Pre-Season, Wenatchee

Chiefs Boast Young Squad, Star Rookies
By JOHN RICHARDSON
Wenatchee World Sports Writer
LINDSAY, Calif., April 16 — A young ball club bolstered by highly regarded rookies from Oakland of the Pacific Coast League will wear the Wenatchee label in the Western International baseball loop this year.
Babe Herman, a scout for the New York Yankees, said during a visit to the Wenatchee Chiefs' training camp here that Oakland has the top rookie prospects in the coast circuit. Seven of these are slated to play for the Chiefs.
They include Pitchers Charley Beamon, Art Amaya, Jack Klein and Rick Bothelo, third baseman Babe Fuhrman and catchers Art Cuitti and Harry Botholomei [sic].
McCormick In Outfield
Mike McCormick, the veteran major league slugger who is guiding Wenatchee's 1953 destiny, will himself patrol the center field pasture. The rest of the backyard will he guarded by Ross McCormack, back for his third year with the Chiefs, and Shelly Edwards, a youngster out of the California semi-pro ranks.
Infieldwise, says Big Mike, the Chiefs are set. Husky Charley Neal will be posted at first base. Chuck Malmberg at second and Don Stanford at short.
Neal was in the WIL briefly in 1951 with Yakima and last year batted .314 for Bisbee-Douglas in the Arizona-Texas League. Malmberg, a good glove man and highly rated as a leadoff hitter, was picked up in an oft-season trade with Yakima, which got infielder Buddy Hjelmaa in the deal.
Dasso Returns
Frank Dasso, who will be one of the league's three pitching general managers, is getting into shape for a regular turn on the hill. (Dewey Soriano of Vancouver and Bill Brenner of Lewiston are the other front-office flingers in the circuit).
Laurie Monroe is back from the 1952 outfit as general utility man — which includes pitching.
McCormick thinks the training here in the 80-degree weather will give him a jump on the clubs that took their spring tonic at home and he's counting on his young pitching staff to get the Chiefs off to a good start.
Wenatchee opens at home April 24 against Yakima and then moves to Lewiston, both of which were stay-at-homes during the get-ready season.