Evening star., 1950-04-17
As Choice Of Scheb Spoghts Mats Two Platoon Oued Plan
'Coon and Stewart Named
To Oppose Right Honder
By Burton Hawkins

1t will be Gil Coan in left field
for the Mats tomorrow when the
curtain rises on the American
League pennant race. but not be-
cause the fleet-footed perennial
prospect has the job sewed up all
unto himself. Manager Bucky
Harris simply is opening the sea-
son with the two-platoon system
in his outfield.
Because the right-handed Carl
Scheib was named by Connie
Mack as the Athletics opening
game pitcher. instead of Southpaws
Bobby Shantz or Alex Kellner, the
Mats will counter with Ed Stewart
in right field and Coan in left.
giving Scheib two more left
handed hitters to face.
Had Shantz started for the AS
or if a left-hander opens due
to last-minute switch by Mack
Vollmer will replace Coan
and Sam Mele will go to right
field. This, Harris says. will be
the system he will employ all sea-
son, with only Irv Noren in center
full-fledged regular.
For Washington it will be Ray
Scarborough, a 3-to-2 winner over
the AS last year. who'll pitch be-
fore President Truman and 81 900
other spectators. Ray has split
even in l6 games with the AS.
Four Left Handed Hitters.
With Coan and Stewart in the
outfield. Harris will have a total
of four left-handed swingerS op-
posing Scheib. The teams will line
up like this:
Philadelphia. Washington,
Bsqney ssqls 'SHse %scosEy X If M sam N0e Dente. S.
Elmer valo. rf Irv Noren.. RI.
Ferris Pain 1b. Eddie Robinson, lb.
Bob Dillnger 3b, Ed Stewart, RI
Sam Chapman. CT. Eddie Yost, 3b.
Kermit Wahl or Billy Al kozar, 20.
Hitchcock, 2b. Al Evans G.
Mike Guerra c. Ray Scarborough, p
Carl Scneib,. ..
The Mats. who completed their
exhibition slate yesterday by edg-
ing Pittsburgh, 80. in IL innings,
have instilled a measure of hope
in Harris. II saw more pitching
in those two games against Pitts
burgh than I've seen all spring" -"
declared Bucky. With that sort
of pitching the rest of the league
would have to respect us. With
good pitching we could be tough" "
Returning to the Mats for a
third term, Bucky will be starting
his 14th season at Washington's
helm and his 23d in the big time.
In the AS dougout erect. 87-year-
old Mack will be launching his
50th consecutive season as Phil
adelphia's manager.
Fewer than 5000 bleacher seats
were left today as the Mats took
a light morning workout. Two
thousand standing room tickets
will be placed on sale at 2 pm.
tomorrow.
Fifth Pitch for Truman.
Mr.. Truman. who officially will
inaugurate the season when he
takes a glossy, white baseball at
3 o'clock and tosses it into the
MIDST of scrambling players. will
throw out the first ball for the
fifth time. He will be seeing the
Mats in action for the eighth time,
however, having seen them on
three other occasions.
In the presidential box with him
will be Mrs. Truman. Margaret
Truman, Vice President Barkley,
Admiral William Leahy. Rear Ad-
miral Robert L. Dennison and Maj.
Gen. Harry H. Vaughan. the Presi-
dents naval and military aides;
Attorney General McGrath and
Speaker Rayburn.
Fans will be introduced to an
altered ball park. The Washing
ton bullpen now is situated in
centerfield, while six rows of box
seats installed in left and center
fields have reduced the playing
area 10 feet. It's a 386-foot shot
down the leftf1eld line now and
at the shortest point in left-center
the distance is 372 feet.
Stands May Come Down.
Those tubular steel stands in
front of the permanent bleachers
may be of a temporary nature. If
the opposition demonstrates more
ability than the Mats to plunk
home runs in that sector, those
stands are likely to be yanked out
rapidly.
Scheib has a lifetime record
Of TO against the Mats, but
against them this spring he has
been no sensation. He pitched
twice against Washington in ex-
hibitions and was slammed for
I runs and II hits in 7 innings.
Harris takes over a club which
finished last in 1949, the worst
Washington team in 40 years. 1t
was a team which twice compiled
losing streaks of IL games and