Evening star., 1950-05-08

Dente Shifted to Second;
Coon, Harris in LimeIight
GiI's Grand SIom'
Helps Beat Tribe


ing. understand. but he's wonder
ing what . relief pitcher has to
do to grab q headline. In his last
three parades TO the mound the
Mats veteran left-hander has
been superb. but on each occasion
the batting accomplishments of
trim Gil Coan have overshadowed
Mickey's distinguished labor.
Harris pitching and coan's
clouting are q happy combina-
ton for the Mats these days. for
the last three times Mickey has
pitched Coan also has dubbed
homeruns. For the second time
In fivs days Coan smashed a
grand-Slam homer yesterday as
the Mats walloped Cleveland,
10-5. before q steamed-up crowd
Of 73.lSs.
Coan delivered his second bases
filled home run In four games. for
he missed one Of Washington s
last five tiffS. He may not miss
many more. however. because
Bucky Harris campaign to instin
confidence in the fleet outfielder
has paid off to the point where
the Mats manager soon may en-
ploy Gil against left-handed
pitching as well as right-handers.
Gil Clouts In Clutches.
Coan currently is hitting .s4s
He has belted four homers, one
more than he hit all last season.
Half his l6 hits have travelled for
extra bases and In the II games
he has played Gil has batted
across Is runs, only 10 short of
his entire 194s output.
In his fifth trial with the Mats,
Coan has captivated the imagina-
ton of the baseball world. This
was his last-gasp bid to make the
grade and Harris insisted on let
ting him alone. Gil was to sink
or swim on his own and thus far
the noble experiment has yielded
record dividends.
There's another experiment pay
ing of for Harris, too. When the
Mats launched spring training
this year Bucky announced his
intention of converting Mickey
Harris into another Joe Page"
This year Mickey is being belittled
by the comparison.
Mickey was no sensation in his
first two efforts in relief roles, but
take a peek at his last three per-
formances. Against st. Louis on
he pitched two hitless
to preserve a AS victory
for Sid Hudson which Coan ac-
for with q grand slam
homer.
Fans Pinch Hitter.
Friday night against Detroit.
Mickey faced only one man,
George Kell, and struck him out
as the Mats lost. 9-6. Coan blasted
a ninth inning homer in that
game to launch q rally which fell
short.
Yesterday Harris allowed one
hit In five innings to capture his
first decision, but the glory boy
was Coan, who amacked a bases
jammed homer OF Bob Lemon to
highlight a 6-run seventh inning.
Coan's poke into the temporary
left-centerf1eld stands deprived
Mickey of the rave notices he
otherwise would have received. for
in that inning Harris supplied a
single which sent the Mats ahead.
6-5.
Connie Marrero lasted only four
innings and in that span AL RoSen
lofted two successive homers past
the temporary barrier and Jim
Hogan added another. When he
left the mound the Mats were on
the wrong end Of a So score, but
Washington picked up a run in
the fifth on singles by Sherry
Robertson. Sam Dente and AL
Evans. then hit the Jackpot in the
seventh.
Mats Reach Peak at Plate.
MATS NOTES: Washington's
II hits and 10 runs represented its
biggest batting attack Of the
year Eddie Stewart socked a
double and three singles and
batted across the Mats first three
runs Coan contributed two
singles in addition to his homer
and Dente injected three singles.
Lou Boudreau paraded Mike
Garcia. Jess Flores. Lemon and
Sam Zoldak to the mound Bou-
dreau is inactive due to a wrenched
shoulder -.
Coan has hit safely in seven
straight games. but Irv Noren's
streak was checked at eight
the triumph snapped Washing
toms three-game losing streak.
An usher got into the game in
the fourth and cost the Mats what
loomed as a vital run when
Eddie Yost doubled to left the
ball curved into foul territory. and
Larry NuSsbaurn, the usher,
rushed to grab the ball {. the hit
automatically was restricted to q
ground rule double and prevented