Evening star., 1944-03-05
Kranina Brown sey Psppaos Lsmon Sunday a Sports
Mats Have 81 in Line
For Training Start;
Only 4 Unsigned
BY JOHN b. KELLER.

By JOHN b. KELLER.
Other ball clubs may have their
troubles getting players into line,
but with the Mats the process must
be simple. They have "a of the
total Of SO on their roster signed
according to announcement today
by Clark Grinith, Washington pres
ident. and only two Of the four
unsigned are rated regulars. That
with only a week to 60 before the
battefymen start training at the
University of Maryland camp.
The list Of those signed includes
Is pitchers, 4 catchers, Z infielders
and 10 outfielders.
Latest to accept terms is Jake
Powell, veteran outflelder who came
to the Mats from the Capitals sand
lots some years ago and since has
been seasoned by toll with a num-
Der of clubs. Powell, who winters
In Dayton, Ohio, where he works
as a policeman, telephoned Grifith
yesterday that everything was sat-
isfactory and that he would head
for camp some time this week.
Lefebvre, Spence Unsigned.
This left unsigned only Wilfred
Lefebvre, a portside pitcher, who
performed impressively the brief
time he was with the Mats last
year; Stan Spence, long-hitting out
f1elder; Lewis Carpenter, a right
hand hurler taken from Minneapo-
lis of the American Association, and
Hills Layne, formerly a third base
man with the Washington club.
OF last years better pitchers
among the signed are the knuckle-
balling John Niggeling, Mickey
Haefner and Dutch Leonard who
combined to wine Is games; Milo
Candini, Alex Carrasquel and Early
Wynn, an 18-game winner in 1943.
Roger Wolff, another knckle-
baller who came from the Phila-
delphia Athletics in exchange for
Bobo Newsom, also is signed as are
Vernon Curtis, a promising right
handler; Bob Albertson from the
sandlots of Detroit and Alberto Leal
Olivrio Ortiz, Gilberto Torres and
Santiago Ullrich, products of Cuban
baseball.
incidentally, Bobby Estalella, who
used to be with the Mats, dropped In
to visit Griffith last week. Bobby
had been playing ball much of the
winter in Cuba and had plenty of
praise for the Latins the Mats will
test this spring. He liked especially
Pitchers Leal and Ullrich. Accord
Ing to Bobby, each has a lot of speed
and fine control.
Surprise! Four Catchers.
-Four catchers on the list of signed
given out by Griffith is surprising.
1t had been supposed that the Nat
backstopping staff consisted only of
Rick Ferren, brought from the st.
Louis Browns last week in a trade. |
and Fermin Guerra, who comes up
from Cuba by way of Chattanooga
and Mexico. But there also are
Rogelio Rojas, hitherto tabled as an
outfelder, and Mario Diaz, new ad-
dition to the roster
There are enough veteran out
nelders in line to give the Mats a
sturdy group in the pastures. George
Case. league champion base-stealer
and best Washington batter last
year, heads the list. With him are
Gene Moore, pretty good at times
IN the 1943 campaign; Powell and
Roberto Ortiz, brought back to big
time from Montreal where he proved
. solid hitter.
Backing these are four Latins-I
Francisco Quientis, Epitacio Torres,
Armand Valdes and Jose Sanchez.
Then there are Butch Bucek and
Walt NICHE with no pro experience.
Infield Still Problem.
But the inf1eld still is the big
problem for Manager Ossie Bluege
Griffith in listing seven as signed
includes the veteran third sacker !
Harlond Cliff, who only last week
said that as he was near the draft
he wouldn't report to the Mats this
year. That would leave as exper-
fenced infielders only Joe Kuhel.
first sacker; George Myatt, second
baseman, and Johnny Sullivan.
shortstop.
Luis Suarez. a Cuban product, is
the only third baseman named
among the three remaining infield-
ers. Eddie Butka is first baseman
and Bill Ebranyi from the Detroit
sandlots has done most of his play
Ing around the initial sack.
Other than the Cuban contingent.
the Mats are pretty well subject to
the draft. Those in 4-F are
Leonard, Wolff, Albertson, Butka
and Niche. Mats over draft age
are Niggeling and Farrell. That
leaves 13 who still can be claimed
by selective service.
But 1t appears that GrifIith and
Bluege will have enough talent to
carry on for some time this va.r