Evening star., 1952-05-20
Mats Hoping to Improve Anemc Batting Averages in ST. Louis
Marrero 10 Oppose
Tommy Byrne in
Opener Tonight
By Burton Howkins
Stor Stoff Cores espondent


ST. LOUIS, May 20.-Twice
this season the Mats have clus-
tered runs in big catches-both
times against the Browns-and
they're hoping to find the cure
for their batting ailments in q
three-game series with the same
club starting here tonight.
Connie Marrero. the calm
Cuban who has been a key figure
in lifting the Mats into second
place, will go after his fourth
straight victory at the expense Of
Tommy Byrne in the series opener.
Byrne, sometimes brilliant left
handler, was a 2-1 loser to Bob
Porterf1eld the only time he op-
posed the Mats this year.
The Mats at present have a
flock OF anemic batting averages
which they would prefer to hide
from public view. Gil Coan, who
will be replaced in left field by
Archie Wilson, and Jim Busby
are .186 hitters. Mickey Grasso
is batting .l81. Eddie Yost got
over the 200 mark Sunday when
he broke his slump with four
hits in the second game against
Chicago.
Three Hits in 62 Tries.
Coan, Busby and Grasso have
batted a combined .048 recentlv
with three hits in 81 attempts.
BuSby has contributed one hit in
his last % tries. Coan two for
20. Grasso hasn't had a hit in
his last 20 efforts.
But the Mats are SIS on their
present road trip and are enjoy.
ing the scenery from their second
place perch. They haven't hit a
home run or a triple in their last
nine games. Every team in the
league. in fact, has slammed more
than twice as many as the WASH
lngton clubs six homers. Cleve.
lands AL Rosen and Detroit's Vic
Wertz personally have belted
more home runs than all the Mats.
1t could be confusing to WASH
ington fans who saw the Mats
maui st. Louis, 1871 and 1877.
shortly before embarking on this
journey. But while their hitting
virtually has vanished, the Mats
can point with pride to their
pitching and to a defense which
hasn't been charged with an error
in six straight games.
Two CaSt0ffs Hit Homers.
Twenty-one times in % games.
not including a A tie with the
Tigers. the Mats have been re-
stricted to four runs or fewer.
Their only home runs in their last
Il games were delivered by Cass
MlchaelS and Sam Mele, since de-
parted to the Browns and White
Sox, respectively.
But Bucky Harris isn't COM
planning. His Mats were picked to
finish eighth in preseason polls
and they're challenging 'front.'
running Cleveland, now only 2h
games ahead of Washington.
Bucky is confident the Mats will
snap their batting slump. And if
they continue to receive superb
pitching. Bucky will like the
teams chances Of sticking in the
first division.
The team has won three games
by I'll scores, two by 20 and an
other pair by 81. It won one, 80.
and two more by 4-3. To accom-
plish this. excellent pitching was
necessary and the Mats have re-
ceived some of it from Frank Shea
and Lou Sleater, discards from the
Yankees and Browns, respectively.
They've received more help from
the 42-year -old Marrero and the
37-year-old Tom Ferrick.
Ferrick's Work Overlooked.
Ferrick, for instance, hides a
remarkable record behind his lone
victory. Tom has allowed only one
run in 16 innings and has q string
Of eight scoreless innings.
Washington pitchers have gone
the distance Is times, trailing only
Cleveland's more highly regarded
staff in that respect. Thus far, it
has been year for pitchers and
the Mats possess some happy ones.
Don johnson has been a con-
SiStent failure, however, and prob
ably will be disposed of shortly.
When Don gave up four runs
without getting anybody out Sum-
day in Chicago. he probably sealed
his doom with Harris, who says,
If we have a fellow who can't
produce, we'll get rid of him and
get somebody who can"
Bucky hasn't settled on Floyd
Baker as a second baseman. He's
testing him there due to the bat
ting failure of Fred Marsh, but if
Baker doesn't come up to expecta-
tions, Mel Hoderlein and Jerry
Snyder will get a chance.
Michaels. meanwhile, will op-
pose the Mats as third baseman.
CaSs has supplanted Leo Thomas
there, as Manager Roger Hornsby
lprefers to keep Bobby Young at
second base.
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Western Plans [ effer cIuh