Evening star., 1942-04-23
HurIers' Failure
To Show Worth
Is sHeavyB|ow
Reposs' Slip AfieId
Adds to Clubs S Woes;
Bosox Roke SIobmen
By BURTON HAWKINS.

The Mats are beginning TO realize
the tortures OF a henpecked hus-
band who has been bawled out by
the boss, then hurries home to face
an irate wife. crying baby and
cold dinner. They have no occa-
sion to smile but there is reason
to suspect the Mats will view more
delightful days.
Seemingly everything has ex-
ploded squarely in the stunned face
of Manager Bucky Harris. His
pitching has collapsed generally, Bob
Repass is bearing no resemblance to
the smooth shortstop Harris praised
in Florida, Mickey Vernon is hit
ting few points above his weight
and Jake Early's batting also has
been feeble.
Harris wasn't scanning the future
with unbridled optimism when he
shepherded his team home from the
citrus circuit. He has been around
long enough to recognize woeful
weaknesses at second and third
bases, weak and scattery throwing
arms and faulty thinking.
Bucky, though, could be excused
for feeling he would be presented
with capable pitching, a mediocre
defense and perhaps enough hitting
from George Case, Stan Spence,
Bruce Campbell, Vernon and Early
to make the Mats appear respecta-
BILE. He is getting rude jolt
: The Mats are better than they've
appeared, particularly to those Gus
TONERS who have visited Griffith
Stadium, where the Mats have
played four games and dropped as
many decisions. The Mats, that is,
are capable of playing a better
brand of baseball. They may not
improve but 1t will be distinct
surprise if they, don't.
Rookie Repass Should Improve.
Repass impressed Florida observ-
ers as a deceptively nonchalant per-
former, a gliding sort of player who
came up with difficult chances, then
employed an accurate arm. In his
first week in the majors, however,
Repass merely has been nonchalance
personified with few OF its redeem
ing qualities. His fielding has been
$3.50, his throwing erratic and his
1872 batting speaks for itself.
Repass was labeled as the likely
backbone of the Mats infield. The
suspicion fingers that he still will
prove himself a steadx- shortstop |
and a more timely hitter. Too many
veteran baseball men, such as Coach
Burt Shotton of the Indians, loftily
lauded his calm, capable conduct
for Bob to collapse for . prolonged
period.
Shotton wasn't dealing in mean
ingless compliments when he ap-
praised Repass as a thoroughly ade-
quate major league shortstop. He
had managed Bob at Columbus and
he didn't hesitate to plunge over
board with prediction that Repass
would click.
Harris isn't viewing the scenery
with rose tinted spectacles when he
hopes for batting improvement from
Vernon and Early. Mickey is bat
ting .184 and Jake is struggling
along at a .174 clip. They are cal
culated to be more dangerous, to
supply the Mats with frequent dis
tance clouts.
Washington's pitchers, tabled the
slickest group in the American
League several weeks ago, similarly
are better than they've demon
strated. Sid Hudson and Early Wynn
represent Harris chief disappoint-
ments but it's virtually certainty
they'll display marked improvement
over their early starts.
Wynn Mauled BY Boston.
Tt isn't a pleasant picture-the
miserable antics of the Mats in los
ing six of their first nine games
but only a small portion of the
painting has been completed. There
still is a matter of las games to be
PLAYED and the Mats should have
better baseball ahead of them.
Washington was unraveling one of
its most inept performances of the
season yesterday at Griffith Stadium
in absorbing 1874 walloping from
the Red Sox. Boston hammered
Wynn, Alexandra Carrasquel. Walter
Masterson and Phil Mccullough for
II hits. which presents a rough idea
of the rude treatment the Mats were
receiving.
Wynn failed to survive the first
inning. Before Harris could rush
CarrasQuel TO the mound Boston
had poured four runs across the
plate through the medium of singles
by Dominic Di Maggie. Johnny
Pesky. Ted Williams, Pete Fox and
double by Bobby Doerr.