Evening star., 1947-03-06
Lyons and Madjeski
Only Rockies Likely
To Stay With Mats
By Burton Hawkins
Stor Stuff cerrsspondsnt

ssor ssaff Correspondent
ORLANDO, Fla, March g.
There's q bumper crop Of 81 rockies
here In the Mats training camp and
they're being subjected to q severe
freeze. With two exceptions, their
prospects Of being shipped north
with Washington are as dim as q 40
watt bulb. Most Of them simply
aren't ready to make the move.
Second Baseman Eddie Lyons and
Catcher Ted Madjeski are the
fledglings who will be retained. "I.mI
hoping one or two of the others
might show ME enough to warrant
keeping them" says Manager Ossie
Bluege. 'but. frankly, chances of
that happening aren't too exciting.
There are some good future bets
among our rockies" continued Ossie.
I'VE haven't signed Tony Fiore yet,
but he looks the part of q third
baseman. If he signs with us, we'll
send him to Chattanooga. We also
have q nice prospect in Outt1elder
Mike Dominguez, but both Of those
fellows need minor league expert
ence. 7
Leonard Has Chance.
Among the pitchers, I'd say
Rufus Leonard has the best chance
Of sticking, but that's fairly remote.
I'm going to give him quite a thor
ough inspection because he has a
fine assortment and we could use a
left-hander."
There has been a sudden chill
concerning the ability of Outfielder
Jack Netcher, former william and
Mary athlete. He has displayed an
allergy to curve balls and, barring
q sudden reversal Of form in exhibi-
tion games, will be farmed out.
George Case now Is with the Mats
and that's bad news for Earl Wooten,
Pelzer Is. o. product who has
performed notably with Chatta-
nooga. Wooten is a classy outfielder
and also is hashy around first base.
but the Mats have five experienced
outhelders in Case, Joe Grace, Buddy
Lewis, Gil Coan and Stan Spence.
Should Lewis fail to sign-he now
has held out for a week-Wooten
probably will be kept. He can field,
throw and run but there his talent
ceases. He would be q valuable out
field replacement in late innings on
defense and would represent insur-
ance as an understudy to Mickey
Vernon at first base, but his hope
of landing q Job with the Mats
hinges on Lewis decision.
Lyons Making Good.
Lyons, a righthanded hitter and
q fiery fellow, is making good in
his third stab at sticking with WASH
ington. Madjesh will be the Mats
third-string catcher and isn't likely
to see action unless both AL Evans
and Frank Mancuso are ailing. He's
q reliable catcher but his hitting is
q notch below ordinary. Last year
he managed the Mats Orlando farm
club.
Otherwise, the outlook Is dark for
Washington,s rockies. They'll have
to be hotter than Bessemer furnace
to wedge veteran out Of job and
most Of them won't get enough ac-
ton in exhibitions to attract atten-
ton. Bluege has As players Of vary
ing caliber under his direction here
and concentrating on any except
the most promising represents an
impossible assignment.
Most Of them already have been
eliminated from consideration as
members of Washington's squad.
Jim Mallus, a Washington lad here
on trial, was a one-day batting SEN
sation, but cooled of yesterday with
Howard Martin on the mound. He
couldn't get a respectable foul.
Rookie pitchers are attempting to
leap fence of Illustration. Bluege
has II pitchers with considerable
major league experience at his COM
mand and he's planning on caErying
only 10 hurlers. That means one
Of the veterans will be dropped.
which doesn't boost the morale of
the rockies.
Curtis Battles Bluege.
The fellow that Bluege would be
happy to create room for is Pitcher
Vernon Curtis, but not unless he
displays remarkable improvement.
There's a pitcher who has more
stuff than two-thirds Of the pitch
ers in the major leagues" says
Bluege, "but for some reason he
can't show 1t in a<game
"I've talked to him q dozen times
to try to snap him out of it. He
warns up on the sidelines and shows
everything-a wonderful fast bali
and a great curve-but when he gets
in the game he tightens up. It isn't
lack Of courage. He'll fight at the
drop of hat. It battles me and
disappoints me because he has the
ability to be a whale of pitcher"
Leonard was to be the only rookie
pitcher tested today when the Clyde
Milan Regulars battled Sam Vests
Yannigans. Luther Knerr, RaN|
Scarborough and Mickey Haefner
we're other pitchers slated for action
in the six-inning game. Bob Cal
Ian, Martin and Scott Cary will
be employed three innings each
against Chattanooga In the Mats
FIRST regular exhibition game here