Evening star., 1942-05-12
Early Will Wear
Specs 70 Help
Him at BAT
Poor Vision Bothers
Mats Catcher; Esty
To Go to OutfieId
By BURTON HAWKINS,
Star Staff Correspondent.

DETROIT, May 12-Ensnarled in
a horrible hitting slump that has
tobogganed his average to a night
marish .167, Jake Early is planning
to wear glasses in action, hoping to
boost his batting mark and thus
aid the Mats.
Hampered by ailing eyes for sew
eral seasons, the Mats burly catcher
desperately has seized on the sug-
gestion of Secretary Eddie Eynon
that he wear specs while batting.
Jake was to give it a trial as the
Tigers we're faced for the first time
here this year. The Early bird has
been getting the bird for his feeble
batting attempts.
When Red Ruffing famed him
three times at New York on Sun
day Jake was a suitable subject for
a straightjacket. 1t simply was the
old adage of not being able to hit
what you can't see. Jake intends to
use glasses only while batting, dis
carding them while catching. He
has been wearing reading glasses
for some time off the field as
remedy for far-sightedness and it is
that pair he has had wired to hug
his head.
flaming, Popping Up.
One of the more sincere Mats,
Jake is frantic over his failure to
hit. He has contributed only 10
hits in so efforts, but that alone isn't
disturbing him. He has been strik-
ing out. popping up or not getting
the ball beyond the infield on IS of
those so other occasions. Early con-
fessed his eyes were bothering him
when he reported to the Mats spring
training base last February. Every
fourth or fifth day everything ap-
pears slightly blurred to me-" said
Jake. Normally, I can't see ball
until it gets right on top OF me.
and usually I see those high inside
pitches Just in time to duck.
Gosh, I want to have a good
year." Jake was saying. Il have
one baby and another one will be
here soon., I just have to start max
ing better money"
Until last winter Jake was so
strapped financially that he spent
much of his of season standing on
the floor of cotton mill for hours
daily. At the insistence of Boss
Clark Grifi1th he gave his legs a
better break. But now his eyes are
retarding him.
Also the support Of a crippled sis
ter, Jake has had no easy time of it
making ends meet. When he suf-
fered an attack of Bells palsy last
fall, his left eye wouldn't focus but
he's so eager to make the grade and
reap the reward that goes with it
that he caught several games any
way.
Campbell May Be Benched.
Familiar to Washington fans is
the scene of Early stepping from the
box to wipe watery right eye. That
condition has plagued him for years
and on numerous occasions he has
been booed viciously for missing
foul balls he couldn't even see.
It is remarkable in fact that Jake
has improved his catching despite
the handicap Of poor vision. There
are easier assignments than catching
futtery knucklers thrown by Dutch
Leonard or Jack Wilson.
It's ironical, too, because Jake
loves to hit. He'd take batting
practice for a week without eating
if Manager Bucky Harris would per-
NIT it. He's a persistent laborer in
an attempt to improve himself but
those eyes have been blocking prog
ress. Meanwhile, there were in
dications Harris is planning to in
sert Bob Repass at third base, shift
Bobby Estalella to left field and
bench Bruce Campbell. The newly
acquired Mike Chartak would take
over Campbell's right field berth.
Harris hasn't been enraptured by
Campbell's outfield play, nor has
his hitting in the vital No. spot en-
Unused Bucky.