Evening star., 1941-03-09
BIoodworth Given Nod
Over Myer, Rockies
Assigned 10 Slab
Musterson, Cunningham
And Zukowski Share
Moundwork Today

BY a Staff Correspondent Of The Star.
ORLANDO. Fla, March 8.-The
1941 edition of the Washington ball
club, thirtieth turned out by Clark
Griffith as manager and president,
will make its formal debut to-
morrow by opposing, of all people,
the world champion Cincinnati Reds.
Griffith, however, will miss the
unVeiling of his latest team for,
when Manager Bucky Harris and
the squad leave by bus for Tampa
early today, the Old Fox will remain
behind trying to shake of the last
vestiges of his cold.
According to the present plans
the team which will face the Reds
will be approximately the same as
that which will open the American
League season on April IA against
the Yankees Tomorrow's team will
have Rookie Joe Mellendeck in
center field. He may be the only
starter. excepting the pitcher, who
will not face the Yankees.
Red Stars Are Ready.
Harris. who has been blowing hot
and cold on Second Basemen Buddy
Myer and Jimmy Bloodworth, has
named BloodWortH to play the posi-
ton. Mver will be left behind to
work out with a squad which will
include Rick Ferrell, Dutch Leonard
and several assorted rockies and
veterans.
In their debut the Mats will play
behind three young pitchers, only
one of whom ever has pitched to
big league hitterS. He is Walter
Masterson. who will start and make
his bid for a regular job with the
Griffmen The other pitchers will
be Sam Cunningham. left-hander,
and Alexander ZukoWski. a 22-game
winner last year for Greenville. A
fourth pitcher who may see action
is Joe Beck. who last year worked
in the class D Florida State League.
The Nat hitterS will find them
selves facing considerably more sea-
soned hurlers. Manager Bill Nc
Kechnie of the Reds announced to-
night that he will use Johnny
Wander Nicer, the guy who pitched
two successive no-hitterS: Junior
Thompson, his No. pitcher, and
Joe Beggs, the champions ace re-
lief pitcher In their only game so
far the Reds handily defeated the
Boston Red SoX.
Cramer Still Missing.
The Washington batting order
will be George Case. right field;
MeIendeck, center; Ben Chapman,
left: Buddy Lewis, third base. Cecil
Travis. shortstop; George Archie,
first base; Bloodworth, second base;
Al Evens. catcher, and, of course,
the pitcher. Jake Early and Dick
Hahn, two more young catchers, also
are likely to see action.
When and if Roger Cramer ever
comes to training camp to claim his
center field spot from Mellendeck,
he will bat in the No. 2 slot, to
which he is familiar This will be
the only batting order change. Even
if Myer wins the second-base post
from Bloodworth. he, too, will bat
sixth in the order.
The Griffs wound up preparations
for the opener today with another
double workout which was marked
by the annual appearance of the
movie cameramen. About the only
news out of camp today was PreSl-
dent Griffith's message to Secretary
Edward B. Eynon, jr., in Washing
ton. to check on Pitcher Alexandra
Carrasquel. The Venezuelan was
supposed to have left South America
long ago, but no word has been
heard from the fellow who, as a re-
lief pitcher, won six and lost two
games last year.