Evening star., 1941-03-21
Draft Of Lewis
By Army Likely
Next Month
Crippled Mats Might
Get RoIfe, HurIer, in
Trade for Leonard
b. Staff Correspondent of The Star.

By Stad Correspondent of The Star.
ORLANDO, Fla, March 21.-Mrs.
John Kelly Lewis, Sr., Of Gastonia.
N. c., didn't raise her boy to be a
soldier, but John Kelly Lewis, jr., is
almost as good as in the Army, and
the gentleman scratching his head
in deep thought is Clark Griffith,
president of the Washington ball
club.
Months sooner than expected,
possibly late in April or early in
May, the Mats cleanup hitter, third
baseman and most eligible bachelor
may be inducted into Uncle Sans
growing group of soldier boys and
the Mats, hard up as they are now,
will have to get somebody to play
third base or shortstop or second
base.
Already brisk rumors are flying
around the camp If Lewis is called
next month and no trades have been
made in the meantime, it might be
necessary to transfer Cecil Travis
from shortstop to third base again
and use Jimmy Pofahl at the other
position. This hardly would be a
permanent move, inasmuch as both
Griffith and Manager Bucky Harris
doubt Pofahls ability to play full
season at shortstop
Infield to Be Short Handed.
1t would be possible to move
Jimmy BloodWorth to third base,
but this would leave only 36-year-
old Buddy Myer to play second base,
and Buddy hasn't played anywhere
close to l54 games since 1885. Either
way, Washington's infeld is going
to be short-handed
If Lewis passes his physical ex-
animation, due in the next few DAYS,
he PROBABLY will pull on a khaki
uniform within so days, and the big
report here now is that Griffith. with
a bold move, will part with Dutch
Leonard and try to land Third Base
man Red Rolfe Of the Yankees and,
OF course, young pitcher.
One guess is as good as another.
If the Yankees are up in the Ameri-
can League race as expected, they
undoubtedly will be in the market
for good pitcher If the Mats are
down in the chase, as expected, they
might as we'll trade Leonard while
the trading is good and build for
the future.
The Yankees probably could spare
Rolfe if it meant getting a pitcher
Of Leonard'S Caliber. They have a
third baSeman with Kansas Citv
named Hitchcock. He is supposed
to be ready. Or they could shift
Joe Gordon to third and play john
ny Sturm at first base. Infelders
are a dime a dozen within the
Yankee chain, but guys like Leonard
are scarce these days
Buddy'S in Class la.
Lewis has filled out his oues-
tionnaire. Technically, his parents
are dependents, and Buddy stated
SO in his reply to the CASTOR County
Draft Board, but because he has q
filling station and small farm, the
old folks would not be without
means of support.
A call to w. B. Crompton, clerk
Of the CASTOR County selective,
service body. revealed that LewiJ
has been placed in class Ia. Hd
has the physical exam and five daysI
thereafter in which to file an ap-l
peal for deferment, but Buddy saysl
that he won't appeal.
I'm ready to go when they call
me-" he said upon learning of his
rating.
Buddy may be ready for the Army
call, but Griffith isn't. If he loses
Lewis, he will be bereft of his most
consistent long-range hitter. Lew
ises don't come up very often, either,
and they are hard to replace.