Evening star., 1952-03-11

New York Observers
Study 0utfielder's 5
Work in ; Games
By Burton Hawkins
stor ssuff Correspondent

stor siuff Correspondent
ORLANDO, Fla, Mar. 1i.-Th,
Mats and Yankees will reach th,
showdown stage Friday. when /
Twin be determined II Irv Norer
Twill become New York's center,
fielder in exchange for some o
the world champions young tai
lent.
Talk Of a deal between the Nat
land Yankees has been revived be-
cause Of the presence of two New
York observers at Washington
three exhibition games. Present
at each have been Paul Kritchel
and Johnny Neun, the Yankees
top scout and trouble-shooter
respectively. It comes as no coin.
cidence. for they're giving Norer
an exhaustive appraisal.
Kritchell and Neun reportedly
are unconcerned over Noren',
rather slow start. They realize
that Irv, like most free-swingine
lhitters, is inclined to take more
time to sharpen his batting stroke
They have focused their attention
on his running.
Injured While G0lfing.
The Yankees apparently are
lskeptical about the knee injury
Noren suffered couple of months
ago while playing golf. The Incl
dent seemingly didn't harm Irv,
but the report of Kritcl1ell and
Neun to George Weiss. general
manager Of the Yankees, may de-
termine Noren's fate.
II the Yankees still are inter-
|ested in acquiring Noren they're
expected to contact Calvin Grif-
fifth. vice president of the Mats,
when Washington invades st.
Petersburg Friday to clash with
the Cardinals. st. Petersburg also
is the Yankees training base.
Now, though. the situation has
changed. Several weeks ago a
Noren-Cass Michaels swap for
Outf1elders Bob Cerv and Jackie
Jensen and Second Baseman Billy
Martin was on the fire. Michaels
since has impressed the Mats
bosses with his jealous approach
to training.
The Mats may insist on retain
ing Michaels and try to get the
Yankees to toss one of their farm
club catchers into the deal in
stead Of Martin. Everything,
though, will hinge on the report
of the two Yankees observers and
If their rundown on. Noren is
negative, 1t may mean the Mats
will stand pat with their present
personnel.
First Hit i'm Three Games.
Noren obtained his lone hit in
three games yesterday when the
Mats beat the Tigers, Al, at Lake
land. The Mats got only five hits
of an assortment of Detroit
rockies and they jammed three
OF those into the first inning,
when they scored all their runs
OF AL Yaylian. q wild left ft-hander
who won 16 and lost five with
Little Rock last season.
Washington got two well-spaced
singles in the remaining eight
innings against Yaylian, Dick
Marlowe, Billy Hoeft and Ernie
Funk, but, meanwhile, Joe Haynes,
Julio Moreno and Tom Ferrick
scattered six Detroit hits.
The Mats had a shutout until
Vic Wertz opened the Tigers
ninth with a home run over the
rightfeld fence to give Detroit its
f1rst run in 20 innings. Each of
the Mats pitchers gave up two
hits as Washington captured its
second decision In three games.
After retiring Eddie Yost in the
drst inning, Yaylian bumped into
difficulty. He nicked Gil Coan
with a pitched ball. Singles by
Noren and Fred Taylor produced
a run and Sam Mele and Michaels
walked to force another across.
An error by First Baseman Ben
Taylor on Clyde Kluttz's grounder
and a single by Haynes fetched
two. more runs.
Particularly pleasing to Bucky
Harris was Michaels' defensive
performance. With two out in
the first inning he romped to his
right for Cliff Mapes' grounder
and threw him out to ease Haynes
out OF bases-loaded predicament.
And in the fifth inning Cass
dashed far to his left for Mar
loves grounder and nailed him.
Fielding Pleases Harris.
Harris wasn't accustomed to
that sort Of fielding from Michaels
last year and naturally is en-
Unused. If he keeps it up, one of
our big problems will be solved. F.
says Harris. so far, he's played
as If he wants that second base
job. I like his attitude"
Idle today and tomorrow. the
Mats will return to action Thurs
day when they meet the Red Sox
at Sarasota. Pete Runnels and
Mickey Vernon, who have seen
service only as pinch -hitters. viii
break into the infield for the first
time in that game.
I'm anxious to get in that
lineup" said Runnels, who has
failed to hit In three pinch-hit
attempts. "I've got a new respect
for pinch-hitters. That's the
toughest Job there is. When Vol,
come of that bench and 20 up
there cold, that ball just doesn't
look as big. Shucks, I wanta be
In there all the time"
Now that the soreness has left
his throwing arm. Runnels win
take over the shortstop chores,
Tommy Upton, Pete's replace
ment. has hit safely only one time
In nine tries.
r n - /.