Evening star., 1947-03-31
Yankees Still Hot After Vernon Spence Of Mats
Griffith Now TraiIed
By New York Scouts;
Browns Are Rouuh
By Burton Hawkins
!. Stor SteH cerrssnondsnt

ny Burton Howkins
-: stor si1ff Correspondent
ORLANDO, Fla, Mar. SIT
could be a coincidence, but with
three executives Of the New York
Yankees shadowing the Mats while
working in shifts for the past 10
days logical conclusion would in
dicate they aren't hanging around
for puny purposes. A New York
Washington deal Of large proper
tions may be brewing.
It was two weeks ago that Presi-
dent CLARK Griffith Of the Mats re-
jected a request that President
Larry MacPhai and Manager Bucky
Harris be permitted to visit him in
Orlando for the admitted purpose
OF proposing trade involving
Washington's first baseman, Mickey
Vernon. Since then things have
happened which point to the fact
that the Yankees and Mats are ne
gotiating.
Scout Paul Kritchell first invaded
Orlando, ostensibly for a peek at
players the Yankees would be will
ing to absorb should they be placed
on the waiver list. But Kritchell
conferred with Griffith in his hotel
suite later.
Visits Not Courtesy Affairs.
With the exit Of Kritchell, Scout
Jimmy Hamilton of the Yankees
picked up the Mats at West Palm
Beach, where Washington played
the Philadelphia Athletics two
games. Hamilton followed the Mats
to Miami and yesterday the big
boy Of the Yankees, MacPhail, wit
messed the st. Louis Browns play
Washington at Miami, where the
Mats took a 14-4 beating.
Such concentration of New York
officials in the vicinity of the Mats
is significant. The close-lipped Yam
kee executives are saying nothing,
but with the Yankees needing q
first baseman and centerfielder des-
perately and Washington requiring
the services of an acceptable short
stop, plus improvement in pitching
and catching departments, trade
is possible.
The Yankees haven't been hiding
their eagerness to land Vernon, the
American Leagues leading hitter
last season, and with Joe DiMaggio
unable to open the season in CEN
terfield due to heel operation they
have been casting covetous glances
IN the direction of. Stan Spence.
Will Go High for Vernon.
New York officials are willing to
go high for Vernon. They already
have offered Catcher Aaron Robin
son, Third Baseman Bill johnson,
First Baseman Nick Etten and Out
fielded Johnny Lindell, but Griffith
dismissed that proposal with snort.
Washington since has attempted
to have Phil Rizzuto, Yankee short
stop as part of a deal, but New
York moguls rejected that idea.
Griffth's reason for refusing Mac
Phail and Harris visit is that 1t
would upset his players. He claims
he's going along with the club he
has at the moment, but he didn't
level As at Kritchell,s head and
with Shortstop Johnny Sullivan
batting meager .143 in exhibition
games the Mats are searching for q
replacement. "a - :
Silivan had two fielding chances
yesterday. The first he gummed up.
The second, grounder off the bat
Of Mark Christman, took a wierd
hop and swatted Johnny below the
left eye, stretching him in the dust.
Johnny left the game, but sustained
no more damage than a puffed
black optic.
Mats Poor Against Browns.
The Mats weren't terrific. Marine
Pieretti, who struck out six in his
five innings on the mound, also
yielded eight runs on nine hits
and walked seven. Ray Scar.
borough was blasted for five runs
on six hits in two innings ano
Luther Knerr was ushered into the
game with a home run by Russ
Peters.
The Browns mauled the Mats
pitching for 16 hits, while the
Mats only extra-base blow In nine
hits off Nelson Potter and Cliff
Fannin was George Cases home
run over the leftfield fence opening
the. fifth inning. Spence and Ver-
non each obtained two hits.
NAT NOTES: A shifting feud has
developed between Manager Bluege
Of the Mats and Outfelder JEFF
Heath of the Browns, unloaded by
Washington last year. They ex-
changed unpleasantries yesterday
most of them profane, at a distance
of so feet.
Idle today, the Mats will play
Toledo tomorrow at Sanford.
Frank Mancuso has hit safely ir
eight of his last 10 attempts.
Buddy Lewis is betting .526, but hi
best blow of the year was caught
yesterday when AL Zarilla snatchec
his 400-foot drive to right-center II
the ninth inning.
Bluege is open to suggestions re.
garding fifth starting pitcher. .
Pieretti, Scarborough and Master.
son have been inconsistent, while
Knerr, Luman Harris and Milo
Candini have shown little to war.
rant promotion. The superb
fielding of Billy Hitchcock has st
Louis scribes wondering why the
Browns got him on waivers.
Hitchcock, who would have solved
the Mats shortstop problem, was
sold because of a verbal tiff with
Bluege as the result of beine
benched.
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