Evening star., 1946-05-07
$ Majors Attack Mexican League on Two Front:
Heath s Fine Comeback at Bot
I ellis as Mats Punish Tribe
By Burton Howkins

Less than a week ago, the Mats
bosses would have disposed of jeff
Heath for a pound of butter and
couple of bottle caps and con-
sidered It a delightful deal Now
there is new hero in the village
and it's the same Heath, which re-
quires no broad-jumping to the con-
clusion that baseball Is a whacky
game.
Until Manager Ossie Bluege de-
cided to gamble on a bit OF amateur
psychology and restore Heath to the
Mats lineup for the third time in
a still infant season, JEFF was re-
garded as so much rubbish among
the Mats and Washington's bosses
admitted openly they hoped to get
rid of him. There were no takers on
offers involving Heath and Manager
Jimmy Dykes of the White Sox was
saying he wouldn't take jeff as a
gift-that any time Heath stepped
into large park he was helpless.
Some of that chatter bounced
back to Heath, who took his troubles
to President Clar'. Grifrth. What's
wrong with me?" asked jeff. I'm
trying. or at least I think I am, but
I guess 1 must be wrong. Put me on
the right track, Griff. I want to be
a ball player"
Comes Back Against Indians.
Whereupon Griffith got a few
thoughts of his chest. He pointed
out to Heath that while he might
be trying he wasn't giving that i'm
preston to the customers-that he'd
have to shed his dead fish attitude
and become aggressive. The fans
will be sympathetic, said Griffith in
effect, If they see you're giving your
best
Heath, who at that point was
batting .l60 and had struck out
eight times in his first Is trips to
the plate, thereafter impressed
Bluege with a contrasting sort of
spirit in pre-game batting practice
and workouts. He no longer was
moody and sulky and seemed eager
for action.
Bluege gave him his third chance
against Cleveland, calculating the
inspiration should come against his
former club. if ever. Ossie's fondest
dreams appear en- route to realiza-
ton, for JEFF has been the ball play
er Bluege had hoped he would be
when he traded George Case to
Cleveland for him. He needs only
to approach his present form in the
future to please Bluege.
JEFF, in two games against Cleve-
land, has belted a single, double
triple and home run, scored five
times and batted across three runs
while hitting .57l. In two games he
has offset his early sour play and
he has the fans on his side.
Furthermore, JEFF is showing
Bluege highly acceptable fielding
He raced across half of Griffith
Stadium's geography yesterday to
haul Bob Lemons ninth inning
drive for one of the finer catches
OF the year here as the Mats spanked
Cleveland, IA, before 1905 GUS
toners.
Heath, with a home run and
single, and Mickey Vernon, whose
two doubles and a single hoisted
his batting average to 500, spanked
Washington 10-hit attack on four
Cleveland pitchers 1t was the
Mats fourth victory in their last
five games.
Ray Scarborough failed to last
two innings. with Gene Weddings
triple leading to a f1rst-inning run
and Ken Keltner clipping him for
home run into the left-centerfield
bleachers at the start of the second
inning. Walter Masterson then
took over and permitted the Indians
only five more hits, one a tremen-