Evening star., 1947-07-08
Ferre| Unlikely As 48 Pilot If Mats Drop B|uege
Clubs Veteran Star
Is Not Regarded as
Managerial Timber
By Burton Hawkins
Stor Stcff Correspondent

stor ssoff Correspondent
CHICAGO, July 8-Target prac-
tice. with the graying head of the
Mats Ossie Bluege serving as a
bulls eye, has been inuagurated as
the natural result of Washington's
wallowing deep in the American
Leagues second division, but Presi-
dent Clark Griffith denies report
he'll supplant his manager.
Washington currently is involved
in a 6-game losing streak and has
dropped 1412 games off the pace OF
the league-leading New York Yam
KEGS, but the Mats boss declares
rumor that Catcher Rick Ferrell
will replace Bluege as the Mats
manager is fictitious.
Bluege's contract expires at the
end of this season and about that
Griffith says, well talk about
Washington's manager for next sea-
son when the time comes. I haven't
even given it thought and GER
tainly wouldn't dream of changing
managers during the season"
. Grumbling Over Tactics.
The Mats represent no rollicking,
happy club and among some play
ers there is grumbling about Ossie's
tactics of changing his lineup
hastily, employing right-handed
fitters against left-handed pitchers
and vice versa.
How can we be expected to play
good ball when we're being switched
in an out of the lineup?" asks one
Nat. Pop up twice in a row on
this club and you find yourself
sitting on the bench for a month"
Some of the Mats pitchers have
complained they are given no op-
portunity to start games, that they
thrive on steady work and can't
hope to conquer control unless en-
ployed more frequently.
Those sort of complaints are
routine on losing club and are
regarded lightly. Relief pitchers
with ambition to become starters
continually bleat about lack of op-
portunity. Reserve outfielders be-
little the regular hy-chasers, point
ing up their own ability, and utility
infielders feel they could perform
more brilliantly than the regulars.
Ferrell's Selection Remote.
Bluege is no personality boy. He
doesn't provide inspiration for the
Mats through any magnetic manner
and he's inclined to criticize his
players at unwise moments. Some
of them feel he is incompetent
strictly from a standpoint of base
ball tactics.
Bluege's job is in jeopardy, in so
far as 1948 is concerned, but the
possibility of Ferrell replacing him
is remote. Ferrell long has been
regarded as one of the industry's
smoother mechanical catchers and
has served as Washington coach,
but among baseball men he isn't
rated highly as managerial timber.
| Washingtons club recently has
been performing stupidity. The Mats
haven't been hustling and for that
Bluege must accept portion of the
blame since it is his responsibility
to keep them keyed up.
On the other hand, Ossie can't be
condemned for Mickey Vernon S
failure to hit, for the lack of a
suitable shortstop or the collapses
of Mickey Haefner and Bobo New
som, who have won only seven
games between them this season.
Bluege also is equipped with an
inadequate catching staff, one OF
the reasons Washington has been a
distinct disappointment thus far in
the campaign.
Involved In Open Spats.
He has been involved in open
spats with inflelders Jerry Priddy,
Billy Hitchcock and Gil Torres, and
as result both Hitchcock and
Torres threatened to quit the club
last year and Torres refused to leave
Cuba this year when he learned the
Mats had requested waivers on him.
Priddy and Blueee exchanged
sizzling words after an unsuccessful
rundown play last season, which
prompted Ossie to bench Jerry
Hitchcock unloaded heated CONVEX
sation in Bluege's direction last
year when benched at st. Louis.
Bluege could save his job for 1948
if the Mats displayed sudden i'm
provement and climbed into the first
division. For the remainder of the
season Griffith says he'll be the
Mats manager. Who will manage
the Mats next year largely depends
on the Mats department for the re-
mainder of this year.
INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE,