Evening star., 1948-03-24
WEAK Hitting Sullivan
May Lose Shortstop
Job 10 Chrisfman
BY Burton Hawkins
Star Stof Correspondent


ORLANDO. Fla, Mar. 24.-John.
ny Sullivan was presented the
shortstop job as 4 gift when he re-
ported to the Mats training camp
here. but he's handling the package
as If 1t contained = combination OF
dynamite, strychnine and RADIO
active particles. With what amounts
to no competition, Johnny never
theless finds his position Is In jeop-
ardy.
Prexy Clark Grifnth announced
that Mark Christman, veteran In
fielder, would be tossed into a third
base battle with Eddie Yost and Jaw
Difani to clear the path for sulli-
van at shortstop, but while Marks
only appearances thus far have been
at first base to spell Mickey Vernon,
the 34-year-old steady fielder rap
Idly Is winning the shortstop berth.
Christman soon may be stepping
in at shortstop, where he obviously
wasn't wanted. The Mats moguls
gave Sullivan all green lights, but
he's discovering nothing but stop
signs in enemy pitching. Opposing
pitchers have slowed him to a pa
thetic crawl.
Sullivan got single by grace of
a weird hop on an infield tap here,
Yesterday as the Mats walloped the
Cincinnati Reds, 9-5. 1t was his
first hit in is trips to the plate, and
in 10 exhibition games he has ac-
cumulated only seven hits in 80 at
tempts for a .233 batting average.
Christman's Average Against Him.
Johnny's futile swinging will ease
him from the lineup unless he i'm
proves suddenly. He has been serv-
ing as the Mats lead-off man and
it's desirable to have the No. /
batter reach first base occasionally,
Sullivan has neglected that too fire.
and the thought that he
could handle the job now is being
doubted by the Mats command.
There will be a tendency to string
along with Sullivan for awhile,
though, if for no other reason than
Christman batted a meager .223
last season. Then, too, Johnny is
younger and fits in with the Mats
present policy of hoping to develop
future stars from youthful material.
The picture, however, Is not fiat
tering for Sullivan. The Mats gen.
orally have faced mediocre, not the
polished performers they'll be
during the regular season
and Sullivan hasn't been able to
whack it. Against Phil Marchildon
and Hal Newhouser, the only pitch
ers Of distinction he has faced.
Johnny has batted 900 In seven
efforts.
Hot hitters yesterday were Gil
Coan, who contributed a single,
double and triple, and Tom Nc
Bride, who injected three singles
into the Mats Shit attack against
Ed Erautt and Kent Peterson. Coan
scored two runs, batted across two
more and for the second time in
two games stole home. Mcbride
scored a run and thunped across
two.
Weik and Dozier Wild.
Manager Joe Kuhel got a glimpse
Of two of his highly touted rookie
hurlers-Buzz Dozier and Dick
Weik-and liked what he saw when
they were getting the ball over the
plate. That WASH soften, for Dozier
issued five bases on balls III his
three-inning performance and Weik
permitted five walks in two innings.
The Reds clipped Dozier for two
runs, but the Mats grasped a 80
lead in the third with an outburst
against the erratic Erautt,g which
featured singles by Coan, Vernon
and Mcbride and a double steal
With Coan N the counting end.
Cincinnati locked the score in the
fourth, but the Mats moved into
t-3 advantage in their portion of
he inning, when Coan's lusty triple
% left scored AL Kozar, who had
'orced Sullivan.
A single by Virgil Stallcup,
sacrifice, two walks and Babe
Young's outfield fly again tied the
score for the Reds in the fifth.
Earl Wooten's triple, McBride's
single, an error and a passed ball
letted the Mats three runs in the
fifth and they picked up two more
n the sixth when Right Fielder
frankie Baumholtz dropped Eddie
lyons fly for three-base tumble,
Joan doubled, took third on passed
oall and scored when Wooten drilled
nto a double play after Vernon had
walked.
Cincinnati picked up its final run
n the eighth at the expense of
Vernon Curtis when Wooten and
(see MATS, Page A-16.)