Evening star., 1946-03-19
Rookie S Power al Bal
|Impresses Nat Pilot;
|Phi|s Are Routed
By Burton Howkins
Stur SfoH CORRESPONDENT


ORLANDO, Fla, Mar 19.-The
Mats have no distance hitterS to
match such as Ted Williams or Joe
Di Maggie, but they're indicating a
fondness for big innings neverthe-
less. They're demonstrating that
while they may not be able to
knock out foes with one punch,
they can accomplish the same OBJ
iective by continual pecking.
In six of II games, the Mats A
team has clustered four runs Or
more in one inning and while it
has met other major league clubs
in only three of those tiffs it may
be significant that Washington gave
them the same sort of treatment.
Against the Red Sox, for instance,
the Mats punched six runs in the
ninth inning to capture 1919 de-
cision and yesterday at Miami
Beach they collected four runs in
the third and ninth innings to
clinch 10-1 victory over the
Phillies.
The Mats, regardless of how Man
ager OSsie Bluege finally arrangeS
his batting order, will have a line
up which will command respect
Pitchers assigned to face Buddy
Lewis, jeff Heath, Cecil Travis,
Mickey Vernon and Stan Spence
are unlikely to have an easy after
noon, They may not bludgeon the
opposition. but they figure to do a
fair job of jabbing it to defeat.
Lewis Shift to Third Looms.
Bluege has been reluctant to shift
Lewis to third base, but if Rookie
Ray Goolsby continues hitting he
may force a change, in which case
the Mats are likely to pick up power.
Bluege is .eager to insert more
righthanded strength into his bat
ting order and Outfielder Goolsby
has shown he may be the man to
supply it. ,
Spence has enjoyed a sudden surge
of Batting strength, displaying the
form that enabled him to hit .313 in
1914, his last year with the Mats,
Stan has collected six hits in his
last IL tries, including two doubles
and a homer. and with Gerry Priddy
produced three hits yesterday in
Washington's attack against four
Philadelphia pitchers.
More fascinating to Bluege, how
ever. was the neat pitching by
Roger Wolff, Pete Appleton and
Mickey Haefner. They limited the
Phillies to two hits. with Appleton
and Haefner yielding one each after
Wolff hurled hitless ball for three
innings.
The Mats pounced on Lyn Rowe
for four runs in the third inning as
Wolff. Sherry Robertson, Spence and
Priddy singled, Travis was hit by
a pitched ball, Bruce Campbell
walked and O'Neill Clipped in with
a miserable muff of a wind blown
pop fly with the bases loaded.
Mats Score Easily.
Travis single, following a single
by Wolff and walk to Robertson,
fetched the Mats another run in
the fourth and Robertson's double,
Campbell's single and Travis in
field out produced a Washington
run in the eighth.
A walk. Spence's double and sin
giles by Travis and Vernon &C
counted for four more Nat runs in
the ninth.
Philadelphia's only run was regis
tered in the seventh at Haefners
expense when John Wrinkle doubled.
moved to third on an inheld out
and scored as Priddy fumbled a
slow roller
The Mats twirling trio gave up
only two walks and famed four.
Washington A team, originally
scheduled to face Brooklyn at Day.
tona Beach tomorrow, instead will
rest and allow the B team to meet
the Dodgers.
Bluege is anxious to appraise
Goolsby, Outfielder Gil Coan and
First BaSeman Jack Sanford and
will play them more frequently in
future exhibitions.