Farragut's Gridders * * * That Swimming Pool

By Jack Gordon

WITHOUT A DOUBT the best news that we can flash your way this week is the item that the Station swimming pool will definitely be ready by the end of next week ... which isn't too far away from our previous August 10 prediction. ... Judging from the softball talent that the station's league has unearthed, that August 7 all-star game in Pasco's ball park has all the makings of a classic affair ... players like Herb Walker, Babe Williams, Jack Baker, Bill McBride, Franny Miller, Dave Minnetti and a host of others give promise that the game will be well-worth a place on your "must-see" list ... Benny Castro is the current kingpin in the NAS bowling alley ... Benny kegged the station's highest score the other p. m. with a 288 effort to top Leo Glassner's previous high of 264. ... Benny started off things with a spare then hatched ten straight strikes and a split ... Mike Budnick still heeds the call of the baseball diamond whenever he gets the chance ... while on a recent leave in Seattle, Mike pitched five games for Shipyards League teams ... winning three of 'em ... wonder if Chief Stent can match Les Parker against Texas Jim Bradley in the coming smoker? ... both boys dropped a decision in the last card and are anxious to get back in the win column again ... although he isn't ready to toss any challenges at Willie Hoppe as yet, Hank Ridderodt of the MAA detail, is one of the best billiard players on the station ... and a master at those tricky-dick cushion shots ... looks as though Harold "Suds" Lewis is going to have to adjust that softball slate now that the NAS Bandmen have gone on a well-deserved leave ... we're saying goodbye this week to Petty Officer Floyd Schick, who's on his way to ComFair in Alameda. Schick's the ex- [missing words] gridder who made a great showing against the U. W. in Seattle a few years back ...

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CROSS WINDS Lieut. Ray Flaherty, former coach of the Washington Redskins in the National Grid League should have a strong eleven this fall at the Farragut Naval Station in Idaho ... his players will include such former Redskin stars as Ki Aldrich, Bill Young, Clem Stralka, Ed Justice, Jim Barber and Marvin Whited ... and two Minnesota stars, Bob Sweiger and Urban Odson... Some of the local service teams will have to go some to beat an aggregation like that.

Here's a look at the front page of The Sky-Writer for Wednesday, August 3, 1943.