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Thursday, July 8, 1943SPORTSTHE STARS AND STRIPESMonte Weaver Still Rooting for Nats♦Former Hurler HereWith FighterCommandBy Charles F. RileyStare and Stripes Staff Writer— FIGHTER STATION. July 7—Ten years ago Monte Weaver was throwing curves and high, hard ones for the Washington Senators against the N.Y. Giants in the World Series. Today, the lean North Carolinian who helped give Joe Cronin an American League flag in the j“Boy Wonder's” first year as a majorleague manager, is in the Eighth Air Force Fighter Command lineup operating from this base.Weaver, a second lieutenant whose desk work is part of Fighter Command’s team play, is finished with baseball but the 37-year-old veteran of 14 campaigns in the majors and minors still maintains a high interest in the pennant races. Just now he’s trying to root his old team-mate Ossie Bluege and the Senators to their first league championship since the Giants whipped the Nats in five games back in'33.’i’d sure like to see Ossie come through,” Weaver said yesterday. “He has a team of hustlers in his lineup who will make trouble for the Yankees or any other squad in the league. He was a great player and, with his club in second place, he’s proving to be a goodmanager.”Weaver broke into baseball in 1928 with Durham in the Piedmont League. He was teaching mathematics at the UniversityStars unci Stripes thotoMonte Weaverof Virginia and playing semi-pro ball when he was offered a contract. A diamond career :didn’t appeal to him at the time and he signed only after he was coaxed to give it a try. In 1930 he moved up to the Baltimore Orioles in the International League1 and in the Fall of ’31 was bought by Washington.The stylish right-hander won 22 games for Walter Johnson in ’32, his best year, and under Cronin in ’33 combined withEarl Whitehilf and A1 Crowder to pitchPredicts BaseballWill Keep GoingDuring Warthe Nats to their first pennant in nine years. Weaver realized the ambition ot all hurlers when he started the fourth game of the Series that year against the Giants,but he dropped a 2—1 heartbreaker toCarl Hubbell.After eight years in Washington. Monte moved up to Boston under Cronin again, but failed to last. He finished the season with Louisville in the American Associc-tipn. Back with Baltimore in *41 he worked in 53 games, more than in any previous campaign, winning seven and losing four for Tommy Thomas.That was the end of baseball’s road for Weaver. He entered servjge Iasi August and after the war doesn't figure to be mixed up with the game in any capacity.From a player’s viewpoint, Weaver believes baseball will survive the war. That is, in the major leagues.“The minors are bound to suffer,” he said, “mainly because* of the lack of player material. But there always will be enough good men around to keep the majors alive. Despite reports to the contrary, I don’t believe the club ownersare losing money.”Weaver pitched a few innings in one game at Fighter Command Headquarters recently, the first time he had thrown a ball in over a year and half, and he doesn’t figure to do much playing in the future.1 i! L
Newspaper Details
London Stars and Stripes
London, Middlesex, GB
Thu, Jul 08, 1943
Page 3
Full Page
Clipped by
Drew S.
MD, USA 11 Mar 2021
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