Evening star., 1943-03-16
Lille Time Left
bIuege 10 Prep
IIurIing Corps
Squod Tolls Indoors;
Esto'e'Iu Reports
Too Late to Drill

That mild. invigorating weather
that greeted the Mats initial work
out yesterday at College Park today
was replaced by the maddening
moisture that threatens to make
a joke of Washington spring train
ing effort.
The pleasant voice that warbles
weather predictions over the teIe-
phone today indicated the Mats
probably won't be tearing up the
University of Naryland's diamond
at least until Thursday. with more
rain slated for this vicinity tonight.
BY this time last season the Mats
had eight exhibition games behind
them in Florida, Pending further
developments there still is moth, lg
that can be done about the weather,
but Manager OsSie Bluege NAV be
excused for muttering in his SOUP.
He has a job to do and it appears
the weather won't send him off to
refreshing start.
Should the sun pop out tomor-
row and dehydrate Marylands
damp diamond the Mats may be able
to get down to heavy toiling on
Thursday which would leave less
than week for Bluege to devote
exclusively TO his strange aSsort-
ment Of batterymen. The Mats
second squad, comprised of infield-
ers and outfelders, Will report
week from tomorrow.
Haefner Gets in Trim Fast.
Maryland's diamond was sogey
from recent rains yesterday when
the Mats merely limbered up on the
fringe of the field. BIuege imme-
diately showed back the starting
time of the Mats drills an hour to
II o'clock. hoping the sun would
soak up the dew by that time.
To-day the Mats were slated to
work out inside Ritchie Coliseum,
but the delay in getting outside
won't irritate Milton Haefner. the
abbreviated southpaw who is re-
garded as Washington's most prom
islng rookie pitcher.
Il always hated that long siege of
spring training" said the chesty
little fellow who starred for Min
neapolis last season. I've never
needed more than two weeks to get
in shape and hated to go to Florida
and spend a lot of money I couldn't
afford to spend. Shucks, a hundred
DUCKS to me is like five hundred to
a fellow like Dutch Leonard.
I've never made big money out
Of baseball and I don't like to have
to toss around what I have spending
six silly weeks in Florida. I keep
myself in shape during the winter
and after two weeks OF training I'm
ready to go. I'm glad we're training
here"
Reid, ID. c. Boy, Joins Squad.
WaShlngtOn'S initial workout
chiefly was for the benefit of news
reel men and photographers, who
were disappointed in the absence of
6-toot 10-inch Richard Ahrens. The
former l.. I. U. basket ball player,
"iAS A'Ckt9 W lJSOCIIit d Ilid iOI league
was slated to return to Col
lege Park from Baltimore, but failed
to appear
An added starter TO the Mats
group was fat Warren Reid, local
youngSter released by the Army be-
cause of asthma A former Western
High boy, the biubbery Reid is
pitcher who won five
games and lost three with Tallahas-
see last season before being sum-
by the Army.
Bluege opened activity by sending
the Mats through a session of brisk
calisthenics, then hustled them out
doors, EWald Pyle and John Bun
nell both were barked at by Ossie
for tossing too hard, but otherwise
the drill was confined to Jogging
the field, bunting practice
and posing for pictures.
Out1llder Bobby Estalella arrived
late and didn't participate in the
brief workout. BH