Evening star., 1942-06-08
Player Obtained
From Browns
Gritty Hitter
-Four New Acquisitions
May Help, Cont Hurt
Club, Prexy Feels
BY BURTON HAWKINS.


The Mats may be going nowhere
in particular, but at least they'll
be going there with new and per-
haps refreshing faces. Within the
last four days Prexy Clark Griffith
has stripped his Washington base
ball team of four players, importing
four more who he feels are likely
to prove more valuable.
His latest exchange will find Out
fielder-First Baseman Roy Cullen
bine and Pitcher Bill Trotter, both
formerly of the St Louis Browns,
in Washington uniforms tomorrow
night when the Mats tackle Cleve-
land here, with Outhelder Mike
Chartak and Pitcher Steve Sundra
shifting to St. Louis.
On the surface Griffith has made
no astonishing deal. Chartak was
hitting .22l as a Nat, but Cullen
bine brings 1874 average to Wash
ington. Sundra had won only one
game, lost three, but Trotter has
won none, lost one.
Won't Stir Populace.
Swapping those sort of specimens
isn't calculated to stir Washington s
populace, but Griffith admits he
traded with the thought that Gull
lenbine may recover his 1941 form
when he batted BIT and drove in
SO runs.
Trotter, 6-foot Pinch, 21O-pound
right-hander who will be "a years
old in August, has won 19 games,
lost 80 in six seasons with the
Browns. Trotter. in other words,
has been no sensa ton, but neither
was Sundra.
Griffith indicates Cullenbine will
replace George Case for brief span
Case hasn't taken his normal cut
at ball since he hurt his shoulder, >
says Griffith. "and he should rest
Cullenbine and Case can alternate
in left. with Stan Spence in center
and Bruce Campbell in right
Campbell's been hitting good lately
ana ne ngureS 10 help US.
Clary Is Peppery.
Apparently destined to remain al
second base for more complete
examination is peppery Ellis Clary
Elevated from Chattanooga. Clary
played the second game of yester-
days double-header with Detroit
and showed Manager Bucky Harris
and $4,000 fans some spiffy fielding
Washington got split out of the
twin bill, incidentally. dropping the
opener, Ga. and taking the night
cap, 80. behind the four-hit pitch
ing of Walter Masterson.
Clary particularly impressed
Bucky in the eighth inning, when
he scooted far to his left for a
Stab Of Doc Cramer's grounder,
then whipped him out He also
inserted a pair of scratch singles,
walked. struck out and drilled into
a double-play.
John Sullivan. who was advertised
to play shortstop, was restricted to
a pinch-hitting appearance in the
first game. Also a Chattanooga
product, Sullivan tapped weakly to
Pitcher Harold NewhouSer.
New Faces at Least.
Griffith hardly has weakened his
club in disposing of Jose Gomez,
Roberto Ortiz, Chartak and Sundra
over the week end and while Cul-
lenbine. Trotter, Clary and Sullivan
may represent no improvement. at
least they'll alter the personnel of a
team that was f1oundering without
them. They aren't likely to be
worse than the discards and Griffith
sees hope for them being better.
Chartak was with the Mats less
than a month. Purchased from the
Yankees on May 10, he failed to
justify his promise and Griffith
branded him too cratic" Sundra
also came to the Mats via the Yam
KEGS in March, l941, winning s
games and losing l3 last year.
Cullenbine was one of 81 Detroit
owned players declared free agent:
two years ago by Kenesaw Noun
tain Lands, commissioner of base
ball. He promptly peddled himself
to the Dodgers for a reputed bonus
of s25 900, but after six weeks with
Brooklyn was traded to the Browns
for Outfielder Joe Gallagher.
Masterson's Best Performance.
Masterson. who is ticketed to de-
sert the Mats for soldering shortly,
unleashed the finest performance of
his four years with Washington in
registering a shutout in the night
cap. He curbed his customary
wildness and permitted only one
hit in the last five innings as
Washington pounded Roy Henshaw
and Johnny Corsica for IA hits
while the Tigers committed four
errors.
Detroit hammered Early Wynn
to grasp an early lead in the first
game. The Tigers took a SO lead
in the third inning, producing their
other run when Pinky Higgins
homered in the eighth. Washing
ton nicked Virgil Trucks for single
runs in the fourth and seventh in
nings and drove him from the
mound with a 2-run outburst in
the ninth. Harold Newhouser came
to his rescue, however, and stymied
the Mats.
Idle today, the Mats will tackle
u. r. IL