Pasco Flyers Call it a Day;
Prep For 'Biggest Game'

By Jack Gordon

THERE'S AN IRONICAL fact about the decision of the Pasco Flyers last week to call it a day. It is the same war which brought the famed club together that now sends them their separate ways until fate mayhap chooses to join them once again on calmer seas.

But there's one thing that each member of the great Navy team can remember with pride. They quit at the top. At a time when they had reached the peak in their service baseball career. Their victory over the Army All-Stars in Seattle served as a fitting climax to a great two-season reign as king-pins of Northwest service baseball play.

The teamwork that they used to advantage on the diamond now goes to meet the sterner test. For it's that teamwork that already has proved to be the margin between victory and defeat on far-flung oceans and battlefronts.

The bats of the Pasco Flyers are silenced but their mighty potency, that struck fear into many an opponent, will serve to raise to fever pitch many a cracker barrel session in time to come.

Those bats will echo again when once more a free people can participate in competitive sports in peaceful climes, 'neath skies that are darkened only by Mother Nature's whims.

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DUGOUT DATA ...

But while the Flyers were getting ready to pack their sea-bags other service teams over the nation were still going full blast. Here's news of a few: One of the strongest service teams on the other side of the Rockies is the Navy Pre-Flight School at Chapel Hill, N. C. The Pre-Flighters have won 15 of their last 17 games and have a great lineup to toss at any and all opponents. It includes ex-Yankee Buddy Hassett at first; ex-Brave Bud Gremp at second; ex-Red Sox Johnny Pesky at short and ex-Brave Ed Moriarty at third. The outfield from left to right reads Ted Williams of the Red Sox, Harry Craft of the Reds and Dusty Cooke of the Red Sox. Alex Sabo of the Senators is behind the plate and John Sain, Braves; Joe Coleman, Athletics and Bob Williams, Braves are on the mound. Wot a team! ... The Great Lakes baseball squad, which recently rang up a 13-game winning streak, have so far failed to touch the 24 consecutive victory record accomplished by the 1942 team. ...

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GORDY'S GABB ...

Capt. Griffiths, USMCR, is hot on the tails of his Seaman Guard softballers ... "they're going to win the league crown— or else," says Capt. G ... in a tone that makes the S-Gee's wince every time they swing and miss ... it's no wonder Public Works is tied for first place with Supply ... athletes like Franny Miller, Art Ahonen and Kenny McLeod are on the roster ... and even baseballer Ed Bahr helps out occasionally ... that "whiff 'em kid" from Supply, Jack Baker, is up to his old tricks ... he struck out 27 last week to bring his total s.o. record up to 65 in five games ... someone asks, "how many games did the Flyers win in a two-season stand?" ... Ans: they copped 20 of 23 this season and 43 of 47 last year ... the 1943 season averages will be found in this week's pages ... wonder when Bob Elgin is going to get his Summer Bowling League started? ... Sports Circuting: Fred Apostoli, BM1c, former middleweight champ, who now heads a Navy gun crew, figures he's the luckiest sailor afloat ... a few days after he was transferred from his old gun crew, they were all killed in battle. . . Freddie Hutchinson, former Seattle and Detroit moundsman, is now a rifle instructor at Norfolk Training Station... Look for some new swimming records now that the Merchant Marine is teaching trackster Greg Rice how to swim...

Pasco Flyers Call it a Day; Prep For 'Biggest Game'

Pasco Flyers Call it a Day;
Prep For 'Biggest Game'