Evening star., 1949-06-09
Reserves Short,
Mats Sore|y Hit
AS Yost Is Hurt
Christmon to Replace
Third Soeker, Injured
In Loss to Indions
By Burton Howkins
Ctrx StrA rary~xro1aant


DETROIT, June 9.-Third Base
man Eddie Yost is on crutches and
due to be missing from the Mats
lineup for two weeks. so unless
Washington's cautious front Office
moves into action the club may
discover the leagues first division
teams no longer will be neighbors.
/ Yost's injury-he sprained his
right ankle last night at the Mats
dropped an 8-3 decision to the
Indians at Cleveland-serves to
accent Washington pitiful lack
of reserve strength. The Mats
have been hoping no injury would
befall their key personnel. for
their requirements are inadequate.
Already the Mats have lost sew
eral games which could have been
rescued by tolerable relief pitch
ing. Since the Mats first con-
vened for spring training that was
recognized as one of their weak
nesses.
|. While Lloyd Hittle has been
obtained from Oakland of the Pa
cific Coast League and is due to
join the Mats here. Manager Joe
Kuhel still has no depth in his
pitching department. Dick Weik
and Dick Welteroth have demon
strated they will be of little value
and Joe Haynes has given no
indication that he has recovered
from last falls arm operation.
Room for Two More Players.
Major league rules allow Is
players to be carried on the roster,
but when Hittle reports here the
Mats player strength will be
boosted to %. including Coach
Mark Christman, who must I'LL in
for Yost at third.
Among those % players are such
as Len Okrie. third-string catch
er who is of such little help that
he hasn't caught an inning. nor
has he been employed as a pinch
hitter.
John Simmons isn't regarded as
the right-handed- hitting outfielder
the Mats need but, with the dealing
deadline less than q week away,
the Washington front Office is
showing no sign of bolstering a
club which could create trouble
In a weak league. ~A
With YoSt out, the, Mats would
be crippled in event OF injury to
First Baseman Eddie Robinson or,
Shortstop Sam Derte, Should
Robinson be hurt 1t would necessi-
tate shifting Christrnan to first
base and bringing III outfelder Ed
Stewart to play third, where he
has seen slight service.
That sort of switching isn't cal
culated to aid the Mats. however.
Until last night they were for
tunate that no regular infielder
had been damaged. With Yost
out and Christman pressed into
action. the Mats now are desperate.
Yost Hurt During Slide.
Yost sustained his injury in the
first inning after betting a single
to left. When Sherry Robertson
drilled grounder at Second Base
man Joe Gordon, Yost broke his
stride in an attempt to step over
the ball and battle Gordon. When
Eddie slid into second his spikes
caught and he was carried from
the field on a stretcher.
George Lentz, the Mats trainer,
ordered Yost to accompany the
team here where he could be
treated by Lentz for the next two
days while the Mats are idle.
Yost's blow is particularly dis
tressing to the club, for on WASH
ington's current trip Eddie had
belted four home runs.
Despite his .229 hitting Yost
definitely was improving and the
Mats will also miss his defensive
finesse.
Paul Calvert failed to survive
the third inning against the In
dians and absorbed his fourth
defeat when Cleveland clipped him
for four runs on Ray Boones
double, walk to Jim Hogan. Bob
Lemons sacrifice. Dale Mitchell's
single, Thurman fuckers double
and Mickey Vernon's single.
That advantage scared to so
(See MATS, Page C-2)