Evening star., 1952-05-06


Campos anc
$M Gil Coan will
continue to ride
the bench to.
Archie Wilson. night as thu
Mats pursue their fifth straight
victory. Their new and highly
successful batting order will gel
a rugged test from Art Houtteman
who will be opposed by Connie
Marrero as the Detroit Tigers
open a three-game set here.
Harris is presenting a club with
only two left-handed hitters in
Pete Runnels and Mickey Vernon
but he's in no mood for alterations
even against such an accomplished
Iright-hander as Houtteman. Art
has won two and lost two, just
missing a no-hitter against Cleve-
land when Harry Simpson singled
with two out in the ninth inning.
Far Better Than Expected.
II didn't expect anything like
this" Harris admitted. II thought
we might get the best of our
trades, but I thought. too, that
it would take our new fellows q
week or 10 days to get on the
beam. They all stay in the line
up, regardless of who's pitching" !"
Harris Joy is unbounded, as
might be expected. His new out
field has batted a collective .514
since joining the club. Busby,
who has played only two games, is
low man among the three with a
400 average. Jensen and Wilson,
who have played three games, are
hitting 500 and sis, respectively,
since they put on Washington
uniforms. The three have ac-
cumulated 18 hits, including four
doubles and triple, in IS at
tempts. They've slammed across
10 runs.
And batting isn't the lone
reason for Bucky's elation. He
tested Frank Shea against the
Browns last night and the sturdy
right-hander responded nobly as
the Mats walloped st. Louis, 1871,
with a 15-hit attack on Ned
Carver, Cliff Fannin and Gene
Bearden.
Shea. who had pitched only
four innings in spring training
and none at all during the regular
season, was expected to be wild.
He was, walking eight. But Spec
also struck out seven. allowed only
four hits before retiring in the
eighth inning with finger cramp
and, most important, showed
Harris and 6,228 fans his arm is
sound again.
Arm Trouble Gone.
Spec convincingly demonstrated
he has shed the arm trouble which
has hampered him since he had
an outstanding freshman year in
1947 when he won IA and lost S.
He gives the Mats pitching staff
a new look also. for he's a solid
starter who will take a regular
turn with Bob Porterfield, Sid
Hudson. Julio Moreno and Mar
rero. the latter a once-a-week
pitcher.
While Harris has been pleasantly
surprised at the conduct of his
new players. he's jubilant, too,
about the recent work of Cass
Michaels. Cass has shaken his
batting slump and the Mats
bosses, temporarily at least, have
decided not to dispose of him.
And. to complete the picture,
Pete Runnels has surged with
other members of the club. He's
a 1888 hitter now, fielding stead
lily and figuring prominently in
the Mats rise.
If Harris had misgivings about
using right-handed Wilson, Busby
and Jensen against talented
Carver, right-hander. they soon
vanished in a wave of hits. The
Mats required only two innings
to chase the Browns ace, and by
that time had compiled a TO
lead.
Wilson Key Figure.
Wilson again was the kew figure
in the Mats attack. He batted
in five runs with a double and
two singles. Archie slammed
across one in the first inning,
when the Mats shot into a 20
lead, and he drove in two more
in the second inning. In that
session the Mats thumped Carver
for six hits, including a double
by Shea. Wilson doubled across
a fourth run in a three-run
fourth inning and got his fifth
when his fly ball scored Busby
from third base in the seventh
inning.
And it wasn't only at bat that
Wilson sparkled. In the first in
ming he streaked back to the'fence
for Marty Marion's drive, bump
ing the wall as he made the catch.
In the fourth, he scored from sec
ond on Mickey Vernon's infield
single.
Busby. Wilson, Jensen and Shea
all have performed as if they're
in a rush to prove the White Sox
and Yankees were wrong to un-
load them. It certainly makes
things look better for the Mats
and their followers.
Shea gave up the Browns only
run In the seventh inning. He
owned a three-hit shutout for six
innings, but in the seventh he
walked Leo Thomas and Bobby
Young. They advanced on a wild
pitch after Jim Rivera flied out
and Thomas scored on Jim Del
sings single to center. Bobo
Newsom finished up after Shea
retired and escaped damage.
AfsIL:.>. A. - Al