Evening star., 1951-07-16
How Coun Took Over

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a month. Minoso got only one hit
in eight trips to slip to 1910. Fain
is batting .3347. compared to
.33449 for Kell and .33452 for Will
liamS.
Has Hit i'm 16 Straight.
Coan hoped to extend his bat
ting streak to II straight games
today as the Mats battled the In
dians in the rubber game Of the
three-game series. Julio Mareno
was to pitch for Washington
against Steve Gromek.
It has been q tortuous trail for
Gil, who has been a hot hitter
ever since he left Georgetown
Hospital last summer. He went
there with a fractured skull suf-
Ifered in a collision at second base.
Since then he has convinced
Manager Bucky Harris that he
can hit left-handed pitching as
well as right-handers.
Coan has been 50 consistent this
year, in fact, that he's hitting
1888 against southpaws and 1886
against right-handers. He's in
busy pursuit of the 33-game
Washington hitting streak set by
Heinie Manush in 1893, and he's
a possibility to join Ed Delahanty,
Goose Goslin, Buddy Myer and
Vernon as Washington batters
who won the batting champion
ship.
Gil has completely changed his
batting style since coming to the
Mats in 1916, fresh from leading
the Southern Association with a
.372 average at Chattanooga and
stamped as the outstanding player
in the minor leagues.
Must Take Him Seriously.
He dipped to .209 with the Mats
that season and never really got
going until last year. when Har-
ris used him sparingly. Gil's .303
average led the team, but it wasn't
regarded as a solid sort of figure
because he had missed consider
able action due to his injury and
lBucky's reluctance to employ him
against left-handers.
This spring Coan mentioned a
new ambition which seemed in
the realm Of dreaming at the time.
When the Mats were in spring
training. Gil said he'd like to lead
the league. Those within earshot
mentioned that many would relish
the same goal and dismissed it
lightly. but Gil at the moment
can't be ignored
Coan collected three of the Mats
IA hits off Bob Chakales, George
zuverink and Gerald Fahr in the
first game. Lou Brissie held the
Mats hitless in the last three in
nings. but by that time they had
salted away win No. 8 for Chico
Marrero, who gave up II hits.
A walk to Eddie Yost, Irv
Noren's single and Vernon's fly
gave the Mats a run in the first
inning of the opener, and Sam
Mele made it a three-run. session
when he slammed a homer into
the left-field stands.
Pile Up I'll Lead.
The Indians picked up a run in
the second inning. but the Mats
|shelled Chakales in the fourth
with another three-run outburst
which included a double by Yost
and singles by Coan, Vernon and
Pete Runnels. The Mats made it
|7-1 in the fifth on singles by
Yost, Coan and Vernon.
Harry Simpson belted a two
run homer In the sixth and
cleveland got it's final run in the
ninth when Bobby Avila doubled
and came around on Sam Chap
mans outfleld fly and Luke Eas-
|ter's grounder.
Mike Garcia scattered seven hits
y the second game to post his
11th win. Sid Hudson was his
victim. Sid allowed two runs in
the first inning without benefit
|of hit as the Indians capitalized
|on Hudson error.
Dale Mitchell walked and Hud-
son scooped up Avila's smash and
threw all the way to centerfield.
The runners advanced ard, a mo-
ment later, Mitchell scored on
Larry Doby's grounder and Avila
came In on Easter's grounder.
The Indians clipped Sid for
another run in the third and
added four in the fourth, when
they rocked him for five hits. The
Mats got their only runs in the
seventh on singles by Rurnels and
Cass Michaels, Clyde Kluttz's
grounder and Joe Haynes single.
incidentally Haynes gave lp only
one hit after supp anting Hudson
in the fourth inning.