Evening star., 1947-09-18
Future Dark for Mats
Still Without Punch
. In Loss 10 Tribe
BY Burton howkins

contain more hope than the de-
pressing present. but in the case OF
Washington's baseball club next
year holds no bright promise. The
Mats, as constituted currently, have
gone nowhere and in recent weeks
have presented evidence they've COL
lapsed completely.
Over span of nearly seven weeks
or since August l, the Mats have
won 18 games and lost "a, playing
along at the jolly pace of .346 ano
remaining out of the American
League basement only by the grace
of the st. Louis Browns, but even
the Browns walloped the Mats in
five of their last six games.
Earlier in the year the Mats
bosses had hoped Eddie Yost would
solve Washington's third base
plight, but now they don't know
In his last IS games Eddie has
batted an anemic .129 and there's
room for suspicion that the leagues
pitchers have found him vulnerable.
They're hoping, too. that Johnny
Sullivan will be Washingtons 1s48
shortstop. Johnny has been playing
a superb brand of shortstop and he's
hitting 1903, but among his 30
safeties is only one extra base blow.
He may be the man for the Job, but
he'll have to be surrounded with
more powerful batters than the
Mats now can muster.
Coan Hitting SOlidIy.
The Mats colorless assortment of
single slappers may get power in
lection If Gil Coan, again on trial
after season at Chattanooga. finds
the range. He's the lone prospect
from the Mats limited farm system
who may add batting punch to the
lineup.
Coan is conducting himself as if
he intends to remain in a Washing
ton uniform. The Mats were de-
feated again last night, this time
by 10 figures, but in the process of
absorbing that beating by Cleveland
sCoan contributed three of the Mats
six hits off Al Gettel.
The neatly constructed, youthful
outfielder didn't sparkle as brightly
as those three hits would indicate.
George Metkovich simply overran
Gil's triple in the fourth inning and
Gil's single in the ninth was a
tainted smash off Third Baseman
Ken Keltner's glove, but Coan was
meeting the ball solidly.
Gil returns to the Mats with a
highly respectable 339 average COM
piled against Southern Association
pitching, but last year he imported
a famlier .372 mark and sagged to
,209 with the Mats. The Mats bosses
will reserve opinion on his progress,
If any, pending more complete in
spection.
Wooten Stars Afield.
Earl Wooten, fleet, blond center
fielder, made some 3,829 fans forget
the Mats hitting deficiencies, at least
temporarily, last night. In the sec
ond inning, he roamed over an acre
of Griffith Stadium's turf to con-
tribute the seasons fanciest catch
here.
With Les Fleming on first base as
the result of walk, Keltner blasted
deep drive to center Wooten
raced back to grab the ball just as
he tumbled over the temporary
fence, recovered quickly and un-
leashed lengthy throw to second.
That throw was wasted, though,
when the umpires ruled Wooten had
left the playing field and Fleming
was permitted to advance to second,
where he was. stranded.
There were seven sparkling field
ing plays in the game, but Wooten's
catch stood out like a
kleig light among flrefies. 1t en-
abled Ray Scarborough to enter the
sixth inning with 1-hit shutout
in his grasp, but with one out that
possibility exploded
Ray walked Dale Mitchell and
George Metkovich doubled to right.
Hank Edwards fetched both runners
across with single and Lou Bou-
dreau, Keltner and Joe Gordon fol-
lowed with singles. 1t added to five
runs and the Indians clipped Milo
Candini for two more in the seventh
on singles by Gettel and Mitchell,
Metkovichs sacrifice, a wild pitch
and Boudreau's fly to Wooten.
No Help for Scarborough.
Scarborough, who hasn't had a
run scored for him in the last SO
innings he has pitched. twice saw
the Mats move runners to third, but
on each occasion nothing came of
it. Coan tripled with two out in
the fourth, but Mickey Vernon
popped out. Sherry Robertson
doubled to start the Mats fifth and
AL Evans sacrificed him along, but
Sullivan was tossed out by Gettel
and Keltner whipped out Yost.
Walter Masterson will try for his
18th victory tonight, with Bob
Kuzava slated to pitch for Cleve-
land. The Mats will open a three
game series against the Red Sox
at Boston tomorrow, returning here
September Is to finish the season
With tu,o oannes with PhiladelnIis