Evening star., 1946-04-06
.Griff Bosses Enthuse
Over Leonard, Laud
Priddy, Travis
BY Burton Hawkins
Sior Staff Correspondent

Sfof SfoH Correspondent
ORLANDO, Fla, April 6.-The
Mats will pull stakes tomorrow night
and head for hcn1e, pausing' in five
Southern cities for exhibitions with
the Phillies, and after seven weeks
of spring training Pitcher Dutch
Leonard qualities as the man who
has most impressed Washington's
bosses.
Coaches Clyde Milan and Joe
Judge placed Leonard at the top of
their list when requested to name
the most pleasant phase of the Mats
conditioning grind. Manager Ossie
Bluege reeled off considerable verbi-
age praising Catcher AL Evans, and
President Clark Griffith was en-
thusiastic about his double-play
combination of Shortstop Cecil
Travis and Second Baseman Jerry
Priddy, but Bluege and Griffith also
lauded Leonard's labor.
Right now Leonard is the best
pitcher on the club" says Griffith.
HE was fretting about sore arm
he had late last year, but he's gotten
rid of it and resembles the fine
pitcher he used to be. His recovery
certainly has been welcome"
Dutch never has had great fast
ball." said Milan, but he had a
fair one before he had arm trouble.
Now he's regained his fast ball,
which is necessary to mingle with
his knuckler, and he's a better
pitcher for it. I believe he's given
up only two runs in l8 innings"
Priddy, Travis Please Griff.
Priddy and Travis particularly
please Griffith. Travis came back
better than I believed he could,
said the Mats owner, "and Priddy
looks better than when he left us.
Those boys will make lot OF double
plays for us this year
Evans qualities as Bluege's fore
most encouraging item, although
Ossie is high on Priddy, Travis.
Leonard and Outfielder JEFF Heath
"Al has been hitting exceptionally
we'll" says Bluege, land his work
behind the plate has been STEADY.
He really seems to have arrived"
Heath is better outflelder than
I thought he was" continued Bluege.
Hes hustling now and showing fine
spirit. With Cleveland he struck
me as being inclined to take it easy
but his recent playing has been very
gratifying to me and nice sort OF
surprise"
Confident Of Coan.
Rookie Gil Coan. who was off toI
slow start due first to bllstered
feet and later a severe case OF ath-
lete's feet, earned favorable COM
ment from Griffith, Bluege, Judge
and Milan. "A little polish is all
he needs" says Judge. He'll be-
with this ball club a long time and
he'll be quite a ball player
"Coan has shown us in the last
few days that he's going to live up
to all those glowing notices he re-
ceived in the minors" says Milan.
He can run with anybody and he'll
hit major league pitching,
Rookie Ray Goolsby also was the
object of much praise. He still
hasn't recovered completely from
that attack Of flu he had couple
of weeks ago." advises Bluege, land
consequently he hasn't been as spec
tacular as he was at the outset. but
he'll make the grade. He's great
prospect"
Vernon Fielding Well.
First Baseman Mickey Vernon's
fielding and Pitcher Vernon Curtis
improvement were other topics men,
toned by the Mats bosses, who seem
satisfied with spring training re-
suits.
The Mats will play the Phillies
here today and tomorrow, then meet
them at Savannah. Charleston,
Columbia, Charlotte and Richmond
en- route home.
Infielder Gil Torres. who will open
at third base for the Mats on April
16 If Boston employees a left-hander.
has wired Griffith he will join the
club at Savannah. Torres returned
to Cuba in an effort to bring his
wife to the United States, but in
formed Griffith she will come to
Washington later.
Sherry Robertson. the Mats start
ing third baseman in the event the
Red Sox start right-handed
pitcher on opening day, was ex-
pected to return to Washington's
infield today. His injured arm, still
swollen slightly as the result of
being clipped by pitched ball. has
responded to treatment rapidly. as
has Priddy's pulled leg muscle.
Priddy is expected to miss two or
three more games, however, to in