Evening star., 1949-03-29
First.Division Threat,
Says Kuhe| Of Nats;;.
Ito Bolster Reserve {.
By Burton Hawkins
Sfsy Sssff Cesr,ssSndsns

LAKELAND, Fla, Mar. as.--
Manager Joe KuheI, encouraged
by the general improvement
among the Mats. rates his team :
definite first-division threat -
Kuhels optimism Is shared by
Coach Clyde Milan. who diagnoses
the Mats as "at least 10 games
better than last year and I'm talk
ing conservatively. think Sid
Hudson and Walter Masterson
alone will account for the 10
games I'm talking about and they
could be good for lot more"
Both Kuhel and Milan admit q
woeful lack of Iinfield replace
ments, but Joe says that deficiency
will be remedied. We'll pick up
somebody who can I'LL In at short
stop or second base in case Of in
jury. Right now we'd be crippled
il any of our infielders was hurt"
Kuhel's views carry logic
Hudson and Masterson are look
ing great. Mickey Haefner Ii
sharper than I've ever seen him.
The addition Of Joe Haynes and
Ed Klieman will help. They're
both smart pitchers. I don't ses
any reason why Ray Scarborough
shouldn't have as good . year -
he had last year, like our pitch
ing.
Infield, Outfleld Improved.
I'm Eddie Robinson, We have q
fellow who will drive across some
runs for US. He'll hit. I'm not
worried about his failure to. hit
well down here. AL Kozar should
have q better year than In 1s4s.
Sam Dente tightens up our de-
fense at shortstop. Eddie Yost 10
going to have . whale Of . year.
That boy has learned to hit.
Take our outfield. We didn't
have Buddy Lewis last year. We
have him now and he gives N
lift defensively and extensively.
We didn't have Ed Stewart Tor
the first month Of the season last
year. Gil Coan has improved tre-
mendously and Clyde Vollmer ap-
pears to be a fellow who will help.
He can field, throw and it looks a
il he'll hit. Don't underestimate
the effect all of this will have on
our pitchers. Our defense wasn't
much last year and We didn't hit
well, 70 the pitchers lost confi-
dence. They'll feel they have =
chance this year and it will give
them q new lease on life"
Team Tougher, Milan Feels.
Milans views are similar. "of
course, everything Is based on
what we've seen in training" he
says, but I think we've seen
enough to be encouraged. Barring
injury, we have a team which can
have a lot of fun. We're going to
be tougher lot tougher"
NAT NOTES-Kuhel intended
to allow Scarborough to travel IS
far as he wanted here today as
washington battled DexoitE .Fs !.
I'm going to let the pitchers 90
as far" as they want from here
on out,r' says Joe. and once We
break camp and head for WASH
ington the regular lineup will play
every day" Ronnie Baxter.
l3-year-old son Of the Mats
equipment manager frankie. has
joined his pop here. ;. A camera
enthusiast, he is swapping every
thing within range. The Mats
were subjected to . lengthy ses-
sion working on pickof1 and run.
down plays yesterday, with Um-
pire Joe Paparella explaining rules
governing all situations. Presi-
dent Clark Griffith, abed for two
days with q cold. got up for din
ner last night. Phil Berger.
who for years has. served as .
local one-man chamber of COM
merce in keeping the old Mats
and sports writer's entertained
here, will be honored at = dinner
tossed by Vice President Calvin
Griffith tomorrow night.