Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1944-04-08
Reserve Good in Posi-
Taken Over After
.Suarez Is Hurt
BY JOHN B. KELLER.
Star Staff CORRESPONDENT

WILMINGTON, Del, April g.
Hills Layne, medically discharged
from the United States Army be-
cause of an ailing leg, has more thar
bare chance TO get first call al
| third base for the Mats at the outset
of the championship campaign. Ar
injury to Luis SuareZ, the hot -field-
ing Cuban, and his own proves al
the plate have put Layne back in
the scrap for the job.
Layne was likely to start at third
today in the exhibition scheduled
with Philadelphia Phillies here
Although the injury to Suarez-he
was struck on the left knee yester-
day by a line drive George Wyatt
hit in batting practice-is more
painful than serious. he probably
will see little action, if any, for sew
eral days and this is enough fol-
Layne to show what he can do.
The North Carolina boy was in
parts of the Mats exhibitions to
date, but had little opportunity to
demonstrate his worth. In a scrub
game at College Park yesterday
however, Layne looked his best of
the training season as he belted a
pair of hits, moved around the bases
in good stride and came up with
some fancy stops and keen throws.
Bluege Likes Layne at Bat.
The Carolinian's exhibition was
particularly pleasing to Os Bluege
especially in it's hitting angle. With
the Mats so sorely in need of power,
any one who appears likely to have
some punch isn't being overlooked
by the manager.
Layne's hits against good pitching
had power behind them. That's
something Saurez hasn't revealed in
his turns at bat. The Cuban is
a Fancy Dan afield, but Layne is
no backward boy defensively. If
he can hit as he promises, Bluege
still must delay making Saurez a
permanent fixture at third.
One player was lost by the Mats
yesterday and another threatens to
quit them. Johnny Bucek, out
fielder from Detroit's sandlots, has
been called by the Navy. His pal,
first-basing Bill Ebranyi, first batted
a ball against his own instep, in
flicting painful injury, then kicked
over the traces when told he was to
be transferred to the Chattanooga
club. Unless farmed to an Ameri-
can Association outfit, Ebranyi in
sists he'll return to his Michigan
home
Valdes Suffers Ankle Injury.
Rogelio Valdes, little Cuban catch
er, also went on the casual list. He
twisted an ankle so severely he may
not see action for a day or two.
Clark Griffith, Washington club
president, is getting ready to take
some of the surplus talent off Man
ager Bluege's hands. An outfielder-
any one that can catch balls to
be sent to Minneapolis. Some play
ers also are to go to Williamsport,
the Eastern League club run by John
Cambria, brother of the Mats lone
scout, Joe.
A 1913 victory over Baltimore
yesterday primed the Phils for their
slated tilt with the Mats here; made
Freddy Ftzsimmons' outfit look bet
ter than Bluege's, which had a time
topping the Orioles, 10. Jimmy
Wasdel, former Nat, hit a grand
slam homer as the Phils COPIED.
Harry Harper, who used to left
hand for the Washington club away
back, is busy looking over ball clubs
training in New Jersey to make sure
that their players under IS hold
employment certificates conforming
with State labor laws. He now is
New jerseys commissioner of labor.
Mats Get Longest Drill.
Longest workout to date was held
yesterday at College Park with a
scrub game that went five and a half
innings following two hours of bat
ting practice and fielding drill. In
the game the Regulars and YAM
nigans tied, "a
Olivrio Ortiz, pitching brother of
Bob, got his first toll on the hill in
the camp tussle. He hurled the first
inning against the Regulars to yield
two singles and as many passes
which mixed with an error accounted
for three runs. The youngster
showed good fast ball, but little
more.
Gil Torres played second base and
pitched for the Yannigans. He was