Evening star., 1942-05-18
Cuban Lone 300
Sticker Left in
ShakyLine-up
Slab Stoff Shot, Club S
Fielding Miserable,
Requirements Nil
BY BURTON HAWKINS,
Star Staff Correspondent.

BY BURTON HAWKINS,
Star Staff Correspondent.
CHICAGO, May ia 800 hitter
in his lineup, to Manager Bucky
Harris OF the Washington ball club,
is luxury. Only an injury to the
hard-hitting Bobby Estaleua Is re-
quired to complete the Mats pathetic
| picture.
Harris now Is confronted with the
ancient and annoying problem of
drawing blood from turnips. Stripped
from his club for an indefinite Pc
riod due to a Charley horse has been
Outf1elder Stan Spence, who has
bounced in and out Of the league
batting lead this season.
Spence Joins on the hospital list
his outfielding chun1, George Case
AS hit-and-run pair they were the
Mats biggest threats. but Harris has
been Informed 7ase's damaged
shoulder is displaying no improve
ment after three weeks of inactivity.
II Inf1elder Frank Croucher re-
covers from his sore arm it will come
as distinct surprise to Harris, who
also is struggling along without
Pitchers Dutch Leonard (broken
leg) and Jack Wilson (chipped bone
in throwing arm. In Leonard,
Case and Spence, Harris has lost
his leading pitcher, top run scorer
and base stealer and leading batter.
The residue Is sorta sad. Examine
Bucky's batting order and the creaky
averages, then picture his pride as
he steps to the plate to present a
lineup to the umpires. Figures,
unless fashy, seldom are interesting,
but these at least are illustrative:
Estalella, 300; Repass, .232: Yer
non, 200; Campbell, .272; Chartak,
.125; Early. .195 Corr Evans, .216;
Pofahl. .242; Gomez, .191.
Esty Pokes Fifth Homer.
The presence Of Estalella at least
has served to make tho Mats per-
formances less dismal, but his cres-
cent-shaped legs are becoming more
bowed carrying the load. In three
of Washington's last five games he
has supplied the Mats only scoring
punch and 1t is significant that
Washington dropped those contests.
Against Detroit he delivered
homer with Bruce Campbell on base
as Washington lost, 60. Here yes
terday the Mats dropped a double
header to the White Sox, I'll and
4-3. In the first game Bobby
whacked his fifth homer of the
season and in the nightcap his dou-
Die with the bases crammed &C.
counted for Washington's only runs.
1t is refreshing to Harris, of
course, that Estalella Is enjoying
his most successful season, but that
one flicker OF sunshine can't pene-
trate the surrounding gloom. The
succession Of injuries to key players,
plus the collapse Of Catcher Jake
Early and First Basaman Mickey
Vernon, have been bitter blows.
Washington's defense, what there
Is Of 1t, has been miserable. In
losing six Of seven road games the
Mats have been the Joke team OF
the league Not merely because OF
losing, cut because Of their manner
VI lOSlliS.
Against the White Sox, for in
stance, Catchers AL Evans and Early
allowed five pilfered bases. Early
muffed a foul fly. Jose Gomez
misjudged another pop fly. Camp
bell and Pofahl allowed a pop f1y
to fall between them for a double.
etc.
Can't Shake Up Team.
The Mats aren't impressing with
thelr Will to win. The White Sox
hustled them right of their feet.
but Harris isn't stirred to institute
a shake-up, simply because his re-
placements currently consist solely
OF Roberto Ortiz, hitting .167. The
situation Is such that Estalella is
being employed as third baseman,
center fielder or left fielder as the
occasion demands.
1t Isn't much of a team and the
Mats demonstrated it against Chi
cago. In the opener Washington
collected only six hits of mellow
ing Ted Lyons and in the nightcap
Johnny Rigney limited the Mats
to three hits.
In that opener the White Sox
pounced on Buck Newsom for four
runs in the third when Early per-
mitted three stolen bases. They
added three runs In the fifth after
Jake dropped a foul fly that rep
resented the third out. Newsom
wasn't good, neither was he as bad
as the score indicates.
The opening game also saw Bill
Kennedy, Alexandria, (Va.0, south
paw, author neat comeback after
two terrifying tests against the
Indians. Bill toiled three innings in
relief, gave up only one hit and
no walk.
Estalella presented Steve Sundra
&c lead in the second inning of
the nightcap when his double
scored Chartak, Pofahl and Gomez,
but the Sox nicked Sundra for
run in the second, another in the
fourth, then whipped him with a
two-run outburst in the eighth as
Joe Kuhel, Don Holloway and
Sammy West doubled.
Harris was to stake Rookie Hardin
Cathey to starting Job today in
single game with the White Sox.
The Mats will be idle tomorrow, in
vading st. Louis for a two-game
series starting Wednesday night.