Evening star., 1948-04-27
Spring Training Punch
Gone, Sherry Is Mark
For. Bosox Lefties
By Burton Howkins

i his was 10 D6 JIlS year, ITOm all
appearances in spring training, that
Sherry Robertson was to establish
himself as a major Lacquer. The
hotly hooted nephew of the boss is
giving Griffith Stadium customers
no reason to alter previous opinions,
though, and there's suspicion that
he has a complex concerning Uncle
Clark Grifith's real estate.
Dispatches from training camp
about the Mats right fielder glowed
He was betting right-handers and
left-handers freely and he was swat
ting outstanding pitchers in the
process. He compiled fancy 1882
average against major league pitch
ing to lead Washington hitters.
What was considered an impor-
tant development was the fact that
Sherry wasn't -nibbling at bad
pitches. When the opposition
pitched outside to him, he pumped
hits into left field. He pulled hits
into right field when pitchers
hugged his wrists. He was hot
article, but 2s,o43 fans who saw the
Mats drop a 60 game to the Boston
Red Sox last night at Grifhth Sta
dium regard him as ready for deep
freeze unit.
Batting 900 at Home.
Sherry's Griffith Stadium batting
average for three games Is 900. In
nine times at bat he has struck
out three times, hit into a double
play and only twice has lifted the
ball beyond the infield. 1t could
be the pressure of playing in a
hostile atmosphere is affecting his
chores, for in four games at Phila.
delphia he hit satisfactory 81;
with five hits in 16 attempts.
Robertson frequently has said ht
has developed an immunity toware
the heckling and booing aimed a
him here, but his actions haven
proved it. At Griffith Stadium HI
has been taking indecisive half
swings, lunging at wide pitches ant
tanning on high, fast balls. HI
hasn't resembled the fellow th'
Mats saw in the South.
It's nothing new for Robertson
this failure to click after beini
touted highly. During the war h.
was stationed in the Hawaiian Is
lands with dozens Of other majol
leaguers. He earned their respec
with sparkling play and crisp hit
ting. Several of them predicted
Sherry would be outstanding upor
his return to major league society
but those forecasts haven't ap.
preached reality.
Tough Test for Sherry.
Sherry has had a rough roac
because he was born a nephew o.
Clark Griffith. He was jeered wher
playing with the Mats farm club a
Charlotte. and he never has gotter
an enthusiastic reception here B!
the same token he never has hi
impressively. and the charge fire.
quently has been leveled that he'
around merely because he's in tn,
family.
That accusation isn't justified en-.
tirely, for Griffith has had oppor'
tunities to unload Sherry to othel
major league clubs and has rejected
them. He has strung along with
his nephew because he has fel
Robertson eventually would hit.
Manager Joe Kuhel has KEEP
Robertson in the lineup because he
showed tremendous hitting ability
in training "He hit left-handec
down South better than he hit
right-handed," said Kuhel two days
ago in explaining the presence OF
Sherry instead of Tom Mcbride ir
right field. If took him out, he'c
lose confidence. I want to see what
he can do
Bosox to Use Another Lefty.
Sherry's status as a regular may
be determined in the immediate
future, for Manager Joe Mccarthy
of the Red Sox planned to fire an.
other left-hander, Earl johnson OF
Mickey Harris, against the Mats to.
night. Kuhel was confronted with
the unenviable choice of tossing il
tbs towel on Robbie, at least tenn.
porarily, or sub)ecting him to irat,
fans and hoping he'll weather tn,
storm.
Left-hander Mel Parnell had lit
tie difficulty with the Mats las
night, limiting them to five hits
Boston clipped Mickey Haefner ane
Forrest Thompson for 10 hits, in
cluding three singles and a doubl,
by Ted Williams, who scored foul
times.
Matt Bats singled across two
runs with the bases loaded in th'
fourth inning and the Red Sol
boosted their advantage to 80 ir
the fifth when Williams singled ane
came around when Robertson mis-.
judged Vernon Stephens liner int,
a 3-base error.
Boston clustered two runs in tn,
seventh on Johnny Pesky's double
singles by Williams and Stephen.
and a passed ball, then increased
the score to its final proportion
against Thompson in the nintl
when Williams doubled, Stan Spence
and Bobby Doerr walked and San
Mele was safe on bad hop singl,
to Shortstop Mark Christman.
Walter Masterson will seek hi.
first victory of the season agains
Boston tonight, with Early Wynn
slated to face the Yankees in New
York tomorrow in the opener of &
2-game series.