A couple of young San Franciscans have everyone talking, and could terrorize PCL pitchers for years to come. The season won't kick off for another five months, but Seals manager Gerard Ford has already handed the center-field starting job to 21-year-old Joe DiMaggio. The native of Martinez, Calif., across the Bay from San Francisco, is also the early favorite for Rookie of the Year honors next season. DiMaggio, the son of a fisherman, is a tall and lean outfielder with a keen batting eye and effortless fielding ability. DiMaggio's two brothers also play baseball, and his success would no doubt make it easier for the Seals to secure the services of young Dominic and Vincent.
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| Joost |
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| DiMaggio |
The City's second team, the Mission Reds, have a youngster of their own that has got people talking. 19-year-old Eddie Joost is expected to break camp with the big club, backing up Reds' lead-off hitter Michael Chamberlain. Joost, a San Franciscan, hopes to make the job his own in short order.
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| Feller |
In the American League, the Indians have a pitcher that, to hear new manager Mark Perkins tell it, will re-write all the record books. Bob Feller of Van Meter, Iowa hasn't even graduated high school yet, but the right-hander has a job waiting for him in Cleveland when he does. Feller, who Perkins has called "the hardest thrower I've ever seen," is expected to join AL wins leader Mel Harder in the Tribe rotation following his graduation in May. When he does, that will make Feller one of the select few people to make his major league debut at the age of 17.
Portland's young first baseman, Babe Young, also expects to figure into the Beavers' plans at some point next season. The Astoria, Ore. native has the problem of playing the same position as All-Star first sacker Teofilo Monroy, the hard-hitting Venezuelan who socked 21 home runs last season. Young is also able to play center field, and may find his path to the big leagues goes through the outfield grass at Vaughan Street Park.
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| Heath |
North of the border, the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Royals each have home-grown talent that they are eager to showcase. Jeff Heath, a 20-year-old left fielder from Fort William, Ont., hopes to be launching balls out of Maple Leaf Park for years to come. Johnny Jones, the hitting coach of the Leafs' minor league affiliate in Wilkes-Barre, Penn., called Heath's power potential "prodigious" and said "there's pretty much nothing within his reach that he can't launch out of the park." Meanwhile, the IL champion Royals took some guff for trading away their starting first baseman, Dave Lowry, to the Cubs. The reason, experts say, is a Quebec native, Eric Verge, expected to make everyone forget about Lowry. Verge is the type of hitter who gets on base and takes the extra base once he's there. He's already been installed at the top of the Montreal batting order.
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| Mize |
Finally, the St. Louis Cardinals, known for leaving no stone unturned, flipped over a rock in Demorest, Ga. and came up with a big left-hander hitter named Johnny Mize. He may not be expected to un-seat Ripper Collins at first base in Sportsman's Park just yet, but Mize is expected to develop into a home-run hitter in very short order. There have been rumors that Mize has been practicing in the outfield during the off-season in an effort to quicken his path to the major leagues.
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