Evening star., 1947-03-20

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla, Mar. 20
-Ossie Bluege hasn't tossed in the
towel on George Myatt as the Mats
second baseman, but he has il
poised and is prepared to throw
it any moment. He is planning tc
test Johnny Sullivan at shortstor
and return Jerry Priddy to second
base in another move designed tc
get an acceptable second-base COM
bination.
I'm going to try every possible
maneuver, then make decision,
says Ossie. Eddie Lyons has re-
covered from his sore arm, but still.
has TO take it easy, so right now Tn
planning on trying Sullivan al
shortstop and Priddy at second base
Later I'm going to use Lyons al
second base and Priddy at short
stop.
wen just have to look ovel
everybody. I'm not giving up or
Myatt because of those four errors
Tuesday against Cincinnati. AL
ball players have bad days, hut
Sullivan and Lyons deserve
chance and they're going to get it
Myatt isn't out of the running
it's Just that time Is getting short
and I have to take peek at the
other fellows
Priddy No Star at Short.
To followers OF the club, however
it has become apparent that Priddy
isn't as fashy a shortstop as he is
second baseman. Only Bobby
Doerr of the Boston Red SoX Is
rated superior second basema17
to Priddy in the American League
and while Jerry has been perform
ing admirably at shortstop it's evil
dent the Mats are weakening Sec
ond base horribly by shifting him
there
Priddy is a superb second base
man, but merely a passable short
stop. But the Mats are up against
it for a shortstop. Sullivan repre-
sents the only legitimate shortstop
on the Mats roster and when last
viewed by Washington fans in 1914
neither his hitting nor fielding was
of major league caliber.
The Mats peddled their best short
stop, Billy Hitchcock, to the st.
Louis Browns and Gil Torres,
shortstop with limited range, but
an accurate arm, has been on the
waiver list for months. He won't
report to Washington and he has
refused to be waived to another club.
Washingtons second base situa-
ton now has become desperate, SO
desperate that Bluege may abandon
his hope of converting Priddy into
a shortstop and return him to sec
ond base on the theory that by us
ing Sullivan at shortstop he'll be
employing the lesser of two evils.
Myatt Seen Too Erratic.
Myatt hasn't demonstrated that
he has an arm strong enough to
click on double plays. He has been
erratic, but Bluege has stuck with
him in the fond hope that George
would display improvement. With
little more than three weeks re-
naming before the Mats plunge
into the American League cam
paign, Washington's second base
combination is more unsettled than
when spring training was launched.
Priddy is eager for an early deci-
sion and he isn't particular whether
he plays second base or shortstop,
but he'd like to learn the identity
Of his partner and perform with
him enough to develop precision. At
the moment it could be Priddy at
shortstop, with either Lyons or
Myatt at second base, or it might
be Priddy at second base and Sui
livan at shortstop.
That second base problem isn't
Bluege's only sore spot. He is con-
fronted with tough decision in the
case of Outf1elder Gil Coan, who is
leading the Mats hitters, bat who
also is proving a complete bust as
an outf1elder. Gil has been mis-
judging fly balls, throwing to wrong
bases and generally conducting him
self as a sandlotter in the field.
Despite his hitting, Gil is headed
FOR the minor leagues unless he