Evening star., 1949-03-17
C|ubHandcuffed
ByS|ab Stars
.0fA's, Yanks
Coon, Lewis, VoIImer
Up to Snuff; KIiemon
Bumped on Mound
BY Burton Howkins
Sfor Stoff Correspondent

By Burton Hawkins
I stor ssoff Correspondent
ORLANDO, Fla. Mar. IT,
Washington's ball club, which
suffered its third exhibition game
defeat yesterday as To victim
of the New York Yankees, has
proved alarmingly feeble against
topf1ight pitching, even though
it's customary for fingers to be
far more advanced in spring
training than stickers.
The Mats have been confronted
with five outstanding pitchers.
The ease with which those hurl-
ers have disposed of them is
enough to send Manager Joe Ku-
hel in search of aspirin.
Washington has faced five GER
tain starters in the Philadelphia
Athletics Joe Coleman, Lou Bris-
sic and Dick Fowler. plus the
Yankees Bob Porterfield and Fred
Sanford. Against that accumu-
lation of talent they have stirred
up only II hits in 10 innings.
Against Coleman, for instance.
they produced a run on an error.
a walk, an infield single and a
wild pitch. That inf1cld tap rep
resented the only damage against
Coleman. Against Brissie they
fashioned two singles and no
runs in three innings. They
clipped Fowler for three hits in
three innings, scoring on a single,
a stolen base and another single.
Coan Safe on Bunt.
Porterfield brought the Mats
batting deficiencies into the spot
light yesterday. In five innings
the Mats got one man on base
against him-when Gil Coan beat
out a bunt.
Sanford was less impressive. but
adequate. The Mats collected four
hits off him In four innings, OBJ
tanning two runs, but when they
had him on the ropes they couldn't
summon a vital punch.
In the eighth inning the Mats
loaded the bases with none out on
a walk, an infield single and an
other walk. AL Evans took a third
strike In that crisis and Pinch
Hitter Lou Bevil throttled the po-
tential rally by drilling into a
double play.
Washington's hitting virtually
has been the exclusive property of
Coan. Buddy Lewis and Clyde
Vollmer, who are batting 1886, 400
and 600. respectively. in exhibition
games. Eddie Robinson still is
searching for his first hit and has
lifted the ball beyond the infield
only twice in IL attempts.
Klieman Dismal on Mound.
Ed Klieman's bid for a starting
berth with the Mats was jolted
yesterday when the Yankees
pounced on him for four hits and
as many runs in the second in
ming. A walk to Tommy Heinrich,
plus singles by Johnny Lindell,
Cliff Mapes, Ralph Houk and Por-
terfield and an error by Lewis
were the harmful ingredients.
The Yankees boosted their ad-
vantage to SO in the third against
Dick Weik when Bobby Brown
singled. took second on a wild
pitch and scored on Lindell's
single.
Washington scored off Sanford
in the sixth when Eddie Yost
doubled. took third on Evans
grounder and came in on Paul
Calvert's long fly. but Hank
Bauer's single and Jerry Cole
mans homer lifted New York's
margin to I'll in the eighth with
Calvert on the mound. The Mats
scored again in the ninth when
Sam Dente beat out an infield
hit, took second as Sherry Robert
son grounded out and scored on
Vollmer's single.
The Yankees blasted Washing
tons pitching for 10 hits. with
Lindell and Coleman getting two
each, while the Mats were re-
stricted to five hits.
NAT NOTES.-The club was
given a rest today. with no work
out scheduled. :. The Mats will
drill tomorrow. then face the Phil
lies at Clearwater on Saturday.
Weik injected two wild pitches
in the third inning and Dick We'll
teroth committed a balk in the
ninth yesterday. Welteroth,
however, has pitched four innings
against the Philadelphia Athletics
and Yankees allowing only two
hits and no runs.
Manager Casey Stengel Of the
Yankees says. I'm testing four
first basemen but if none of them
comes through I'll still have the
best first baseman in the league" )"
OF course. he was referring to
Tommy Heinrich. who will leave
his outfield job If necessary.
Snuffy Stirnweiss, Yankee sec