Evening star., 1948-04-06
Fast Fielder Recalled
AS Sullivan FaIfers;;
Tight Hurting Tells
By Burton Howkins
Ssar Staff cesrsspendsns

By Burton Howkins
ssar Stuff Correspondent
ORLANDO, Fla, April 6.--An-
other stranger to Washington base
ball fans will be heading north with
the Mats on Saturday in the 5-foot
7-inch person Of Sam Meeks. When
he RECEIVERS from . bruised hand,
he'll be threatening to run Short
stop Johnny Sullivan out Of q Job.
In . complete reversal Of front
office strategy, the Mats suddenly
summoned Meeks to camp yester-
day after sxaminging him In sew
seral games last week and dispatch
ing him to Washington's Chatta-
nooga farm club for additional
seasoning. President Clark Grifith
now says that Meeks will stick with
the Mats as infleld insurance.
With Meeks on the roster, the
Mats will clip an inflelder from the
squad and Jay Difani or Eddie
Lyons will feel the sharp edge Of
the Ak.
Meeks, a 23-year-old, 15s-pounder,
batted 1885 with Charlotte of the
Tri-State League last season. He
batted In 100 runs, thumped Al
doubles, II triples and IL home
runs.
Fielding Gets Meeks' Job.
Expected to be idle several days
with hand injury, Meeks first
captured the attention Of Griffith
at nearby Winter Garden when the
Mats played Chattanooga. Grifith
relished Meeks' behavior and or
dered him to the Mats training
base here.
Employed in games against Bir-
mingham, Detroit and the Boston
Red Sox, Meeks fashioned only three
hits in IL attempts, but his fielding
made sharp impression On Grifnth
and Manager Joe Kuhel.
Meeks nevertheless was returned
to Chattanooga q week ago today.
His hurried recall would indicate
the Mats bosses are somewhat less
than thrilled with the fielding de-
pertinent Of Sullivan, who has been
charged with seven errors in Is
games. i
The overhauled Mats will be i'm
porting fresh faces to Griffith Sta
dunn, for unfamiliar to Washington
fans are Pitchers Forrest Thomson,
Dick Weik, Dick Welteroth and Raw
Garcia, Catcher Len Okrie, Out
fielder Larry Drake and Infielders
Meeks and AL Kozar. Outfielder Len
Culberson will be remembered, but
in . Red Sox uniform. Difani, II
he remains, will be another new
conner, while Lyons and Outfielder
Earl Wooten have been seen only In
fall tests ut Washington.
Pitchers Hot Against 'Nooga.
Washington's pitching staff, which
IN early exhibition games was being
blasted more frequently than q rock
quarry, suddenly has emerged from
It's chasm OF woe, with Micky Haef-
ner and Tom Ferrick the latest ex-.
cuse for elation by Kuhel, 4Ss
Hafner and Ferrick collaborated1
on q three-hit job against the
Minneapolis Millers here yesterday
with Mickey allowing only two hits
ana walking none In his six innings
on the mound. Ferrick followed
and yielded one hit, walked two
and famed two, as the Mats
notched . 5-2 victory-their fourth
straight.
Mickey was nicked for an un.1
earned run in the fourth inning
when Sullivan inserted q two-base
Wild throw and the run scored OF
Ferrick stemmed from another two
base error by Lyons.
Meanwhile, the Mats also were
capitalizing on errors. They scored
IN the second inning when Tom
Mcbride reached base on Shortstop
Jaime Alemendro's wild toss and
scored on Eddie Yosts double to
center. The Mats picked up two
runs in the fourth when AL Evans
walked and Haefner. Sullivan and
kozar contributed scratch singles.
Singles by Okrie, Early Wynn, a
walk to Sullivan and another single
by Mark Christman netted the
Mats two runs in the sixth.
NAT NoTEs-Kuhel summoned'
the Mats pitchers and catchers to a
meeting last night for a signal
session. Chick Pieretti was to Are
against Newark today, with Sid
Hudson slated to face Chattanooga
tomorrow. Kuhel will work Wynn.
Hudson. Walter Masterson and
Haefner In rotation until the Mats
return home, with fifth starting
pitcher to be plucked from among
Milo Candini, Ray Scarborough and
P1eretti. -. Thus far, Candini has
the edge for the Job.
The Mats have been employed on
q part-time basis in most exhibi-
tions, but Saturday Kuhel will play
his opening-day lineup and stick
to it for remaining exhibitions
barring injuries or ailments. The
Mats pitchers have yielded only l4|
hits in their last three games and
have chucked tl1ree-hitters against
the Philadelphia Athletics and Min
neapolis.
sullivan's three hits yesterday
lifted his spring batting average to
SIG. =. Sherry Robertson is batting
.37s and Kozar Is betting less i'm
pressive .26l. -. Kozar, though, has
been handicapped by minor injuries.
-------------
Lesnevich, Mills Booked
For London Fight July rs
BY the Assoeieisd Press
LONDON, April 6.-Promoter Jack
Solomons announced today that Gus
Lesnevich, world light-heavyweight
boxing champion, will defend his
tit1A fnet Esnall{A HF;r.