Evening star., 1948-04-10
Club Heading Home
With Speed, Spirit
AS Marked Assets
By Burton Hawkins
Stor Stoff corrsspondent

VALDOSTA, Ca, April 10.-As
the Mats creep toward home over a
winding, seven-day route, Manager
Joe Kuhel has occasion to ponder
nearly six weeks Of spring training
at Orlando, Fla, and consideration
of that conditioning campaign
doesn't drive him to tears. He has
no dynamic club to direct, but 1t
isn't as wretched as 1t might have
been. There are encouraging signs.
There is Sid Hudson, for instance.
The big blond pitcher finished last
season with an ailing shoulder and
sore arm. Sid admits he felt he
was through, but Hudson switched
from an overland pitcher to side
armer.
The results have been gratifying,
for Sid generally has sparkled.
When a major Lacquer walked away
from the plate the other day, victim
of a third strike whipped past him
by Hudson, he muttered, THAT guy
just showed me the best curve ball
I've ever SEEM
Hudson hasn't been bothered with
arm or shoulder trouble. He has
confidence in his new delivery. His
marked improvement is reason No. !
for Kuhel displaying no detection.
Robertson Is Delight.
Sherry Robertson is another play
er Kuhel can view with something
akin to elation. He never has made
the grade fully in major league COM
pany, but the fact remains that if
Robertson had come to camp as an
unheralded rookie he now would be
stamped as a sensation. =
Robertson never batted below .355
in exhibition games before the Mats
broke camp. He has whipped out
four runners with long, accurate
throws. His past performance chart
is against him, but Sherry may have
developed, finally, into a passable
player.
Eddie Yost's conduct also has
been admirable. He'll give the Mats
the smoothest third base protection
they've possessed since Ossie
Bleuge's playing days and, equally
important, he has demonstrated he
might hit. Thus far, at least, he
has been acting the part of hitter
with an average which has re-
manned around the lofty level OF
.370.
Gil Coan, up for third trial with
the Mats, could have failed in spring
games but he hasn't. He was hitting
we'll until forced out OF action a
week ago with twisted ankle and
the feet outflelder also had stolen
six bases, including theft of home
twice.
Milo Candini has been effective
consistently. Ray Garcia has per-
mitted only two scratch hits in
the seven innings he has labored
and young Dick Welteroth has in
dicated he could give the Mats tol-
erable relief pitching.
Kozar Relief to Kuhel.
Second baseman Al Kozar would
have put the Mats in big jam by
failing to make the grade, but Ku-
hel has forgotten about second base
He Is smitten with Kozar's polished
play around the bag and believes
EAl will hit enough to be an out
standing rookie.
| The collapse of Johnny Sullivan
at shortstopi has been distressing
but offsetting that has been the dis
covery of Sam Meeks, who could in
herit the job. Meeks several weeks
ago merely was trying to fit into the
Chattanooga lineup. Now he's with
the Mats and clicking.
Mickey Vernon has been hitting
which is an unaccustomed spring
pleasure for the Mats first base
man.
Finally, the team emerges from
the South the happiest group OF
players the Mats have possessed In
years. There are no cliques and
there is no grumbling. They may
not be going anywhere in the Amer.
lean League race, but apparently
they'll be happy going nowhere to-
gether.
Kuhel has instilled in his team
an aggressive spirit. The Mats have
been running and getting away
with it-stealing, hitting anc
sprinting for an extra base wher
the gamble was good. 1t isn't 6
crack team. but neither is 1t one
which will take its whippings com.
placently.
Ray Scarborough and Walter
Masterson were to pitch for tn,
Mats here today as they played thu
first of seven games with the Phila.
delphia Phillies en- route north
The Mats and Phillies will tangle al
Montgomery, Ala, tomorrow with
Candini and Mickey Haefner SLATED
to work for Washington.