Evening star., 1942-03-30
Vet Coach Sees
Nothing Phoney
In Slab Feats
Lome-Lee9ed Wilson,
FouItiIy Supported.
Victim of Cords
BY BURTON HAWKINS,


LAKELAND, Fla, March 30.-It
is customary and by now even stere-
otyped to belittle the Mats, to tag
them March Marvels and August
Accordions, but take it from Coach
Clyde Milan that Washington's
pitching this spring has been the
most astonishing sight of its kind
his ancient eyes have ever viewed.
Milan is no green pea in the base
ball industry. He was playing con-
siderable outfield for the Mats when
the byword was, Washington
first in war, first in peace and last
in the American League" He has
served as manager Of the Mats and
various minor league clubs and he
isn't the type that plunges over
board without surveying the sur
roundings. I'VE have weaknesses and
they're obvious says Milan, "but
pitching isn't one of them. I've never
seen anything like it and don't
believe I'm being too optimistic when
I say the pitchers that have been
doing we'll in exhibition games will
do we'll in the regular season.
I've had disappointments as
manager. I've seen pitcher 60 like
a house afire in the spring and
fold up in the season. I've had one
or two of them do it on me in one
season, but if this bunch fails we
might as well ignore spring train
ing altogether and pick players by
averages and not by what they
show us.
This group Of pitchers has been
Fellows like Phil Mccullough, Har-
din Cathey and Bill Kennedy didn't
figure to aStound anybody down here
because they haven't had the expert
ence or done too we'll in the minors.
But here they are, with the older
fellows, showing to advantage. The
nice thing about it is that they're
doing it time after time.
Pitchers Repeatedly Good.
They say these games down here
don't mean much, but think just
how much they mean to those
rookie pitchers. They're trying to
make the grade-to get in spot
to make some real money-so there's
a lot of pressure on them. They,
can't afford to look bad because it
may mean the difference between
blue plate dinners and filet mignons.
TITS easy to say our pitchers have
been lucky, but it isn't true. We've.
had too much consistently fine
pitching to dismiss it lightly. The
kind OF pitching they've been giving
us is going to keep us in a lot OF
ball games this season"
Statistics seem to support the
wrinkle faced Mr.. Milan. The Mats
have played 10 games against major
league foes and in 13 Of those en-
gagements the opposition has failed
to muster more than seven hits.
Only on three occasions has Wash
ington pitching been inept and Nat
batters overcame that obstacle once
to beat the Indians, 10-7.
The Mats have lost five games.
The Dodgers mauled Steve Sundra
for a 1874 victory, but Sundra since
has bounced back with creditable
performances. Yesterday the Dodg-
ers pounded a lame-legged Jack
Wilson for five runs in the first
inning en- route to a 6-1 triumph,
but Rookie Mccullough pitched two
hitless innings.
Those other three losses hardly
have been on the disgraceful side,
for they have been by 40, 81 and
20 scores. The Mats have per-
formed at a .737 clip, but the reason
for Milans optimism Is based on
their general manner OF winning
and losing rather than that pretty
percentage.
Dodgers Big Inning Wins.
Wilson captured only four deci-
sions last season with the Red Sox
and for one inning yesterday he
looked the part. But to condemn
him for one faulty showing after
numerous sparkling jobs might be
(See HAWKINS, Page A-16D