Evening star., 1943-05-13
Batting Sp|urge
Seems Beyond
Feeble Mats
Club Now Is Without
300 Hitter; Beaten
In Western Debut
BY Staff Correspondent Of The Star

III W CStSIu ICOul
BY a Staff Correspondent of The Star.
CLEVELAND, May 13-The dis
NAL fog of fifth place today settled
over the power -paralyzed Mats,
who now are minus the minor dis
tinction of owning 300 hitting
regular in their lineup. what with
Ellis Clary becoming infected by
rare batting disease that has
plagued the washington team.
With Clary skidding to .297. the
Mats thus have lost the only hitter
who was lending tone to the table
of batting statistics. The Mats
haven't been astonishing anybody
with their hitting, but Clary. at
least, was giving them the consola-
ton of having one fellow among
them who was doing all right.
Now, though, Clary is indicating
he has succumbed to his surround
lngs. He has collected only two
hits in HIS last II efforts and none
of the Mats has volunteered to take
up tie slack The Mats entered
today's Cussle with Cleveland with
no worse than a 500 record for 20
games, but an examination of their
hitting makes even their fifth-place
berth seem miraculous.
Bat at Creeping Pace.
The Mats prolonged slump will
rank with the PARTIES of the l943
season, for while Manager Ossie
Bluege may not have anticipated
any terrific swatting from Clary,
Mickey Vernon, Jake Early and
Johnny Sullivan. he did have reason
to hope for more authorita tive hit
ting from such as George Case,
Stan Spence, Bob johnson and Ger
aid Priddy.
Bluege now has reason to be
alarmed, for the Mats are display
ing no signs Of swapping out of it..
Case is hitting .254 and thereafter
the drop is sudden and sad. Spence
is burdened by 205 figure, while
johnson is moving along at 233
pace which is the equivalent Of
creeping.
| Vernon is hitting tepid 222 and
Priddy is 10 points higher. Sulli-
van currently is 233 hitter and
Early is a pleasant sight for oppos-
ing pitchers with his .2l5 hitting.
Bluege is privileged to feel con-
fused. Hitting was one Of the items
he wasn't supposed to fret about
when the Mats convened for spring
training in March. He had two
Of the leagues five best hitters of
| last year in his lineup in Case
and Spence. and in johnson he
/ possessed a long range hitter, who
constructed 29l average with the
Athletics last season.
Stands by Lineup.
Spence was the fellow who was
selected by Boss Clark Griffith as
the man most likely to lead the
league this season, but Stan hasn t
begun TO resemble the 1923 hitter
he was last year. Case was .32O
batter last season. too, but you
wouldn't suspect it now despite
those two safeties he obtained last
night as the Mats absorbed an 30
trimming by Cleveland before IL ,402
fans.
Bluege patiently has waited for
his regulars to snap out of it. He
hasn't altered his lineup, feeling
the Mats batting will improve only
by viewing pitching, so he probably
will continue to stick with his pres
ent players-and hope.
If nothing else, Ossie has occa-
sion to admire the Mats spark
They suddenly have become snort
ing citizens, with Clary touching il
off by hopping Catcher Johnny
Peacock of the Red Sox last Sun
day. 1t was an expensive scrap
costing Clary $l0O, but that fint
hasn't put out the Mats fire.
Here last night when Lou Bou.
dreau was called safe at the plate
in the first inning, Early all bu
climbed all over Umpire Eddie
Rommel protesting the decision
Bluege and Coach Clyde Milan alst
rushed to the plate to squaWk vigor
ously, all of which is serving te
make the Mats colorful, if MOI
capable
Mats Easy for Dean.
Boudreau romped home from,
third after Hank Edwards flied tc
johnson, who whipped remarkable
throw to Early. 1t was a close de-
cision but it was about as close as
the Mats got to the Indians all eve
ming.
The Indians clipped Early Wynn
for two runs in the first inning anC
added another in the third. They
pummeled Rae Scarborough for foul
runs in the two innings he labored
then tapered off with another rur
off Mickey Haefner in the sixth
registering 13 hits off that trio
Meanwhile, Chubby Dean was
having no trouble whatsoever with
the Mats. Until the ninth. the
Mats had mustered only three hits
off him and the Indians we're travel
ing along with an 80 lead. In the
ninth, Sullivan. Pinch-hitter Red
Marion and Case collected singles
to fetch the Mats their two runs
Ewald Pyle was to pursue his
third victory here today. with Al
Smith ticketed to toll for Cleveland