Evening star., 1939-04-03
By 4 STAFF Correspondent of The Star.

CLEARWATER, Fla, April 3
As the Mats today picked up the
thread of their spring training cam
paign here against the Brooklyn
Dodgers, Manager Bucky Harris was
called upon to combat the first seri-
GUS doubts about his Latin colony
of ball players.
Bucky proved to. be a staunch
champion. at least for the moment.
I'll still have to say that all of them
are all right he said. He was
talking about Washington's 6-to-4
defeat yesterday at the hands of the
Cincinnati Reds in Tampa.
For the first time this year Bucky
trotted out his entire delegation of
Cubans and his broad -shouldered
Venezuelan right-hander, Alexandra
Carrasquel. The occasion was the
Reds final appearance in Tampa
and also celebration of a Latin
American day in the city. 1t would
be nice to say that Senors Ortiz,
Carrasquel. Monteagudo and Esta-
leila literally covered themselves
with glory, but it wouldn't be true.
Estalella was the goat of the game
Up four times at the plate. he struck
out twice Carrasquel was charged
with the defeat when he permitted
three runs in the first two innings.
Monteagudo gave up two more runs
during his three-inning term in the
box but two errors helped the Reds.
Ortiz was the most impressive of the
quartet, although he did not escape
unscathed Roberto was nicked for
run during his three-inning stretch
Alex Unveils His Curve.
Harris, however, is taking all
things into consideration in defend
ing his foreign settlement. I'm the
first place." explained Bucky, they
were nervous. They knew it was
in-American day and that
large percentage of the Cuban pop
ulation of Tampa was in the stands.
In the second place all of them eX-
cept Estalella were overdue to play.
We hadn't pitched Carrasquel or
Ortiz for two weeks. They were
bound to be a little rusty. Every
thing considered. they did all right"
What pleased Bucky the most was
the curve ball that Carrasquel un-
yelled and the general poise that
Ortiz displayed. When Alexandra
first was brought over to the United
States his discoverer. Scout Joe
Cambria, claimed for him the best
curve of anybody on the Washing
ton staff with the exception of Pete
Appleton. But Carrasquel did not
proceed to show it. He was fairly
fast, had good control and exhlb-
tied a familiarity with pitching.
But his curve was only wrinkle.
"They must use bush-league balls
over in Cuba commented Harris.
after watching Carrasquel for a
couple of weeks. His curve isn't
good with these regulation balls"
Ortiz Shows More Poise.
It remained for Alexandra to fool
Bucky and the rest of the Mats
yesterday. He was cracking off a
sharp curve, was Alex, but his fast
ball wasn't good. 1t was his high,
hard one the Reds were sWattlng TO
build up a 80 lead.
Ortiz continued to show advan-
tageously. He was no faster, II as
fast, as he has been in practice
workouts, but his newly acquired
polish was much in evidence. Bobby
has yet to match his hltless ana
runless three-inning stretch against
the Tigers of nearly three weeks ago
but, by the same token, he looks the
part of a better pitcher.
As for Monteagudo, little Rene
was pitching in hard luck. Half OF
the Mats six errors were committed
during the three innings that Monty
worked. The stocky southpaw would
have done all right but for three
boots.
Estalella was badly fooled hitter
all afternoon but there hasn't been
a free-swinger yet who hasn't looked
| had Rohhv vas giving his all ouL