Evening star., 1942-03-12
Slab Glass Seen
In HeftyCathe
.CharIotteGrad
Zuber Also SporkIes,
But Griffs, Weak at
Bot, Bow to Yonks
BY BURTON HAWKINS,
Star staff Cnrresnnndnnt


OF his pitching, Manager Bucky
Harris can comment only along
complimentary lines. but the Mats
pilot isn't exactly carefree. In their
last two games the Mats haven't
generated enough power to flatten
an eclair.
Washington's weakness has been
allowed to slip past the censor. 1t
is exposing no secret to scribble the
Mats require power hitters, or even
a more generous sprinkling of mod
erately successful swingers, but it
is distressing to Harris when he con-
siders the possibilities against the
probable events
Unless signs thus far have been
misleading, the Mats are equipped
with pitching staff that Is calcu-
lated to stir envy. The pitchers have
been coasting along rather nicely,
permitting only l6 hits and six runs
in three games, but in their last two
engagements Washington's hitters
seemingly have presented a preview
of the regular season.
The Mats mustered an early run
against the Cleveland Indians at
Orlando Tuesday and hung on to
win 10 decision but against the
Yankees yesterday at st. Petersburg,
the Mats weren't making any runs.
The Mats made only two hits, in
fact, in the process of absorbing a
40 defeat. If Washington was des-
tined to whip the Indians here to-
day. it was to come as a complete
surprise to Harris, for Bucky was re-
duced to employing such specimens
as Arnold Anderson. Bill Kennedy,
Bill Zinser and Phil Mccullough
on the mound.
Cathey Shows Promise.
None Of the quartet figures to
stick. But Harris was stalking them
to an opportunity to make him alter
his opinion. The towering Anderson
would be retained, but he probably
will be in the army before the sea-
son starts, while the others simply
have failed to impress Bucky.
Harris currently is planning to
add Rockies Ray Scarborough and
Hardin Cathey to Washingtons
pitching crop and nothing they have
committed so far has decreased his
/ respect for them. The short. sharp
faced Scarborough performed we'll
against the Yankees in the Mats
| opening exhibition and Cathey
wasn't too bad yesterday.
A 6-foot 190-pound right t-hander.
the 21-year-old Cathey won IS
games and lost as many for Charlotte
last season, but Bucky feels he Is
better than the record would indi-
cate. He is on the green side
Bucky has requested him to make
several minor changes in his style
! but he's promising.
He permitted two singles and
yielded one of the Yankees runs in
the two innings he labored. but
Cathey was shielding from Harris
the fact that he was i'll as the result
OF the bus ride from Orlando to St.
Petersburg. Cathey wanted his
chance sorely enough to pitch while
nauseated and he did all right.
Zuber Gains Confidence.
Bill Zuber also was a source OF
Joy for Harris. The Cleveland cast
off allowed only two hits in his
three Inning stretch and Plate Um-
pire Cal Hubbard later remarked
that Zuber's fast ball was more
zippy than anything that cut the
plate.
II believe all zuber has needed
Is confidence" explained Harris.
When he first came to US he seemed
to believe he didn't belong, that he
wasn't good enough for the big
league. He felt that way because
he had been so wild with the In
| dians, but he's been working hard
on his control with us and I be-
lieve he'll be able to help. That
bov has real arm"
Il did lack confidence when I
came to Washington" confessed
zuber. Il pitched very little at
Cleveland. and whenever I did, I'd
walk somebody and they'd yank me
out Of there. 1t wasn't anybody's
fault, guess, because they had some
pretty good pitchers around and
Couldn't wait for me to develop, but
I'm glad I'm with this club. know
I've improved"
Husky Early Wynn was least i'm
pressive of the Mats three pitchers,
twice issuing walks that led to runs.
He was clipped for three Of the
Yankees seven hits.
POfahl Neat at Second.
Spud Chandler. Marvin Breuer and
Alley Donald restricted the Mats to
brace of timid inf1eld safeties,
Bobby Estalella twice made first
base. once through the medium of
walk, and Jimmy Pofahl got there
once, but neither advanced to
second.
Pofahl, incidentally, is unravelling
rather neat brand of second-base
play in the absence OF Frank
Croucher.
The Mats are doing very nicely
from several standpoints, but their
run-manufacturing machinery has
jammed.