Evening star., 1948-04-16
S|uggiing Marks
Ex,Channp' S Rise
To .324 Rating
Mickey's Homer Beats
PhiIs;; Short, Center
Still Worry KuheI
By Burton Howkins
Sior Stoff Correspondent

DAN v LILLE, Vd., ApIlI 1o-OlliL
Mickey Vernon, who scaled the bat
ting heights in 1916 only to plunge
ingloriously among the peurile hit.
ters last season, again is graspine
for the stratosphere with the mos
emphatic outburst of spring hitting
in his career. The Mats manager
Joe Kuhel, has numerous worries
plaguing him, but Vernon isn't one
of them at the moment.
Vernon's hits won't start counting
until Monday. Of course, when the
Mats launch the American League
season with the New York Yankees
at Griffith Stadium, but the early
form displayed by the silent first
baseman lends an encouraging note
to a club desperately in need Of
power
Mickey has performed in ri games
against major league teams and the
record reads nicely, particularly
after a distressing 1947 season In
which he batted an unexciting .265
slumping some SO points of his
luck-average.
Vernon seemingly is set to prove
that 1916 performance was not luck
anointed, for he has thumped six
doubles, a triple and five homers
among his "a hits. He has batted
across 1t runs, owns a 1924 average
500 slugging average and is justi-
flying his No. spot in the Mats
weak batting order
Looks Improved Over 1946.
The leagues leading hitter in 1916
Vernon currently is resembling a
better batter than he was two years
ago when he led the loop in doubles
He's blasting tremendous homers
and he's injecting them at timely
intervals. as IL runs batted in on
those circuit blows alone would in
dicate.
1t was Vernon who belted the
Mats from behind and into a 6-3
victory over the Philadelphia Phil
lies yesterday at Winston Salem, N
C. He delivered an eight-inning
homer with Jay Difani and Gil Coan
on base, which presented the Mats a
5-3 lead that Chick Pieretti pro-
tected after relieving Mickey Haef-
ner.
Blk Donnelly, who was the vic
tim of two Vernon homers in his
last start, again was on the mound
yesterday when Mickey rammed his
homer. Vernon, otherwise has ham,
mered homers against Hal New
houser of the Detroit Tigers and
Warren SPAIN of the Boston Braves,
Vernons batting surge has brought
comfort to Kuhel, but with opening
day sneaking up on the Mats he still
would relish an adequate short
stop and a centerfelder. The Mats
are desperately in need of hitting
and experience in both departments
to brace a team which otherwise
could be respectable.
Meeks Sluggish at Short.
Sam Meeks, inserted at short
stop when Johnny Sullivan foun-
dered, hasn't stuck to the form
which quickly gained him a berth
on the squad. He is cumming uI
plays and he's hitting puny .179
all of which will lead to the rein
statement of Sullivan in the In
field.
Kuhel is skeptical about trust
ing center field to Earl Wooten or
opening day. feeling the pressure Il
too terrific to place on a youngster
He'll employ Leon Culberson there
in the opener, but admits thai
unless Culberson hits, Wooten will
take over Immediately.
Haefner yielded run in the
third inning on singles by AL Lake
man, Ritchie Ashburn and jackie
Albright, but the Mats staked him
to a 81 lead in the fourth wher
Coan reached first on an error
Vernon doubled, Sherry Robertson
flied to left and Eddie Yost
singled.
Donnelly's double and singles by
Albright and Dick Sisler locked the
score in the fifth and the Phillies
moved into command, 80. IN the
sixth when Lakeman hoisted a
homer over the center-field fence.
The Mats produced their flnal
run in the ninth at the expense OF
Lou Grasmick. He walked Yost
and when Wooten bunted, Grasmick
scooped up the ball and fired it
past Sisler, permitting Yost te
score.
NAT NOTES-Sid Hudson and
Early Wynn were to face the Phil
lies here today, with Dutch Leonard
on the mound for Philadelphia
Kuhel is pondering a shift
which would move Robertson into
the No. 2 slot in the batting order
The Mats will battle the Balti-
more Orioles tomorrow at Griffith
Stadium in their only preseason
appearance at Washington.
The Orioles and Mats will tangle
at Baltimore on Sunday. Vice
President Cal Griffith left the Nat:
today to attend a directors meet
ing at the Mats Emporia (Va.)
farm club.