Evening star., 1952-02-03
0utfielder Prefers
To Join Team Neare.
Home on West Coast
By Burton Hawkins

By Burton Hawkins
The Mats lost two reserve out
fielders yesterday when Mike Nc
Corrnick was released at his own
request and Dan Porter was sum-
moned to serve in the armed
forces.
Mccormick. who broke into the
major leagues with the World
Champion Cincinnati Reds OF
1910, batting 800 during the reg
ular season and $40 against the
Tigers in the World Series, asked
for his release in order to play
in the Pacific Coast League.
Mccormick, who will be 35 in
May, batted .288 with the Mats
last season after being obtained
from the White Sox in a trade
for Outfielder Ed Stewart. He
was one of the Leagues top pinch
hitters. batting more than 400 in
clutch appearances, but was ham
dicapped late in the season with
o leg injury.
Will Play Closer to Home.
The veteran righthand hitter
wrote Calvin Griffith, vice presi-I
dent Of the Mats, that he planned
to play closer to his Ventura,
Calf, home and would sign with
o coast club.
Porter, 20 years old, was a .S12I
hitter with Chattanooga lastl
year. Brought up by the Mats
late in the season, he batted I'll
in 13 games. He is scheduled tol
be inducted into the Army Febru-
ary 13.
The loss of the two players
served to accent the Mats weak
reserves and stripped Washing
ton outfelders to five, including
Rookie Frank Campos, a 1868 hit
ter at Charlotte who batted .423l
in eight games with Washington,
and Sherry Robertson, q .189 bat
ter last season. The others are
Gil Coan. Sam Mele and 1rV
Noren.
Lookouts Have Prospect.
Don Crate, a $3.50 hitter with
Chattanooga last season and cur
rently the Lookouts' property,
thus may be promoted to the par
ent club sooner than anticipated.
A righthand hitter, Crate is one OF
seven farmhands slated to work
with the Mats at their Orlando
Fla, training base.
But the Mats are desperate Tor
reserves and young Griffith. who
will leave for Orlando tomorrow,
indicated a quick huddle there
with Clark Grifhth, 81-year-old
boss of the Mats. Washington has
made only trivial deals since last
season but Calvin indicated there
soon may be a trade Of major pro-
portions. -
McCormick's loss is no crush /
ing blow, but on club that mas
such reserves as Robertson Floyd
Baker (.263(, Gene Verble (.2OO j,
and Tommy Upton (.19Sl, Mike
departure figures to be felt.
p, Three Pitchers Signed.
+. Griffith also announced the
signing of Pitchers Raul Sanchez
Z James Barnhardt and AL Slma,
boosting the Mats signed players
to II. Sanchez, righthander'
won 6 and lost with Havana,
while Barnhardt, also a right
.hander, had a 1913 record with
Portsmouth, Va. Sima, a lett
handler, won and lost IL with
Chattanooga and was equally in
effective with Washington WIN
ming 3 and losing z.
Griffith said the Mats probably
will have a working agreement
with Drummondville, Canada. in
the Glass c Provincial League.
.Drummondville would replace
Erie, Pa, with whom the Mats
have severed q working agreement.
Erie was in the Middle Atlantic
League, which folded yesterday,
but hopes to become affiliated
with another league.
Thus the Mats farm system win
be far-flung-from Cuba to Can
ada-but not extensive. They have
eight farm clubs-Chattanooga
of the Glass AA Southern Associ-
alton. three Class B clubs in
Charlotte of the Tri-State League,
Havana of the Florida -Interna-
tional League and Danville of the
Carolina League, a Glass c club
If Drummondville is annexed. and
Glass D clubs in Fulton, KY, of
the Kitty League, Orlando of the
Florida State League and Roa-
noke Rapids Of the Coastal Plain
League.