Evening star., 1941-05-23
Players Back in Jobs
They Were Unable
To Handle Well
Defense, Offense Seems
Weakened; Tribe Rally
In Ninth Decisive
By BURTON HAWKINS,
Star Staff Correspondent.

PHI L AL DELI HIA, May 23-
GrandStand umpires, those irritating
individuals whose sole mental
weapon is a second guess, admittedly
are equipped with only enough
brains to fill a demitaSSe. The
list of dimwits among followers of
the Mats. though, has increased to
such proportions that their means
amount to more than just a plain
tive bleat. 1t seems there finally is
q legitimate squawk.
1t all centers around the latest
shakeup of the Mats. who by now are
beginning to resemble a frothy cock
tail. They've been shaken until
their teeth rattle, but the latest
shuttle appears to stack the deck
against the wrong fellows.
Third Baseman Buddy Lewis,
branded an outhelding failure by
the Mats bosses last season, is back
in right field ShortStop Cecil Travis
now is Third Baseman Cecil Travis.
Of the bench has come Jimmy
Pofahl to play shortstop and shifted
from right to left field has been
George Case. To the bench has
gone Left Fielder Ben Chapman
and alternating at first base are Jim
Vernon and George Archie.
Use of POfahl Debatable.
1t doesn't make much sense. 1t
doesn't strengthen the infield or out
field defensively. The only new name
in the lineup is Pofahls and the
wisdom of inserting him is debatable.
The benched Chapman, recognized
as a slow starter. is hitting .255.
Pofahl, whose presence has neces-
STATED the wholesale shifting, hit
.234 last season and currently is
nudging that apple to the tune of
.190.
Lewis. Travis and Doc Cramer are
batting second, third and fourth,
respectively, in the new deal, but
that could have been negotiated
without moving players to unfamiliar
positions. Lewis, Travis and Case
have been tested in their current
spots previously and the tipoff on
how we'll they succeeded is reflected
in the fact they didn't start the
season playing those positions.
Getting Lewis out of the infield
Is bold start toward improving the
infleld's defense, but Pofahl to date
hasn't proved he's adequate at short
stop. One infield position has been
bolstered and another weakened and
the new outfleld is likely to be less
effective defensively than the old
order of Chapman, Cramer and Case,
reading from left to right.
Vernon Is Handicapped.
Why Vernon isn't being allowed to
bat against southpaw pitching
remains a mystery to fans and
Vernon, who is eager to prove he
can hammer left-handers. Off his
1925 batting average he would seem
10 warrant stab at it.
There is evidence that Vernon is
q good hitter with enough power to
aid the Mats. Only Travis and per-
haps Cramer have been more efTec-
tive in the clutch this season, but
Mickey seems destined to perform
only against right-hand pitching
regardless of how hard and fire.
quently he connects.
In the meantime Mickey is likely
to lose his edge squatting on the
bench every other day or so. He
isn't being allowed to sink or swim
merely to float. Just when he will
learn to hit southpaw pitching with
out seeing any is conjectural, but it's
a gilt-edged cinch he won't develop
while parked on the bench.
Just where the system originated
of alternating righthand hitterS
against lefthand pitching and vice
versa is dubious. Good hitters seem
10 swat both types and if Vernon
isn't a good hitter the burden of
proof rests with Manager Bucky
Harris.
Sundra Faces AS Tonight.
Vernon has started only II games
et first base with the Mats, but in
batting mates across the plate only
Travis and Cramer top him. He has
felded adequately if not superbly,
but he isn't being Staked to an op-
portunity to prove his ability or lack
of it. He would like the chance.
Washington altered lineup will
be permanent, according to President
Clark Griffith, and to it will be en-
trusted the duty of fracturing a s.
game losing streak Steve Sundra
will attempt to break the chain of
losses here tonight when the Mats
tangle with the Athletics under the
lights.
The fifth in a series of defeats
was suffered yesterday at Washing
ton as the Cleveland Indians staged
a 2-run rally in the ninth to win,
4-3. Washington three runs were
produced by Travis in the sixth in
ming when he walloped his second
triple of the game to the center
field corner at a time when the
bases were loaded with Sid Hudson,
Case and Cramer.
There were more than a few
citizens who felt Coach Clyde Milan
was overly cautious in checking
Travis at third. 1t seemed he could
have crawled on his stomach and
beaten the throw by 10 yards, but
he was stopped and remained there
as Archie and Jimmy Bloodworth
went out on weak grounders.
The Mats entered the ninth hold
ing a 80 lead, but with one out
Lou Boudreau doubled to left and
scored the tying run on Roy Wealth
erly's single to right. Weatherly was
out stealing, but Gerald Walker
boped a double to left and scored
the payoff run on Hal Trosky's single
to left.