Evening star., 1939-02-28
BY Stan Correspondent of The star


ORLANDO, Fla. Feb. 28.-Knee-
deep in pitching and catching prob
lens, Messrs. Bucky Harris and
Clark Griffith find balm for har-
assed minds these days in casual,
unworried dreams of Washington's
infleld Of the present and future.
? 1t is interesting to look into the
Unfolding item. A year ago Prof.
Grifflth and 1t. Harris were worried.
They were dissatisfied with First
Baseman Joe Kuhel and, later, with
Zeke Bonura. for whom they traded
Kuhel. They were dubious OF Sec
ond Baseman Buddy Myers ability
to come back. Shortstop Cecil Travis
and Third Baseman Buddy Lewis
were all right. but outside of Ossie
Bluege the Mats had no adequate
reserve strength.
A year has changed many things.
Kuhel and Bonura are gone. In
their stead is Jimmy Wasdell, a
rookie who finally looks as if he is
going to make the grade. At least
in the opinion of the Nat bosses, he
is going to be as valuable as Kuhel
or Bonura. Myer. within IL months
has wiped away all doubts as to the
success of his comeback. With a
1886 batting average. which ranked
fourth in the American League
Buddy re-established himself among
the stars of the circuit.
Today finds the Mats ready to
open the season with a first -class
inf1eld. Wasdell is coming to the
fore, Myer is we'll again. Travis still
is a 1886 hitter and a fair fielder.
and Lewis is the best all-around
ball player on the club.
Colbert Purchase Smart Move.
But it is not only thoughts of 1899
that fill the minds of Griffith and
Harris with jubilation, but also of
1910, and for an indefinite period
thereafter
The Mats still have Bluege and
they may have made one of the
SmarteSt moves of the off-Season
when they acquired Charley Gel
bert from Toledo for $500. There
was time when the only shortstop
capable of carrying Gelbert's glove
in the majors was Joe Cronin, then
an up-and-coming youngster. That
was before Colbert nearly shot off
his leg in a hunting accident. Last
season, six years after the mishap.
Colbert began to play the kind of
ball he used to deliver for the
Cardinals when they were cham
pions of the world.
This pair-Bluege and Colbert
will give the Mats better utility pro-
lection in the infield than any
Washington club has been able to
boast in years. And still the inf1eld
pleasantries are not at an end.
Bluege and Colbert, as infielders 60,
are mellowing. What of the future?
The answer to this question is
flve-fold, at least, and as follows
Jimmy Vernon. 20-year-old first
baseman; Morris Aderholt, 22-year-
old second baseman; Jimmy Blood
worth, 21-year-old second baseman:
Travis, going into his sixth year as
regular before he is 26, and Lewis,
hard-bitten veteran of three full
seasons at %.
Blo0dworth No Raw Novice.
Grif1th's fondest vision is the day
when Lewis, Travis, Aderholt and
Vernon are in the same infield.
They're the kind of inf1elders I
like" says the old gent. Il like 'em
big and rangy. They're all over 6
feet by plenty, and they can hit"
In the meantime Messrs. Colbert
and Bloodworth are not to be over
looked. Colbert is certain thay. soon
or later, he will move into the WASH
ington inf1eld. "And If I get start
3D." he says, they won't be able to
take me out" As for Bloodworth,
his challenge to Aderholt, Colbert
and Bluege was filed yesterday when
he reported to take his first work.
out.
Despite his tender age, Blood
worth is no raw novice. He was up
for a trial with the Mats a couple
Of years ago and looked good. He
has campaigned in the Southern
Association with signal success and
when the Griffmen lost their Chat
tanooga farm" he dropped back a
notch and with Charlotte of the
Piedmont League he wore the cover
off the ball. He batted .376 and
won the acclaim of Calvin Griffith,
manager of the Charlottes, who said,
Hes a better hitter than Estalella."
Harris Rushes to Jimmy's Defense.
The only serious drawback to
Bloodworth is slowness afoot. Jim
my can't begin to run with the
average ball player his age. But
Manager Harris, normally inclined
toward speedy ball players, is one
who rushes to Bloodworth's defense.
ITS only In breaking from the