Evening star., 1940-03-11
New Big Three
Is Impressive
AT Bat, Afie|d
Walker, Lewis, Trovis
Seal Win; WosdeII
Off With Bong
By = Stan CORRESPONDENT of The star.

OttLANDO, Fla., Marcn ll-OpCl.
mism is so thick around this train.
ing camp of the Nationals that the
octogenarians around town are COM
planning that 1t gets in their boards
and like split pea soup is hard to
comb out. And it's all because the
Mats are of to flying start In the
Grapefruit League.
Making their debut against the
New York Giants, they won a 5-to-4
victory before 5000 spectators,
largest baseball crowd in Orlando's
history. They got pitching, fielding
and when occasion demanded they
pounded important hits.
Practically everybody on the squad
is a success as Manager Bucky
Harris and President Clark Grifith
study the battle in retrospect and
allow their minds to dwell upon
happy thoughts to come, starting in
mid-April Even Paul Gehrman, the
burly right-hander who suffered .
mild attack of stage fright and gave
up six hits in his three-inning term
in the box.
Gee Opens With Homer.
From a more conservative point
OF view the Mats triumph in their
first 1910 engagement was marked
notably by the new big three" Of
the batting order. Up to this year
Buddy Lewis always had batted
second in the hit-and-run and bunt-
ing spot. Up to now Gerald Walker
always played in some other clubs
outfield, instead of hitting fourth.
behind Lewis, for the Mats. And
Cecil Travis has been hitting any
where from lead-of to sixth in the
last half dozen years.
To win from the Giants, who in
using Harry Gumbert and Cliff Mel
ton were employing two of their reg.
ular pitchers, Harris new punch
in the hitting order was asserted.
Walker, in addition to being tho
defensive star, hit a home run on
his first trip at bat and two sizzling
drives which later were caught.
Lewis, batting third, doubled once
and singled to start the game-win-
ming rally in the eighth against
Melton. AS for Travis, he made only
one hit-a single. But the fellow
Of many hits but few runs batteo
across employed his single to drive
home Lewis with the winning run.
Wasden OF With Bang.
Harris Is high on his current bat
ting order, which he devised after
an early look at Rookie Jimmy
Pofahl caused him to wonder If the
shortstop from Minneapolis was q
good enough hitter to bat second.
This was the spot Bucky originally
selected for him, but he shifted Jim
Wasdell to the place and, so far.
hasn't been sorry. Wasdel, Incl
dentally, drove home run yester-
day inside the park to score Johnny
Welaj ahead of him and convert
2-to-1 Giant lead into 80 WASH
ington margin.
Six 800 hitters-count 'em-are
what Harris hopes he will be able
to present this year. They are
punched at the top of the batting
order, starting with George Case,
and moving right down the line
Wasdell, Lewis, Walker, Travis and
Jimmy Bloodworth. And the big
guns are Lewis, Walker and Travis,
who yesterday, for instance, made
three Of the Mats seven hits, scored
two Of the runs and drove across 4
pair.
The versatility of this trio, both
at bat, in the field and on the
bases, was illustrated in no uncertain
fashion. Making his debut as an
outf1elder in a regulation game,
Lewis played right, or the sun field,
and handled his only two chances in
perfect style. Buddy's improving
base-running, too, played a major
part in the game. With the score tied
at "A In the Washington eighth and
one down, Buddy singled to center.
Pulling a Clyde Milan, he made the
turn at first base before lifting his
head. When he did he caught q
flash Of Centerf1elder Nap Rucker
fumbling momentarily.
Walkers Catch Fielding Gem.
Without breaking stride, Buddy
kept going and made second base by
fraction of a second. Then, after
Walker flied out, he scored standing
up on Travis vicious single to left.
One parting shot at the Giants
was taken by the trio in the ninth.
First up, Johnny Mccarthy singled
and at least tie game seemed in.
evitable when Second Baseman Glen
Stewart drove a terrific ball to left
center which Walker speared with q
wild leap and, returning the ball
while In mid-air, almost converted
into . double-play. This play ap-
parently heartened Gehrman, who
got the next two hitters to end 1t.
FOR 1hF I MAN