allowing but two scratch hits, striking out twelve, and giving only one walk.
The lucky or unlucky seventh (whichever way you look at it) brought about our defeat. What should have
been three easy outs proved to be two runs. Cotter’s wild throw from short to first started the ball rolling.
Errors by Carroll and Ostrom then let in the tying and winning run. In the third inning A1 Davis scored our
lone tally on Sanderson’s single, one of our six hits.
In a very sloppy seven-inning game, we defeated East Greenwich Academy 19 to 5. Barker pitched
well enough but was not impressive. The fielding remained uncertain. Mainly because our visitors had no
hurlers, the hitting averages picked up considerably. Young made three hits, received two walks, and scored
five runs before he retired.
Exactly one week after the season opened, the team journeyed to Dedham and whitewashed Noble and
Greenough. One flimsy error, clean-cut fielding, one double play, thirteen hits, six for extra bases, nine
runs, heads up base running! Here was a baseball team.
What a reversal the game with Cranston High proved to be. Carroll, our starting hurler, did well
enough, but imperfect fielding, four walks, and stolen bases brought about his undoing in the third inning
after seven runs had crossed the plate. Barker’s relief job was fine until the eighth, when errors again con­
tributed to our opponents’ five runs. Brokaw played well, as he has done all season. He singled in the
first, driving in Young, scored one run, featured in a double play, and made an excellent assist in the last.
Ten games loom ahead for our team, and should it regain the form it is capable of, it will secure a
good record for itself. P. M. E.

Tage sixty