Evening star., 1945-03-18
Islanders 10 Bal
Against AIonna,
Vets Hur|er
Wolff Going to Mound
For nd-Stringers;
BIuege Likes Outlook
BY JOHN B. KELLER.


of summery weather, it'll be up tc
the Mats younger members-espe-
cially the Cubans-today to show
Manager Os Bluege just what they
know about playing baseball.
| After about an hour of practice
beginning at noon, the flock OF
players and training help at College
Park will be sorted into two mines
that will swing into action on the
University of Maryland field in the
Mats first intrasquad game of the
conditioning season.
1t won't be an "all out" game
for the pitchers for the most part
won't be putting everything they
have into their pitches and there
won't be any sliding by the base
runners. But there'n be enough
baseball to give Bluege an idea of
what he may expect of some of
the newer talent.
In the main, the game will be
between veteran members of the
Mats and the recruits, although
youngsters will do the hurting for
the vets, while one experienced
slabman at least-Roger Wolff-will
toll for the other side.
The game probably won't go be-
yond five innings, for even with the
pitching volunteers he has at his
command, Manager Bluege is not
yet able to provide enough for a
regulation tussle.
Binks in Cleanup Spot.
Likely batting order for the Reg
ulars will have Outfelder Jake
Powell leading off, Second Baseman
George Myatt swinging in the Sec
ond spot as he did last season, and
Jose Zardon, up for his second
trial with the Mats, going up third
George Binks, rangy outfelder
picked up from the Milwaukee club
|of the American Association late
last year, will be assigned to the
cleanup berth. He's been batting in
drills in a manner to indicate that
maybe he earned that .374 average
with the Brewers last season the
hard way.
Following will be First Baseman
Joe Kuhel for part of the contest
with Eddie Butka taking over for the
finish. Hills Layne and Pedro Co
meZ, who'll share the third base
job, are next in the order, while
Chuck Beihl, who is looking better
every day, at shortstop and in the
batting cage, will bat seventh.
AL Evans will do the catching, and
after getting more hitting practice
than any other player at camp he
should show some strength.
Pitching plans call for Luis Aloma,
fast-baller from Cuba, and Bert
Shepard, the one-legged marvel
from the Army Air Corps, to toss 'em
In for the regulars. Aloma has been
pitching through the winter in Gu
ban baseball, and the left-handed
Shepard in hurting to batters In
practice has displayed remarkable
control in addition to revealing a
keen knowledge of the pitching bus
mess
Bluege to Watch Cubans.
Backing Wolff and perhaps Al
Rossi on the hill for the rookie pla-
toon will be Jim Langley at first
base, Hector Arago at second, Ar
mando Gallart at short, Manuel Hi
dalgo, the Spanish Chinese, at third,
and Joe Redondo, Augustin Della
vile and another yet to be selected
in the outfeld. Billy Carrier, an
all-high catcher while at Central,
will be behind the bat.
Bluege will watch with particular
interest the work of Arago and Gal
lart around the middle sack and
Hidalgo's performance at third. The
Keystone pair played outstanding
baseball in Cuba, while Chino was
rated star both at short and third
in the islands diamond circuits.
Although several players expected
to figure prominently in the Mats
performance in the championship
campaign have yet to report at camp
notably Pitchers Larry Burger and
Marino Pieretti, Infielders Harlond
Cliff and Gil Torres, Catch Mike
Guerra and Outfielder Walter Chip
ple-Bluege already is convinced
he'll have a capable club, consider
ing wartime conditions.
The six still missing are likely to
be in camp by the middle of the
week. After that, Bluege won't be
long in rounding up a lineup to
send into the title tussling next
month. The spring exhibition games
begin next Sunday, and after the
Mats go through the nearly 20 they
likely will play it should be an ac-
ceptable Washington club that en-
tiers the American League flag chase