Hrabosky Tag: ‘A
Battler’
RUSSO
6/15/1970
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
"Called Up Article"
SAN DIEGO, June 15- Joe Monahan, the cardinal’s chief scout, said
that Alan Hrabosky, a lefthanded pitcher recalled from Arkansas yesterday, had a
"good fast ball and an effective though not big curve."
Then Monahan added, "the most important thing about him is that
he’s a battler."
Hrabosky is another force-feed prospect. His chance was hastened
because the Cardinals need a southpaw reliever badly to team with Billy McCool, the only
lefty on the staff besides starter, Steve Carlton.
Cardinal brass liked what they saw of Hrabosky at the spring training
camp. He is 21 years old, 5-foot-11 and weighs 185.
He had a 5-1 record this season at Arkansas, the Redbirds’ farm
club in the Double-A Texas League. He broke into pro ball last year with an 8-2 mark at
Modesto in the Class A California League and won his only decision at Arkansas. His
earned-run average at Modesto was 2.48.
Hrabosky is expected to get his feet wet with a few relief assignments
before starting a game in about a week when the schedule gets clogged.
The newcomer might have to be used as a starter more often than had
been planned because of Nelson Brile’s sore right leg.
Briles had to leave Saturdays game with the Giants at San Francisco
after making only four pitches. When he drove off the mound, he strained a tendon in the
hamstring, just above the back of the knee.
"We thought at first it was a different area from the place where
strained the hamstring earlier this season," trainer Bob Bauman said, "but it
turned out that his trouble was in the same place."
How soon will Briles be ready?
"He says he could pitch tomorrow," said Bauman. "But
because of the way he twists his leg as he drives off the mound, he might strain the
tendon with the first pitch. We’ll try to strap the tendon."
Jim Beauchamp is nearly 31 years old but he has not lost his eagerness
for the game. He was already at the ballpark yesterday morning when the team bus arrived.
"I was so happy to come back to the Cardinals that I would have
walked all the way to join them," said Beauchamp, who was obtained from Houston
Saturday in exchange for pitcher George Culver. Beauchamp will have pinch-hitting and
reserve outfielding chores.
"Before I left the Houston players, about 24 of them asked me to
ask the Cardinals if they’d make it a package deal. The spirit’s altogether
different on the Astros. Their bench is dead during a game. I used to do a lot of
hollering, but I got tired of doing it myself."
Beauchamp walked as a pinch hitter yesterday.
Jim Kennedy, the utility infielder brought up from Tulsa, confessed
that he was about half an inch under his 5-foot-9 listing in the record books.
Kennedy is from Arvin, Calif., about 20 miles from Bakersfield.
"The kid’s got a good pair of hands," Giants manager
Charley Fox said as he watched Kennedy in pregame practice.
At Tulsa, Kennedy batted .250 with 10 doubles and one triple among his
30 hits.
Mike Torrez is to pitch against the San Diego Padres’ Pat Dobson
in the series opener tonight (9:30, St. Louis time).
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