Evening star., 1949-07-19
Workouts 10 Be Held
In Mornings if Team
Doesn' I Improve
By Burton Howkins
Stor staH Correspondent

| SfoE SfoT SoNeSPohoeHf
DETROIT, July 19.-Manager
Joe Kuhel has lowered the boom
on the Mats in general and hi.
pitchers in particular, with a stern
warning that continued careless
hurting will result in the levyine
of heavy fines.
Hopping mad about Washing
tons Wild, ineffective pitching
which chiefly has been RESPONSE
BILE for II losses in % games
Kuhel has abandoned kid-glove
tactics for more severe strategy.
Washington players now are
subject to an 1880 curfew and
they'll be routed out Of their beds
at $50 am. If their performance
doesn't perk up Immediately
Kuhel plans a series Of morning
workouts.
The blowoff came between
games of q Sunday double-header
at st. Louis after Joe Haynes and
AL Gettel had permitted leads Of
40 and Ga to evaporate en- route
to a crushing 1873 defeat by the
Browns.
Stormy Clubhouse Scene.
For Is minutes in stormy club
house scene Kuhel let off steam,
deserting his former policy of call
ing aside players individually and
criticizing them. I'm through
babying them" declared Kuhel.
IT'S their bread and butter and
they ought to have sense enough
to battle for it.
Some of our pitchers have been
around the league 8 to 10 years
and they're pitching like they
haven't been in the league min
utes. One of the young pitchers
told me recently he was scared to
death when he had to work before
a big crowd. At what point are
they supposed to become men?
THE only pitcher who has shown
me anything recently has been
Mickey Harris. Ray Scarborough
didn't have a prayer in his last
start. I'm tired of seeing our hit
tiers get leads. then have our pitch
ers blow 'em away.
What burned me up Sunday
was the fact that our pitchers
walked Johnny Sullivan four times.
There's a .220 hitter who curtsies
to a curve ball. He was getting
fast balls and they weren't over
the plate. Sullivan couldn't hit me
if walked across the plate.
Mats Beating Themselves.
That's the sort of stuff that's
beating us. Our pitchers have
been trying to throw too fine
Instead of getting the ball over
the plate They're working the'cor
ners. Well. they're missing the
corners, getting behind on the
hitters. then coming in with nice
fat pitches that are being racked
up. ". t.-.. ~...
II don't mind losing so much
when the other team beats us, but
we've been beating ourselves.
We're handing 'em runs with bases
on balls.
"A lot Of our pitchers have been
in the majors long time. They've
been told to produce or else. I've
tried to be considerate of their
feelings In the past and have
talked to them individually for
hours, sometimes giving EN- a
pat on the back and other times
bawling them out. Apparently
that doesn't work. From now on
I'll let 'em have 1t in front of the
entire squad.
There are several fellows get
ting dog-goned good money fol
pitching and they aren't earning
it. I don't want to have to call
signals because it takes too much
initiative away from the team. but
I do want the pitchers to start
showing some sense"
Second Explosion.
Kuhel made 1t plain that the
pitchers alone weren't guilty.
Practically every member of the
club was singled out for criticism
in the clubhouse meeting as Kuhel
called for a workout here yester-
day morning. That was can
celed due to the unavailability of
Briggs Stadium.
The explosion was the second
in 10 days among the Mats. On
July 7 Pitcher Mickey Haefner in
Cured the wrath of President
Clark Griffith and was fired for
indifferent performance" He will
be placed on the waiver list to-
morrow. and will be claimed by
the Chicago White Sox.
The Mats will take three game
losing streak into the opener of a
three-game series with Detroit
here tonight, with Rookie Lloyd
Hittle selected to take the mound.
Harris will pitch tomorrow.