Evening star., 1944-04-16
Flag Chance Is as Good as Anv
RivoIs, Griffith, BIuege Soy
Pitching Clubs Main Asset, With NiggeIine
Slated to Oppose Harris of As on Tuesday

snow during its months duration,
the Mats will field a team that
appears capable of providing rich
entertainment in organized base
balls third wartime season, but 1t
won't be one approaching the
standard of prewar major teams or
even up to the par of last years
second-place outfit.
Look Good for Fine Fight.
Nevertheless the Mats, with their
ranks augmented by a host of
Latin American athletes, look good
enough to Griffith and Bluege to
put up fine fight from the start.
Neither the club president nor
the manager will predict a pennant
for the Mats. with conditions so
uncertain these days, I wouldn' t
think of saying Washington has a
pennant club" Griffith said after
rain forced cancellation of yester-
days game with Baltimore's ORR
oles, still to be met in the Mary
land metropolis today. But it's a
pretty sharp ball club, one that
should stand up well. It looks as
good to me as any other in the
league"
Bluege believes his club will
make trouble for all rivals, although
he foresees plenty of opposition,
from Chicago's White
Sox, Bostons Red Sox and New
York's world champion Yankees.
While these three have been hit
by the draft, they have managed to
rebuild with some pretty good ball
players from high-ranking leagues"
the Mats skipper observed. THE
Yankees, particularly, will be tough
again, I believe, with Ernie Bon
ham and Spud Chandler likely to
pitch. for them for a couple of
months at least before entering the
armed forces" he said.
Bluege Has Faith in HurIers.
But I have every confidence in
my pitching staff to more than off,
set some weaknesses that may ap-
pear in other departments of the
Washington outfit" Bluege de-
clared. Il also believe our hitting
will pick up sufficiently to give us
a strong attack. The Mats are not
to be underestimated. We can play
ball and the others will find us
easy to beat"
Pitching is the Mats best item.
An array of knuckle- -ballers such as
Mickey Haefner, Roger
Wolff and Dutch Leonard, would
leave little to worry about along the
hurting line. But with Milo Cam
dini, Early Wynn, Alex Carrasquel
and Bill Lefebvre backing this
quartet Washington appears really
formidable on the hill. It also has
the makings of a capable spare in
Ullrich, youngster brought
up from Venezuela by way of Cuba.
TO handle these moundsmen, there
are Rick Ferrell, a mastermind be-
hind the bat, and Mike Guerra,
stalwart little Cuban who knows
baseball, looks able to take care of
the butterfly tosses, possesses a
strong arm and, oddly for a catcher,
has deal of speed afoot. Ferrell
perhaps will do most of the work
behind the bat, but Guerra will be
In there often.
Outfield Has Protection.
Veterans George Case and Stan
Spence are outfielders of the first
order and can be expected to hit
strongly. Case is as speedy as ever
and ready to maintain his league
leadership as a base-stealer. Bob
Ortiz in right field came back to
the club with slugging reputa-
ton built last year while he played
for Montreal. He has displayed some
power at bat in the spring exhibi-
tions, although his fielding still is
somewhat off major league caliber.
The infleld, though, is big ques-
ton. Joe Kuhel, back at first base
with the Mats after long term with
the White Sox, ought to be a vast
over the first sackers
the club has had in his absence. But
the Mats still aren't particularly
formidable around the middle base
with George Myatt at second and
Johnny Sullivan at short, although
both at times have appeared to ad-
in the training tuSsles.
But at third base, Bluege may
have his troubles. Of the three hot
corner guardians now at his COM
mand, Gilberto Torres, a Cuban with
nearly nine years of experience as
pitcher and infielder in organized
baseball in the United States, looks
the best.
Torres Scores as Hitter.
Luis SuareZ, another Cuban,
proved a flaShy fielder in trials, but
failed to hit. Torres has hit.
Hills Layne has promise as field
er and hitter, but an ailing leg makes
him an uncertainty as a regular.
None of this trio, however, meas
ureS up to Harlond Cliff, the player
taken from the Browns last year to
fortify third base for the Mats, but
who refused to join the club this year
as he awaits induction into the
Army.
It's a ball club that should give
Washington fans some big moments,
though. And with the other clubs
such uncertainties, the Mats could
move along at good clip.
Tar Heels Bow at Tennis