Hide Article Text (OCR)
12 THE VICTORIA ADVOCATE. Thuisday. May 12, 1380Clark Nealon ConvincedFridley W ill H% »Clark Nealon, Houston Post Sports Editor, is firmly convincedthat Jim Fridley will provide a big boost to Victoria's baseball fortunes.1 taiked with Ciark on the phono tne other day. You know how it is. Whenever a proven and established player is sent to a ball club in lower classification, one wonders what is behind the deal.Of course, it was well known that the Chicago Cubs had just sent Lou Johnson to the Buffs and Manager Enos Slaughter soon will be coming off the disabled list but besides Fridley, the Houston team also had Dave Pope Bob lalbot and Billy Williams for the gardens.* Pope is a good ball player.” Nealon said, “but if I had been asked for a decision on the matter. I certainly would have kept Fridley. He hits that long ball, is always a threat. You remember him when he first came to the Texas League in 1951 and what a great arm he had then Well, the arm is not as strong as it was then but it is adequate. 1 certainly wouldn’t label him as a weak-armed thrower. Yes I would say that he was more valuable to the Houston club than Talbort or Williams.”“After all,” Clark went on. “Jim will be 56 in September but 1 fee! sure that he ha^ lots of good baseball left in him. I think the deal whereby Victoria bought him from Houston was a good one for the Rosebuds.”“Jim Fridley is a fine fellow. I know that you’ll like him.” Nealon stated.It was good to hear those words from Clark Nealon. a keen baseball observer and a man with very sound opinions.m *Derrest Williams, Johnnv Pesky. Kal Segrist. Elmo Estes and Mack Davenport watched Fridley in his last game in a Houston uniform Monday night as the Rosebuds had an open date on their schedule.Derrest had been dickering for Fndlev with Houston officials for several weeks. Pesky knew Fridley, hav ing played against him in the American League and having Jim on his team at Denver when he was coach of the Bears in 1955. But he wanted to see him plav again, wanting to find out in particular how well he could run and throw. You can look at record books and averages for days at a time and you can’t find that answer. Johnny placed his stamp of approval after watching big Jim romp around.
Newspaper Details
Victoria Advocate
Victoria, Texas, US
Thu, May 12, 1960
Page 12
Full Page
Clipped by
Monte N.
NA, NA 07 Sep 2023
Other Publications Near Victoria, Texas
Victoria Advocate
Victoria Daily Advocate
Victoria Advocate
Daily Advocate
Victoria Weeky Advocate
