Evening star., 1945-03-30
War Hero Now in Line
For Players 5 Berth;
Cliff Making Trip
BY JOHN B. KELLER.

Bert Shepard, flying lieutenant o
the Army who lost most of his lowe
right leg when shot down in comba
near Berlin, will get his chance mex
week to show he still can play base,
ball professionally.
Signed yesterday by Clark Griffith
president of the Washington club
as a coach, Shepard is expected t,
fly to Norfolk Sunday and join tn,
Mats in their exhibitions agains
the Naval Training Station team
that are to be played through mex
Friday. Whether he'll pitch or pla,
in the infield hasn't been deter
mined, but Griffith has announced
the war hero will get into tn.
lineup.
If confidence were all needed
Shepard now would be a regular
with the Mats. Despite the leg am.
putation performed when he frs
was taken into German war prison
to stay more than eight months, tn,
flyer firmly believes he can make
the grade. In workouts at the Col.
lege Park training camp, the one.
legged officers performances amazed
onlookers. He fielded well, hi
strongly and pitched cleverly in bat.
ting drills.
Inspiration to Wounded.
He also manages to run pretty well
and the two years of professional
ball playing he had before entering
Uncle Sans forces gave him a thor
ough knowledge of the inside of the
game. Whether he can handle a
pitching job regularly remains to be
seen. He might find fielding bunts
a trifle beyond him.
However. Shepards value, not onl,
to the ball club, but also as an in
spiration to other wounded veterans
Will be high aside from his capability
AS player. In rehabilitation ef-
forts, he will serve as great in
spiration to amputees. His forti-
tude that has enabled him to disre-
gard the loss of a leg and get around
normally in almost every way is
bound to instill similar courage in
other physically handicapped serv-
icemen.
While Shepard is signed as a
coach, Griffith says the flyer may be
given a player status after May Is.
but In any event will be carried on
the rolls of the club. His employ
ment with the Washington club has
the full approval of the War De-
partment. Shepard has several
months of leave accumulated and
will use these for his baseball term
Griffith said, though, that Shep-
ard also will be free to tour service
hospitals at any time to demon
strate to the wounded how much
man SO handicapped may ac-
complish. Even as an amputee ac-
cepted by a ball club, he will re-
kindle hope in the disabled veterans
but with his confidence and fire
added he should bring thousands
of them back to normal living.
Cllft Finally Joins Mats.
Also slated to get into the game
with the Mats for the first time
this year while the Norfolk exhibi-
tions are being played is Harlond
Cliff. inflelder who reached College
Park late yesterday after a tedious
motor trip from his home in Wash
ington State. Cliff may need sew
eral days to get the travel kinks
out of his legs, but the man Man
ager Os Bluege believes may be-
come the regular third baseman
with the club this year will see
some action next week.
The squad was to leave tonight
for Norfolk. Tomorrow the Mats
will encounter the post team at
Fort Monroe, then play the Sailors
at the Norfolk Navy Base the next
six days. Whether Jake Powell,
outfielder, will be able to leave his
Montgomery County (Md) police
job in time to get into the string
of games was uncertain this morn
ing, but the remainder of the men
who have been drilling at College
Park will make the trip.
When the club gets back, Man
ager Bluege and President Griffith
will get together to decide which
players will be shifted to Chatta-
nooga and Williamsport. Probably
most of the Cubans now in train
ing will be shunted to these teams.