Evening star., 1950-03-18
Grapefruit Leaguers
Sour on Washington;
Cards Clip Haynes
By Burton Howkins
Stor Stoff Correspondent

TAMPA, Fla, Mar. ia bleak
immediate future confronts the
Mats in the Grapefruit League.
where the fans have soured on
Washington's baseball team.
Manager Bucky Harris was to
test a trio of raw rockies here
today against Cincinnati and any,
thing approaching victory would
come as a distinct shock to the
handicapped pilot struggling along
with a short-handed. short-tal-
ented pitching staff.
Harris planned to take peek
at Buzz Dozier, Earl Davis and
Bob McChesney against the Reds,
who were to counter with Ewell
Blackwell as one of their trio. 1t
virtually amounted to conceding
defeat, but Harris has no choice.
Davis, a fat left-hander, won
only two games and lost three
with Charlotte of the Glass B
Tri-State League last year. while
Dozier, a 6-3 right -hander, had .
TT record with the same club.
McChesney. unsigned by the Mats.
is toiling on a look" basis and
will be purchased from the Abb
lene, Tex, club if he impresses
Harris.
Florida Fans Ignore Mats.
Washington constructed a 80
lead against the St. Louis Cardi-
nails yesterday at st. Petersburg.
but the Cards clipped Joe Haynes
for four runs in the fifth inning
and edged the Mats. 4-3. 1t was
Washingtons fourth loss in Ave
games.
The Mats aren't packing 'em in.
even on the home grounds OF the
New York Yankees and Cards.
At st. Petersburg the Mats played
before only 2.649 and 1,740 Gus
toners in two games, the smallest
crowds at spring games there.
After todays Cincinnati tussle
the Mats will face Detroit tomor-
row, the Boston Red Sox on Mon
day and the Yankees on Wednes-
day before dropping down in
caliber of competition to combat
their Chattanooga farmhands.
Harris isn't too perturbed about
losing exhibition games, but the
Mats aren't doing anything to ex-
cite the fans back home. Spring
training normally serves to whet
the fans appetfGes for baseball.
but the Mats conduct isn't fulfill
ing tnaJ purpose.
Coan Wrenches Muscle.
Harris may be forced to get
along without Outfielder Gil Coan
for several days. He pulled o
stomach muscle and was benched
yesterday.
The Mats nicked Max Lanier for
two runs in the first inning yester-
day when Eddie Robinson tripled
after Eddie Yost singled and Irv
Noren walked. That lead mounted
TO 30 in the fifth against Ted
Wilks when Sam Dente scored
from third as Robinson grounded
into a double-play
Sid Hudson had limited the
Cards to pair of scratch hits
in the first three innings and
Haynes escaped damage in the
fourth. but with two out in the
fifth st. Louis got tough.
With one out, Marty Marion
doubled. and after Wilks flied out
the Cards went to work. Chuck
Diering walked and Red Schoen-
dienst singled across Tommy
Glaviano. running for Marion.
Stan Musial's single fetched Dier-
ing home and Enos Slaughter
walked to fill the bases. In that
predicament big Steve Bilko
lashed single to left, scoring
Schoendienst and Musial.
Mats Make Late Threats.
The Mats threatened in each Of
the last three innings against
Harry Brecheen, but couldn't
produce hit when they needed it.
In the seventh inning Dente
walked and Ed Stewart was hit
by a pitched ball with two out,
but Robinson popped out. In the
eighth the Mats loaded the bases
with one out when Clyde Vollmer
walked, AL Evans singled and Hal
Keller walked. But Sherry Rob-
ertson's tap to Brecheen forced
IVollmer at the plate and Eddie
Yost flied out.
Dente drew a walk to open the
ninth and Stewart sacrificed, but
Robinson fouled out and Sam
Mele went down swinging.
Each club obtained seven hits,
but the Cards clustered four OF
theirs in the big fifth and that,