Evening star., 1946-06-06
| Stars Nicked for 400
As Mickey Hits 1893;
Mats Trim Tribe
By Burton Hawkins

Before the 1916 baseball campaign
was launched, the idea of Mickey
Vernon capturing the American
League batting championship would
have fetched the same sort of odds
that Kate Smith might get If she'd
risk a bet on pole-vaulting over
the moon. Now there are no snick-
ers when Vernon's name is linked
with the batting title.
Vernon never has belted major
league pitching for a 300 average.
When he left the Mats after the
1943 season he was 1858 hitter,
but at the moment he's swatting
1893 and there seems to be no
method of stopping him, short of
homicide. He's hit safely In 20
of his last 81 games and currently
is getting no competition from Ted
Williams or Joe Di Maggie, who
were calculated to bask in the
larruping limelight.
Mickey isn't achieving his amaz-
ing record at the expense of medi-
ocre pitching. Against Hal New
houser and Bob Feller, for instance,
he's hitting 400 and against a COM
bination of Newhouser, Feller, Tex
Hughson, Boo Ferriss, Ted Lyons
and Red Ruffing he also displays a
400 average. He has clipped the
leagues top pitchers for IA hits in
IS attempts.
Vernon Getting No Gifts.
One. of the more impressive items
in connection with Mickey's maui
ing is the fact that he has been
walked only five times this season.
BY comparison, Pitcher Roger
Wolff also has been walked on five
occasions and he labors only once
every four days. They're pitching
to Mickey-and Mickey is making
them regret it.
Mickey now is stamped as a full
f1edged threat to win the batting
championship and he likes all that
goes with it. Already Mickey has
received watch from a jewelry
firm for being voted the most valu-
able Nat last month and when he
gets around to 1t there are couple
of suits waiting to be fitted by a
local clothier as the result of two
Vernon home runs at Griffith Sta
dium.
Stan Spence and Vernon are Civ
ing the Mats punch they hadn t
had in years. With Buddy Lewis
swapping out OF a slump and jeff
Heath likely to break out in a rash
OF hits at any moment, the Mats
may move up on the second-place
Yankees.
Mats Beat Tribe in Sixth.
Lewis and Vernon touched off a
three-run sixth inning for the Mats
last night as they defeated Cleve-
land, 5-1, before 12,143 fans. Buddy
opened with single, moved to Sec
ond as Spence grounded out and
scored on Vernon's double off the
right-field fence.
Heath walked and after Cecil
Travis flied out, Gerry Priddy
rammed a double to right, scoring
both runners. Priddy returned to
second base, after being benched
following a Monday night fuss with
Manager Ossie Bluege. All is for
given, with Bluege dismissing the
squabble as incidental.
Lewis staked Wolff, who permitted
only seven hits, to a 40 lead in the
seventh when he hoisted a homer
over the right field wall with two out
and none on. The Indians picked
up run in the eighth on Ken Kelt-
ner's double, passed ball and Sher-
man Lollar's grounder, but the Mats
scored in their half of the inning
as Vernon singled, stole second as
Heath famed and romped across
on Travis single.
Bob Lemon, a former third base
man and outfielder, will take the
mound for the Indians tonight, with
Sid Hudson pursuing his third VIC
tory for the Mats.