The Chiefs have 7 wins and 5 losses this spring, tied with the New York Gothams. Washington leads the FA clubs with 8 wins.
Highlights
* The experiment to try
Ron Coles as a starting pitcher is going well. As I mentioned, the 25-year-old Coles had not started a game since being drafted out of high school in 1927, spending all his time as a professional pitching out of the bullpen. To me, in this time frame, relief pitchers have very little value. Coles throws 4 pitches and has a live arm (throws 94-96 mph) with a curve ball that is big swing and miss pitch. Prior to camp, the Chicago scout--Rube Carter--considered Coles a shutdown reliever. Now after working as a starter for the past two weeks, Carter has this to say about Coles: "[he] is a polished four-pitch starter who has front of the rotation abilities." If Coles can function as a rotation anchor, then we can afford to be patient with
Al Miller.
* Most of the bats are doing well--
Mose Christopher (.444),
Tom Aiello (.462),
Jim Hampton (.500), and
Bob Martin (.423) all seem primed for a good season.
* There are two young outfielders who are threatening to skip class AAA and head north with the Chiefs: left fielder
Ed Reyes (AA) and center fielder
Paddy Smith (A). The incumbent center fielder--
Red Sharp--is all glove and no bat, and he is hitting just .158 this spring. Smith is hitting .304 with 2 triples and 1 stolen base. Smith also bring a good glove to all 3 outfield positions. Reyes has been hot all spring (he's hitting .414 with 3 doubles and leads the club with 7 runs batted in); so much so that we've moved Hampton to right field. And Hampton has looked decent in right (he has the arm; he threw out one runner at third base this week). So I'm starting to think that the oufield in Chicago this summer will be: Smith/Sharp in center, Reyes in left, and Hampton in right.
Transactions
* Assigned P
Bill Ross to class AA Memphis
l-to-r, Ron Coles, Ed Reyes, Paddy Smith