Evening star., 1947-07-07
.Dissension Is F|arino
Among Mats After
F arce in Boston
By Burton Howkins
Siar Stoff Correspondent

! CdlCAJO, july IA nareup
among the Mats, stemming from
an apparently angry, in-considered
wild throw by Center Fielder Stan
Spence, has created smoldering re-
sentiment on the team, with charges
Of failing to hustle leveled against
Washington's leading hitter.
Staggering under six successive
defeats, with their. latest losses in
f1icted by the Red Sox yesterday
at Boston, IA and 10-1, before a
crowd of 29, ,309, the Mats have be-
come a disrupted outfit, whose spirit
is sagging as the result of incom-
petence, stupidity and dull, lifeless
performances.
Called out on strikes in the third
inning of the first game yesterday,
Spence threw his bat toward the
Washington dugout, and after catch
ing Bobby Doerr's fly starting Bos-
toms third, fired the ball into home
plate instead of making the routine
throw to the infeld, seemingly in
an effort to hit Hal Weafer, plate
umpire.
Spence UnIeashes Throw
With one out in the following
inning Wally Moses singled to right
and stole second. He continued to
third on Rick Ferrell's wild throw
into center. Moses had stopped at
third when Spence unleashed a
shocking, unnecessary throw in the
general direction of home plate.
The ball landed 20 feet to the left
of the plate, bounced over Ferrell's
head and enabled Moses to score.
Encountered by Manager Ossie
Bluege when he returned to the
bench, Spence said resin on his
hand caused the wild throw, which
he claimed was intended for Short
stop Mark Christman. 1t was a
story few of his mates preferred
to believe.
whats the use of playing your
heart out. when other guys on the
club won't hustle?" asked one
angry Nat on returning to the
clubhouse. "We're looking like
bunch of clowns because we're not
hustling"
Bobo Newsom, victim OF Spence's
throw, stormed into the clubhouse,
ripped off his shirt, spraying but
tons on the floor. and heaved it
over pipes extending across the
top of the room.
I've been in baseball quite
few years." snorted Bobo, land I
haven't seen a throw to match
that one"
Play Toledo Tonight.
Scheduled for an exhibition game
tonight at Toledo, the Mats will
rest at Chicago for two days as
result of the rAll-Star Game. The
short vacation may be blessing
in that sizzling tempers will be al
lowed to cool, but there's no prom
ise of cure for the Mats in
efficiency.
In the first two innings Of the
opening game yesterday the Mats
loaded the bases with none out,
yet couldn't score. Not aiding the
cause was Buddy Lewis, who ne
elected to note Shortstop Johnny
Pesky holding the ball and thus
became a victim of the hidden
ball" trick at second base Lewis
later incurred NeWsom's wrath in
the second inning when he caught
Dom Di Maggio's fly in short right
and permitted Mickey Harris, who
had tripled, to score from third.
Lewis throw was delayed action
affair, Buddy claiming he couldn't
get the ball out of the web of his
glove.
1t was a wierd game in which
the Red SoX were presented with
40 lead by such antics of the Mats
in the first three innings, and it
featured a first inning in which the
Red Sox got four bases on balls, a
sacrifice and the benefit of two
Washington errors, yet scored only
one run-that when Doerr drilled
into a double-play. Washington
made six errors and Boston two,
with Red Sox pitchers uncorking
three wild pitches.
Harris, who retired after three
innings due to an ailing arm, was
replaced bly, Mel Parneu in the
fourth and the Mats nailed him for
(See MATS, Page abb