Evening star., 1947-04-21

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Sox was called of this morning on
account of rain.
part of another with the Mats, he
had won only 20 games, but Clark
Griffith chung tenaciously to his be-
spectacled beauty and scowled when
any one mentioned the idea Of trad
ing MaSterson.
Masterson Still Promising"
In Masterson, Griffith sees the
makings of crack pitcher. His
fast ball sizzles, his curve crackles
when it breaks and his form is styl-
ish, but Walter previously required
a Seeing Eye dog to locate the yicin-
ity of the plate. He was wild and
when he attempted to slacken his
speed in a struggle to gain control
he was battered brutally.
Occasionally, though, Masterson
would come up with a pitching mas
terpiece. One year he won only five
games, but four of them were shut
outs. When he was discharged from
the service in 1945, he promptly won
in a stirring duel with Bob Feller.
The Mats bosses chomped down on
a few more glowing verbs and said to
themselves, He's arrived"
But Masterson hadn't arrived.
Somewhere along the route he lost
his way, for last year Walter won
only five games, lost six and had an
earned run average that resembled
Primo Cameras height. He was a
horrible sort of pitcher last year,
but the Mats followers may be ex-
cused for saying this is another year.
Bucky Harris took one peek at
Masterson in spring training in 1899,
gushed "Ah, this is wonderful" and
leaped overheard on Walter. If all
those who since have leaped over
board on him had plunged into the
Potomac the harbor police long ago
would have bent graphing hooks in
fishing out the bodies.
Griffith signed Masterson from
Philadelpaia's semipro ranks and
from the outset has insisted Walter
has all the makings of a fine pitcher.
1t could be his unwavering faith
will yield dividends this year, for
Masterson Is of to refreshing start
against what is calculated to be the
American Leagues best club. A
continuation of his labor against
them thus far, or any reasonable ap-
proach to the pitching he has un-
leashed against Boston, could make
Masterson a standeut hurler.
Walter was staked to 80 lead in
the first inning as the Mats mauled
Mel Parnell for all their runs on
three singles, a walk and an error.
He protected that advantage zeal
ously, weakening only in the fourth
inning, when the Red Sox parlayed
singles by Dom Di Maggie and Ted
Williams, plus Rudy York's long fly,
into their lone run.
Cases Walk Starts Win.
George Case launched the Mats
first inning by walking, then stole
second.f He shifted to third on Bud
dy Lewis single to right and scored
on Stan Spence's single to the same
sector, Spence continuing to second
on Sam Mele's throw to Ed Pella-
grini at third. Mickey vernon's
long fly to left fetched Lewis across.
Cecil Travis grounded out, but Jerry
Priddy punched q single to right and
Spence scored when frankie Hayes
dropped Mele's throw to the plate.
Thereafter the Mats were limited
to four scattered safeties, two by AL
Evans, as Parnell braced. Parnell,
a southpaw who was making his
major league debut, was replaced by
Earl johnson in the eighth after be-
ing yanked for a pinch-hitter.
Masterson also recovered nicely
after the fourth inning. The only
hit fashioned off him in the final
five innings was Di Maggio's single
that caromed off Shortstop Mark
Christman's glove. Only two Red
Sox reached first base in the last
five innings and neither advanced to
second.
In swapping Bostoh's four-game
winning streak, Masterson walked
only two and struck out three.