Evening star., 1952-03-28
MATS Have Il,
With Only
Exhibitions Left
Veterans Need Work
3 Get in Shope for
Opening Of Season
By Burton Hawkins


Opening Of Season
By Burton Howkins
Star siasf consspondsni
TAMPA, Fla, Mar. %. Three
straight rained-out games have
added quite q bit to Bucky Harris
pitching worries.
The Mats have 16 pitchers due
to head north next week, with
|only Is exhibition games remain
ling before they start playing for
keeps. Thus Harris won't have
much time III which to examine
ibis rookie crop thoroughly.
Bucky now Is confronted with
the necessity Of giving his tenta-
tive starters enough work to get
them in shape by the time his
club meets the Red Sox April is
in the opening game at Griffith
Stadium.
Play Cincinnati Today.
The Mats started playing exfi-
|bitions three weeks ago. yet no
pitcher has worked more than
eight innings and only four have
had that much action. Chico
|Marrero and Mickey Harris
haven't fred a ball in compete
|tion. although the latter was
slated to share the mound burden
with Bob Porterfield against the
Cincinnati Reds today, weather
permitting.
In the remaining exhibition
games. Manager Harris will be
forced to step up his pitching
pace, allowing his tentative
starters to increase the number Of
innings they've been working.
Thus far, no Washington pitcher
has travelled more than five in
|nings in a game. but that figures
to be changed quickly.
Porterfield, counted on as the
teams ace, prefers to work every
four days. Bucky is determined
that Bob will get all the action he
needs, along with Sid Hudson and
Don Johnson, but it becomes OBJ
vious that some of the pitchers
win be neglected in the process.
Not Enough Games Left.
There just aren't enough games
left for the manager to appraise
his pitchers as accurately as he'd
like. Rain has come as q big blow
Ito Harris, for he has. a flock of
rockies who have been showing
up surprisingly well. and he's anx-
ious to weed 'em out through the
medium of tests under fire.
With time operating against
him. Bucky won't be able to shake
down his pitching staff as he had
planned. He particularly has
wanted to see more Of Buck FLESH
man. Gerald Lane, Harley Gross
man and Paul Sanchez. all rockies
who have given outstanding ac-
counts Of themselves, but he won't
be seeing them as much as he'd
like.
Batters Affected, Too.
But while the Sunshine States
weepy skies have complicated
Harris pitching pattern. 1t also
has complicated matters for the
hitters, who haven't seen any
pitching since Sunday.
The Mats hadn't been hitting
when Bucky gave the entire. squad
a day of Monday. figuring the
team required rest before tackling
its remaining exhibitions. But it
rained Tuesday, wiping out q
game with the Phillies. It rained
Wednesday, erasing q game with
the Tigers. And it rained again
yesterday. preventing action with
Chattanooga.
Yesterdays struggle was listed
for Winter Garden, Is miles down
the road. but the field there was
soggy. In q desperate attempt
to play, Harris shifted the game
to Orlando. where the field was
in slightly better condition. But
a fresh supply Of rain Cancelled
the whole idea.
Bucky ordered the squad out In
the rain anyway and had the
players sloshing around in the
mud to keep their legs in shape.
But there was no batting practice,
naturally, and four straight days
of inactivity have the hitters
fuming.
AS II things aren't gloomy
enough. Clark Grifiith disclosed
that the seven players claimed by
the Mats on recent waiver lists
all have been withdrawn. ALI were
right-handed hitters.