Evening star., 1947-04-05
Buddy Swings in Bes1
Form; Grace Shines
In Win Over BUGS
By Burton Hawkins
sfor s.aH Correspondent

.
ORLANDO, Fla, April 5.-Buddy
Lewis. batting champion Of the
citrus circuit with q fantastic .613
average, feels his soaring mark Is
traceable to the fact he has faced
only one southpaw pitcher, but Man.
ager Ossie Bluege of the Mats isn't
inclined to agree with him.
Buddy right now has the most
beautiful batting stroke imaginable, y
says Ossie. I'D like to have movies
of it."
Lewis, who reported late to the
Mats, due to salary differences with
Boss CLARK Griffith, missed some OF
Washington's early games, but there
has been no complaint concerning
his department when he has been
employed. Buddy has fashioned 10
hits in 81 attempts and there hasn't
been q tainted hit In the crop.
I'm not doing anything differ
emily" explains Lewis. 1--WE only
hit against one left-handed pitcher.
though, and that may account for
some Of it. I'll probably cool of a
bit when they start throwing left
handed pitching at us" -
Lewis Meeting Ball Soundly.
Lewis may be correct, but his only
appearance against left-handed
pitching doesn't support his theory.
Ken Heintzelman Of the Pittsburgh
Pirates has been the lone southpaw
to confront Lewis and in two trips
to the plate against him Buddy
Dashed two sharp singles.
Lewis isn't slugging for distance.
Sixteen of his 19 hits have been
crisp singles, with two doubles and
q triple tossed in. Buddy is meeting
the ball better than any time in his
career, however, and seemingly is
poised to give the Mats splendid
season.
Four singles ratified of Buddy's
bat here yesterday as the Mats de-
feated Pittsburgh, 6-2, behind the
shit pitching Of Stubby Mickey
Haefner, but Lewis performance
was overshadowed by the play of
Joe Grace, who collected two doubles
and single, swatter across 2 runs
and scored 8.
Grace, hitting 1926, still is bidding
strenuously to supplant George Case
in left field despite Bluege's pref
erence for Cases right handed hit
ting and speed in the leadof spot.
Grace SparkIes Afield.
It's a brisk battle, for Case is bat
ting $50 and fielding satisfactorily.
Grace's fielding yesterday was SUI
perb. He romped two blocks to
haul In Whitley Wietelmann's foul
In the eighth inning and a few sec
onds later he contributed the games
fielding feature by diving to spear
Frank Cuisines low liner.
Meanwhile the Mats were batter
ing Jim Bagby for 12 hits. Grace's
double and Lewis single fetched the
Mats q run in the first inning and
they spurted into a 30 lead in the
third on Haefner's single, Grace's
double and Lewis single.
The Pirates sliced that advantage
to 81 in the fourth when Elbie
Fletcher batted across Wally West
lake, who had walked, but the Mats
picked up a run In the fifth on sin
giles by Haefner, Lewis and Stan
Spence.
Washington produced two runs in
the seventh on Johnny Sullivan's
single, Haefner's sacrifice, singles by
Grace and Lewis and an error by
Right Fielder Westlake.
Mats Break Camp Tomorrow.
Pittsburgh obtained its other run
in the eighth when Cecil Travis
threw wild past first after fielding
Lee Handley's grounder, permitting
to scoot to second. Jim
Russell's single with two out brought
Handley across.
The Mats, who have won II and
lost six exhibition games, were to
meet the Philadelphia Phillies here
today and tomorrow before breaking
camp. Early Wynn was slated to
60 the route today, with Bobo New
som tabled to remain the distance
tomorrow.