Evening star., 1940-03-10
Vet, Rookie 10 Share
Position in Giants
Tilt al Orlando
Hudson Gets His First
Big Slab Test; Harris
Doesn't Want Bonurd
~ . stan Correspondent Of The star.

~ stan Correspondent Of The star.
ORLANDO, Fla. March 9.-The
Nationals and the New York Giants,
principals in the last World Series
involving the Washington Ball
Club, will open the grapefruit league
season for themselves here tomor-
row In a game which will herald
the start of the Jimmy Bloodworth-
Buddy Myer second base battle and
possibly be the medium for trade
talk between Clark Griffith, presi-
dent of the Mats, and Bill Terry,
manager of the Giants.
There is q rumor here in Central
Florida baseball circles that Terry,
who in December Of 1888 gave
SIS, 900 in cash and two players for
First Baseman Zeke Bonura. will
attempt to give him back to the
Nats-at sizable loss.
Manager Bucky Harris, however,
has his own and a probably very
authentic slant on the rumor. II
suppose Terry will talk with Grit
fifth" he said, they usually get
together when they meet. But if
Bonura is offered and Griff asks me
about it, the answer is NO. I'm
willing to string along with Jimmy
Wasdell and Mickey Vernon"
Rookie Is Starting Pitcher.
A conscientious Orlando Chamber
of Commerce is drumming up to-
morrow's test. The c. of c. has its
guarantee to the Mats to get back
at the box Office during the clubs
seven-game home schedule. But
around the GriffmeA's hotel head
quarters no humping and
trumpeting is necessary. Harris
and Griffith, old hands as they are
in baseball, are on edge as they sub
NIT their 1910 ball club to its first
taste of competition.
Interest centers around Blood
worth, who will start at second base
and Myer, who probably will re-
lieve him. Indeed, there are so
many angles this scarcely rates
mention by itself. For instance,
young Sid Hudson, 23-year-old
right-hander who is trying to make
the jump from the Florida State
League to the majors, will face a big
league club for the first time.
Hudson, whose record of 24-4 last
year and whose promise in camp
this year has stamped him the
brightest Of the young hurlers. will
start against the Giants. facing
Harry Gumpert, the 18-game winner
for Terry in 1899.
Gehrman Gets First Test.
Following Hudson in the box will
be Joe Krakauskas, the left-haEdcr
who looked so good against the YAM
nigans earlier this week, and wind
ing up the pitching for the Griffmen
will be Paul Gehrman, burly sinker-
ball exponent who was drafted from
Albany last fall. s. i
This will be Gehrman's first test
of any kind with the Mats. If he
pitches as well under fire as he has
been doing in workouts, big Paul
should do all right.
The Giants, according to word
from their training camp in Winter
Haven, will use Gumpert. Cliff Mel
ton and Hal Vandenberg, in that
order, at three-inning intervals.
Gumpert and Melton are two of
Terry's regular starters, winning 80
games between them last year.
Vandenberg is up from Jersey City,
where he won Is and lost 10.
Welaj Starts in Center.
Harris is going to stand pat on
the lineup which he sent against
the Yannigans and which won, II
to O. Johnny Welaj will lead off
and play center, followed oy Was
dell, first base; Buddy Lewis, right
field; Gerald Walker, left field;
Cecil Travis, third base; Bloojworth,
second base; Jimmy Pofahl, short
stop; Jake Early, catcher, and Hud-
son, pitcher.
Unless Harris plans are changed
for him, either by Myers ousting of
BloodWorth or Lewis failure to
make good in the outf1eld, or the
continued weakness of Pofahl's
throwing arm, this is the team, with
two exceptions, which will open the
American League campaign.
The exceptions-and these are
not definite-are in center field and
behind the plate. Bucky is giving
George Case more time to strengthen
his arm and is using Early in the
exhibition games to prevent injury