Evening star., 1945-08-11
Myatt Spark|es al. Bal
Takes Top in Thefts
JAS Hose Nick Mats
BY JOHN b. KELLER,
Star War Correspondent.

|
BY JOHN B. KELLER,
Star War Correspondent.
CHICAGO, Aug. lit was not a
good day for the Mats yesterday
that is, except for George Myatt.
The Washington ball club was
licked, 6 to 3, by Chicago's White
Sox when it had an opportunity to
pull up to even terms with the De-
troit Tigers at the top of the Amer
ican League. 1t got licked because
all 1t could gather off Thornton Lee,
veteran southpaw of the Chicago
outfit, consisted of six hits and two
passes. And also because its start
ing pitcher. Roger Wolff, had moth
ing more than prayer and was
belted from the proceedings in four
innings.
But 1t was a banner day for
George Myatt, long recognized as
the hardest working ball player with
the Mats. Myatt helped himself to
three hits, half of the total amassed
by his club. He also stole his 22d
base of the season to 60 to the head
or the base-stealing class in the
American officially, too-a
steal ahead Of his teammate, George
Case.
Displays Bunting Prowess.
That the Mats are not all square
with the Tigers, still in front in
this mad pennant race by one game,
certainly is not Myatt's fault Myatt
stepped up to the plate against Lee
yesterday four times, and three
times he came through with bunts
for hits and carried one of Wash
ington's three runs across the count
ing block. And that after being
made the lead-off hitter N the line
up instead of batting in the second
slot, where he had been all season.
The first time up. Myatt beat out
a bunt to Lee. The second time up
he struck out. The third time up,
Myatt dragged a bunt to the sec
ond baseman and easily beat the
throw to first, later to count. The
fourth time up. he dropped a fine
bunt short way in front of the
plate and by a whisker beat the
catcher's throw to first base.
That third bunted hit, incident
ally, was Myatt's Tooth hit of the
season and brought his batting aver
age up to .306. the first time this
year the clubs hardest working ball..
player has been in the select bat
ting class.
| VOLTS HeadwOrk Poor.
But the manner in which Wolff
pitched in the early going of yes
terdays fray, it would have re-
quired about a half dozen Myatts
to get the game for the Mats. Wolff
threw a fat first pitch to all the
White Sox batters he faced. They
dug in to wing at that first pitch
all the time he was on the hill, with
the result that they collected eight
hits off him in the four rounds he
toiled and piled up all their runs
before the Mats ever saw the plate
Why Wolff did not stop throw
ing that first pitch to a batter
straight at the heart of the plate
is a mystery. After Wally Moses
and Kirby Farrell, first two up in
the first inning, singled off first
pitches to them and Leroy Schalk
followed with a sacrifice on. the
first pitch, 1t seemed that Wolff
might have changed his plans. He
did not. John Dickshot came along
to single on the first pitch and two
runs went over.
Cass Michaels bunted the first
pitch for single at the outset of
the second inning and went to third
when Mike fresh singled on the
first pitch. That, after the bat
ters who made the second and third
outs of the first inning had fouled
of first pitches. AS Lee drilled into
a double play, Michaels brought
over run.
First-Pitch Hitting Pays.
In the third inning, each White
Sox batter swung at the first pitch,
but three went out in order. In
the fourth, though, they still swung
at that first pitch. Floyd Baker
hit on the first one and stole. Guy
Outright swung at the first two,
then walked. fresh, who hit safely
the first three times up, connected
with the first pitch for a single
to score two. Lee went out, but
Moses fouled off the first pitch,
then tripled to the right field corner.
That was all, but enough.
Santiago Ullrich took over for the
last four rounds and yielded but
two hits. And they were not made
off first pitches.
The Mats did all their scoring in
the sixth round. Joe Zardon beat
out bunt and Ullrich doubled
Myatt's second hit scored Zardon,
and hit by Howard Mcfarland,
who had replaced Buddy Lewis in
right, scored Ullrich. A long fly by
Mike Kreevich sent Myatt home.
Outside of that inning, the Mats
had men on the bases in four rounds.
Two struck out after Myatt opened
the game with a single, there was a
strikeout after Harlond Cliff walked
in the seventh, Myatt was unable to
advance after hitting in the eighth
and nobody could help Al Evans,
who walked in the ninth.
Outside of Myatt, the Mats just
1 Il u L