Evening star., 1941-04-02
Former Yankee
Proves Victim
Of Hard Luck
Young Beck Displays
Grit After Yielding
Homer to Sturt
BY q Staff Correspondent of The Star.

BY q Staff Correspondent OF The Star.
ORLANDO, Fla, April 2.-Steve
Sundra's debut with the Nationals
was not exactly a colossal success,
but Manager Bucky Harris isn't dis
couraged. He thinks the Washing
ton ball club picked up a pretty
good pitcher when it bought Steve
from the Yankees the other day.
Sundra was the losing pitcher as
the st. Louis Cardinals scored an
8-to-l victory yesterday. In six in
nings, Steve was nicked for II hits
and all except one of the runs,
Rookie Joe Beck yielding that one.
But the box score doesn't tell the
story.
Sundra looked to be money in the
bank to Harris, although he wasn't
as fast as usual and didn't have his
stuff. In those six innings he didn't
walk a hitter. Four of those hits
were rank bloopers. Only three runs
were earned and all of these came
as a result of scratch hits. Every
body who saw the game is unblush-
ingly abiding for the guy.
Beck Wins q Trip.
As for Beck, the 18-year-old
right -hander seems to have won
himself at least trip to Washing
ton. He took over to start the ST.
Louis seventh and Terry Moore, the
first hitter, whacked a drive into
the center-feid bushes for home
run. Beck, though. is brave kid.
He calmly shut the door in the
Cards faces for the next three in
nings. giving up no more hits.
Beck's performance so pleased
Harris that he probably will take
at least another look at the boy,
who won 13 and lost 13 last year
with Orlando of the Florida State
League.
Joe seems to have more than usual
courage. He pitched for the first
time this spring back on March II
against the Giants. The first five
men to face him singled. tripled,
doubled, singled and homered in
order. Five up and five runs across,
with nobody out and three innings
to go.
Beck went those three innings.
He gave up only two more hits. The
fact that one was another home run,
with nobody on base. did not dis
turb Harris's impression that Beck
has what it takes.
Joe is no second Sid Hudson. He
is too young and he hasn't got the
necessary equipment in the way of
curves. deliveries, etc. He probably
will wind up at Charlotte, but for
a greene, he is doing all right.
Getting back to Sundra, the
right handed fugitive from st.
Petersburg was doing all right until
the first time he came to bat. Then
he hit triple and scored on George
Cases long fly, tying the score at
IL
Running the bases must have
taken something out of him for in
the fifth, after a bit of tough luck.
he began to get hit. Martin Marion
opened that fifth inning by beating
out fluke to Buddy Lewis. Then,
with a double-play in sight, Lewis
booted a ball by Frank Crespi. A
sacrifice followed and Buddy Myer
threw out Jimmy Brown, a run
scoring. The next hitter, Moore,
dropped single between Myer
and Case and Enos Slaughter came
,Ioou ,pJ h,r0,J fh~ fir;v1 C,,,,dro
for a home run. Even then, Steve
wasn't out of trouble for Cecil
Travis lost pop fly and Jimmy
Mize got a double before the inning
was ended.
Mats Can't Hit.
In the sixth and final inning for
Sundra, Crespi beat out a topped
ball to Lewis with two down and
Cooper hit a home run, making 1t
IL and putting the game on ice.
The Mats never did much with
Cooper and Clyde Shoun, who we're
a dazzling duo yesterday. They
scattered seven hits, two of which
went to Rog Cramer.
Originally an off day, today was
to find the Kansas City Blues and
the Mats trying to play for the third
time. The first two games were
rained out. About the only iinpor-
tance attached to the game is the
temperance of Sid Hudson, who
was hurt a week ago and who was
to test his jamn1ed thumb.
F. e. S.