Evening star., 1942-03-18
Vernon
Singled Out in
Barb at Club
Loaf os Dodgers Win;
EorIy's Enthusiasm
Without Reaction
BY BURTON HAWKINS,
Star Staff Correspondent.

ORLANDO, Fla, Marcn l8.-
Seldom is there occasion to condemn
gentlemanly conduct. Mild manners
| and soft speech usually are COM
mendable, but the Washington
Baseball Club is behaving itself so
properly that it is in danger of
becoming complete bore.
The Mats are no fire. breathing,
dveil-may-care crew Come what
may, through victory and defeat,
they remain themselves to a point
where the onlooker reasonably might
question whether they are concerned
more about losing than winning.
Prexy Clark Grifith's athletes
may present better brand of base
ball from a strictly mechanical
standpoint this season, but the COM
bined color of the group wouldn't
provide enough paint to decorate a
flngernail With the possible excep-
tions of Jake Early, George Case and
Bobby Estalella, the Mats could
qualify as the sphinx specimens of
sport.
Washington's infeld won't be
rude enough to disturb slumbering
patrons at Griffith Stadium. Mickey
Vernon, Frank Croucher, Bob Re
pass and Stan Gale economic
on conversation and enthusiasm,
usually performing their chores ac-
ceptably but silently.
There is no guarantee that an oc-
caslonal dash of noise or spirit
would convert a mediocre club into
glant-killer, but it never has failed
10 make team appear more i'm
| presSlve. There isn't enough spark
among the Mats to ignite match.
Spence Not Hustling.
Washington's team as a whole is
young. Youth normally is accom-
| panied by an expressive will to win,
eXuberance, spirit. dash. color, noise.
etc. It's an indefinable something
the Mats don't possess. They may
be one of the most nonchalant
groups of athletes ever assembled.
After the Mats had walloped the
Dodgers, l0-l, on Monday at DAY.
tona Beach the effervescent Mr..
Early hoped on the team bus and
shouted. enthusiastically. Break up
the Nats!" If anybody else was
happy about winning they might
have made Jake feel more comfort
able with some sort of response.
The studied silence was embar-
RAISING.
Yesterday the Mats absorbed a
1874 humping from the Dodgers
| and it didn't seem to make much
difference. The games merely are
exhibitions, of course, but athletes
with normal supply of red
corpuscles usually are happy about
winning even if it's only a friendly
game of croquet.
There Is suspicion the Mats are
carrying their nonchalance too far.
When Dolph Camilli raped an
lnslde-the-park homer to open Z
run second inning for the Dodgers.
Stan Spence loafed, merely Jogging
after the ball. 1t caromed off the
wire fence in center field. What
should have been restricted to a
triple became an easy homer.
Spence and Vernon Criticized.
For a fellow who batted an
anemlc .232 with the Red SoX last
season Spence might consider him.
self fiattered to be holding a regular
major league job. In that instance.
at least he was acting the part of
prlma donna, for there practically
is no competition for his position.
Vernon also was guilty of a lack
adlasical attitude but might be ex-
cuSed for having his mind off the
game, what with the score Ill
against the Mats, but it isn't asking
too much for players to concentrate
two hours a day. In the eighth
inning Mickey perched on first base.
wasn't interested enough to know
the ball-and-strike count on young
Ted Madjeski Consequently when
MadJeski walked a confused Ver-
non continued to remain on first
base until instructed it was proper
for him to continue to second. A
minor matter. maybe, but appar-
emily significant.
The Mats, with few exceptions,
aren't hustling. They've won seven
OF nine games against major league
opposition but they're not on their
toes, Maybe they're saving their
spirit for the regular season or
maybe they believe they're good
enough to win without it. Per-
haps they are but there's room for
doubt. Under pressure their cur
rent attitude may backfire.
Sundra Takes Shellacking.
Camilli's homer touched off the
most embarrassing inning the Mats
have suffered thus far. Steve Sun
dra was blasted for seven tallies
in that hectic second session, four
runners rotnping across when Arky
Vaughan delivered a homer with
the bases crammed.
Ray Scarborough was no great