Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1945-03-20
Lefty Looks in Trim
In Workout; Braves
Get More Dates
BY JOHN B. KELLER.

Mickey Haefner arrived at the
Mats camp this morning, and the
spirit at College Park is up 10 points
He looked impressive in his first
workout, too.
Hes what we need to make our
pitching staff fit for the start of
the American League race next
month";" said Manager Os Bluege
today of the stocky lefthanded
knuckle-b alling hurler. "We simply
couldn't have looked to Dutch
Leonard, Johnny Niggeling and
Roger Wolff to carry the starting
burden. One more veteran was
necessary and Haefner should be
the answer"
Whether Haefner will be around
very long isn't certain for his is
la in the draft, but he hasn't had
his examination yet and has in
formed the Washington club he
will play ball until called into
service.
On paper, Haefner's record of II
wins against Is losses last year isn't
impressive, but the lefthander was
far better than those figures. Weak
support cost him several games
while in others that went beyond
regulation length the team never
had the punch to back up his
sterling performances.
Rounds Out Starting Staff.
with Haefner back We'll have a
veteran quartet to start games"
Bluege pointed out. Now if
Marino Pieretti, Larry Burger and
Al Carrasquel will only show up we
won't be SO bad of in the pitching
department"
Os is satisfied his infleld and out
field spots will be adequately ham
died, although several players who
figure Importantly in his plans still
are to report at camp. The manager
also feels AL Evans and Mike Guer-
ra, when he reaches College Park,
will take care of the catching end,
even should Rick Ferrell remain
out of baseball this year.
When the late-comers arrive they'll
have to play themselves into con-
dition. An exhibition schedule re-
vised yesterday includes six instead
of three games with the Boston
Braves and will be opened Saturday
in clash with the Coast Guard
at Curtis Bay.
fitting with the Braves begins
Sunday at College Park when a
Red Cross benefit will be staged.
Other dates with the Braves are
Monday, March Is, at Fort Belvoir ;
Tuesday, March q, at College Park;
Thursday. March 20, at Georgetown
University, and Saturday and Sun
day, April and 8, at Griffith Sta
dunn.
Cards Camp Is Washout.
While the Mats still were trying
to muster a full complement of
players, couple of big league camps
were ooZing optimism and another
nothing but water. Chicago's White
Sox were cheered by the arrival at
Terre Haute, Ind. of their veteran
portside pitcher, Thornton Lee, and
the New York Giants at Lakewood,
N. j., through their manager, Mel
OFT, look for a vastly improved club
this year.
Enthusiasm of the World Cham
pion st. Louis Cardinals at Cairo
ILL.,, was dampened, however, by 4
feet of water covering the outfield
of their training site. Seepage from
the flooded Ohio River also covers
the high school football field, the
only other likely spot for the club
in town, and neither ground likely
will be fit for use during the slightly
more than two weeks the Cards
will be in Cairo.
The Cards have other troubles
too. They must find suitable re-
placements for Outfielders Stan
Musial, 1943 batting champion, and
Johnny Hopp and Catcher Walker
Cooper, three of the clubs outstand.
ing players. Musial is in the Navy
and Hopp and Cooper have been
accepted for general military service
Arm Sound, Lee Tells Chisox.
The veteran Debs CAIRNS and
Rookie Jim Mallory are the only
outfielders at camp. Cooper says
he plans to play until called, but
hasn't signed. Ken ODea is the
only other experienced Card catcher
The 38-year-old Lee checked in
with the White Sox yesterday. just
eight days late. Transportation
difficulties delayed him. He started
bearing down in his first workout
and asserted his injury plagued
throwing arm felt fine. His left
wrist was fractured last season by
a smash off the bat of Bobby Esta-
leila of the Philadelphia AS, but
he recovered in time to win his
last two games.
A stronger pitching staff, q
steadier infleld and more outfield
reserve strength are the three rea-
sons for Otis optimism over his
Giants. IF we can come up with
another utility inf1elder and a good
strong catcher to assist Ernie Lom-
bardi we will make it tough for the
rest OF the National League" Ott
says.
Sharkey No Longer Is Mat