Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-05-11
Griff S|abmen
Pinned for biq
14-Game Test
Ace HurIers to Face
Cleveland in Series
Opening 7 omorrow

For the first time in years a
Washington baseball team will
launch an invasion of the West to-
morrow night minus an inferiority
complex. The Mats are heading
West with berth in the first divi-
sion for the first time in several sea-
sons too, and by the time they re-
turn they may be able to gauge
their possibilities more accurately.
In 10 games against Eastern teams
the Mats viewed nothing alarming
They dropped four of six games with
the Yankees, losing two decisions by
margin of one run and another by
two runs due to a misjudged pop
fly, but they captured six of nine
games with the Athletics and split
four games with the Red Sox.
Confronting the Mats in the West
are IA games, three each with sec
ond-place Cleveland and third-place
Detroit. and four each with fifth
place st. Louis and seventh-place
| Chicago. Over that span Manager
Ossie Bluege will become better &C
quainted with his club
Hurlers Face Severe Test.
Bluege will learn, for instance,
whether his pitching has been
beautiful dream that is destined to
be shattered. He may learn that
| rapidly, for his four starters are
rested and against the Indians he
plans to employ Early Wynn, Ewald
Pyle and Dutch Leonard, with Alex
Carrasquel slated to open against
the Tigers on Saturday.
Cleveland is calculated to repre-
sent the Mats toughest test in the
West. If the Mats need a barometer
the Indians may provide it, for
Cleveland has developed a habit of
embarrassing Washington, winning
Is of % games last season.
The Indians have been hurt,
though, by Pitcher Mel Harder's
broken ankle. St. Louis, regarded
generally as the Yankees chief con-
tender, hasn't been playing better
than 500 ball despite the presence OF
Shortstop Vernon Stephens, the
backbone of the Browns, who will be
indicted shortly.
Bluege emissions an improvement
in Washington's batting, and if it
materializes in Cleveland it will be
all right with him. Tomorrow night
the Mats and Indians will tangle in
vast Municipal Stadium but on
Thursday and Friday will play at
League Park, where the short right
field fence is an inviting target for
such southpaW SWingers as Stan
Spence, Mickey Vernon and Jake
Early.
Mats Hope to Have Clary.
AS the Mats, or at least most of
them, boarded a coach today for
Cleveland, Bluege still was hoping
Ellis Clary, Washington's lead-off
man and third baseman, would es-
cape suspension for sWatting Catch
er Johnny Peacock of the Red Sox
on Sunday. Clary's loss would strip
the Mats of their only 300 hitter.
Washington advanced on Cleve-
land in three shifts. Some Mats
already are on the scene, but most
of them were to leave today. with
few more following tonight.
John Bunnell, 19-year- old rookie
pitcher who hadn't seen action with
the Mats, has been dispatched to
Chattanooga, thus clipping Wash
ington's squad to "a, one below the
player limit.
PreXy Clark Griffith admittedly
is searching for an infielder to boil
ster the Mats, but says he isn't in
terested in Bill Knickerbocker, vet
eran released by the Yankees on
Sunday. The Mats are up against
it for capable infield requirements
and Griffith hopes to remedy the
situation shortly. BIB.