Evening star., 1947-07-28
Boos Turn 10 Cheers
As Mats Robertson
Hits al .433CIip
By Burton Hawkins

Uy UuItOU E1UWktUS
Out of dungeon of despair has
emerged the Mats Sherry Robertson
to bask in the warm appreciation
of Washington's fandom, which
suddenly has been captivated by the
spectacle of Clark Griffith's nephew
unveiling sustained and authorita-
tive batting. With burst of hits
he has tanned his tormenters.
Robertson at the moment qualities
as the Mats hottest hitter. Since
July Is, when Manager Ossie Bluege
installed him in left field in a move
born of desperation, Sherry has
batted at .433 clip. Among his 13
hits in 80 trips to the plate have
been three doubles and a triple.
Those nine games in which
Robertson has appeared as a reg
ular hardly constitute a full-f1edged
comeback, but over that span he has
transformed a .l25 batting average
into & more respectable and steadily
rising .233 mark. Feeling very good
about 1t all is Robertson.
1--we changed my stance a bit at
the plate" says Sherry, "but I
think the big reason for improve
ment is the fact that I'm more re-
laxed in the outfield. I like it better
than playing the infield.
Treated Better BY Fans.
''Then, too, the fans have been
treating me better. I'm not under
the constant pressure that used to
be on me. I'm relaxed at the plate
and I feel wonderfully free and easy
up there. 1t seems like beautiful
sort of dream, but If 1t is I hope
nobody wakes me-"
In his career with the Mats, Sherry
has been a target of considerable
abuse and many times he has been
booed Justify. Through it all,
though. Sherry conducted himself
as a champion. He never alibied,
never complained. When he talked
of the hooting, he'd say, "The fans
pay the freight and they're entitled
to boo me. Some day hope they'll
be cheering me"
Robertson still isn't an outstand-
ing outfielder, but he Is displaying
improvement. He pursues fly balls
as if he's scanning the sky for flying
discs, but lately he has been getting
everything blasted in his direction
There is some awkwardness attached
to his fielding, part of which may be
attributed to the fact he's playing
the toughest sun field in the major
leagues.
Robertson contributed a double
and single to the Mats nine-hit at
tack yesterday at Griffith Stadium
but Washington dropped FL de-
cision to Cleveland, despite the fine
f1ve-hit pitching of Early Wynn, who
was the victim of lazy fielding by
Centerflelder Stan Spence.
IL Mats Left on Base.
Washington left II runners
stranded, scoring its only run in the
third when AL Gettel wild-pitcheo
Eddie Yost across from third at 6
time when the bases were loaded
with one out. Manager Lou Bou-
dreau promptly ordered reloading OF
the bases with an intentional walk
to Spence, but Jerry Priddy watched
a third strike and Mark Christman
tapped meekly to Gettel.
Wynn owned 1-hitter entering
the sixth inning, when the Indians
nailed him for three of their hits
He issued his only walk Of the game
to Jim Hogan to open the inning
and was in trouble when Mickey
Vernon permitted Gettel's bunt to
trickle down the base line in the
hope it would be foul, which 1t
wasn't.
At that juncture, Wynn inserted
some swift thinking and seemingly
pulled himself out of the jam
When Dale Mitchells bunt popped
along the third base line, Wynn
trapped the ball, then threw te
Yost, forcing Hogan. Yost whipped
the ball to Christman, who tagged
Gettel coming into second for
double play.
George Metkovich followed with
single to right, sending Mitchell te
third. Up stepped Boudreau ane
rammed a long single to center
which Spence returned with a min
imum of haste to Christman. /
was the payoff, for Metkovich never
slackened his pace and scored al
the way from first base on the single
Feller Sent to Mound.
With two out in the sixth, Wynn
and Yost singled successfully, al
which point Boudreau waved Bot
Feller to the mound. He got Buddy
Lewis on a grounder to Joe Gordon
at second.
Robertson, who singled to start
the Mats seventh, and Yost. who
walked to start the ninth, were the
only Mats to reach base against
Feller. Robertson didn't get beyond
first base when Spence and Vernon
popped out and Priddy grounded
out. Yost's walk was nullif1ed when
Lewis hit into a double-play and
Metkovich caught Robertson's long
fly to center for the final out.