Evening star., 1947-03-12
|0uffie|der Is Willing
To Change Positions
III Pay Is Increased
BY Burton Hawkins
Sfor Sfuff Correspondent

ORLANDO, Fla, Mar. 12.-Out.
fielder Joe Grace is willing to elm.
mate himself for a three-way bat.
tie for the Mats right field job
Grace has volunteered to convert
himself into catcher in an effort
to bolster the club, and he has
found an enthusiastic supporter fol-
his idea in President Clark Grif.
fifth
Griffith indicated that Grace
who has had experience behind the
plate-will be tested Immediately
If he satisfies Griffith and Man.
ager Ossie Bluege that he car
handle the Mats pitchers and throw
acceptably the only barrier to such
a switch would be boost in salary
desired by Grace.
II figure it this way" Joe said
We're overloaded on outfielders
and we're weak in catching. I think
I could help our batting attack by
going behind the plate, but I want
to be paid for it. After all I'm 81
years old and have only few years
OF baseball left. Catching probably
would shorten my career a bit, bu:
I'm willing to do it for a raise"
Caught 20 Games for Browns.
Grace's name has appeared in
major league box scores 20 times as
catcher with the st. Louis Browns
Joe also saw service as receiver
with Springfield, ILL.,, in the Three
Eye League. With the Browns he
handled such pitchers as Johnny
Allen, Bob Muncrief, Denny Gale
house and Bob Harris.
I'm gonna talk to Cssie Bluege
about It," Griffith said. IT like the
idea, providing Grace can throw well
enough. It would add some hitting
to our lineup to have him catching.
Well give him chance"
With Gil Coan rapidly establish
ing himself in left field and Stan
Spence a fixture in center, the right
field berth would be open to Buddy
Lewis and George Case If Grace
goes behind the plate. Griffith says
he also will carry Earl Wooten, a
Chattanooga product who is an
outfielder as well as a first baseman,
Coan Is Hitting $50.
Grace was slated to take over left
field in the event Coan's hitting
sagged, but Gil already has been
the sensation of the Mats, training
camp. He has appeared in one
exhibition game and two intra-
squad tussles and is displaying a
.750 batting average. He has
whacked six hits, four of them for
extra bases, in eight attempts.
What Grace's presence behind the
plate could mean to the Mats is
obvious. Although a .278 hitter last
season, Grace was more valuable
than that to Washington. He Joined
the Mats in mid-June after hitting
.227 with st. Louis, but as a Nat
he thumped convincing 1902. He
has been in no slump here, smash
ing four hits In nine efforts.
The Mats catchers are notoriously
weak hitters. Al Evans batted .254
last season, while Frank Mancuse
hit .24o and Ted Madjeski swatted
.295 for Orlando in the Florida
State League.
Topheavy With Lefties.
Grace's presence In the lineup as
a catcher would give the Mats a
top-heavy left-handed batting or
der, for with a lineup of Coan,
George Myatt, Lewis, Mickey Ver-
non, Spence, Cecil Travis, Jerry
Priddy and Grace, only Priddy
would be swinging right-handed.
II like Joe's spirit in volunteer
ing" Bluege said, "but it might be
a dangerous time to try to make a
major league catcher of him. I
don't know If he can handle pitch
ers properly, If he can throw well
enough or If he knows the hitters
in the league well enough to get
by, but we might give him a shot
at it. I'm glad to know he's willing
to take a stab at it,"