Evening star., 1953-03-03
Consuegra, DayaIi|Io
Cleared, but Others
Face Indefinite Wait
BY Burton Hawkins
Stor Sioff CORRESPONDENT

Va OAlC NdbS ClS1U AdL1I1 A1I1cIS
lean players are having difficulty
obtaining visas permitting them
to enter the. United States and
will be delayed at least two weeks
in reporting to training camp,
Vice President Calvin Griffith
admitted today.
Only Sandy Consuegra, Cuban
pitcher. and Pompeyo Dayilillo,
Venezuelan inf1elder, have been
approved by the various branches
OF Government which must
screen the players. according to
word received by Griffith from
Ossie Bluege, the Mats farm di-
rector.
All Of the Mats imported
players. with the exception of
mellowed Connie Marrero, were
due to report here February 26.
Marrero. veteran right-hander,
has been pitching in the Cuban
Winter League and was granted
permission to report March IL.
Cambria Strangely Silent.
Consuegra and Davalillo are
expected momentarily, although
young Griffith has received no
word that they are en- route.
Scout Joe Cambria, handling the
Mats interests in Havana, has
been strangely silent and WASH
ington officials here haven't re-
ceived as much as a post card
from him in regard to the miss
ing players.
Delayed indefinitely will be
Outf1elders Frank Campos, Angel
Scull and Juan Visturer and
Pitchers Julio Moreno, Raul San
chez and Marrero. Scull and Wis
turer are slated to be the first
Negroes ever to work out with
the Mats in spring training.
1--WE started working on visas
for those fellows in January"
Griffith explained. "As I under
stand it. the McCarran Act re-
quireS that they be cleared by
the State Department, then
screened by Internal Revenue
and finally passed on by the
consulate in Havana"
The absence Of the Cubans will
handicap Manager Bucky Harris,
who is confronted with the clubs
most rugged exhibition schedule
in history starting Saturday,
when the Mats go to West Palm
Beach for a two-game series with
the Athletics. All of the teams
games will be with major league
opposition.
Only 13 Pitchers on Hand.
Harris now has only 13 pitch
ers in camp. The usual pattern
IN exhibition games is to employ
three in each early contest, with
starters getting more work as the
regular season approaches. A
sore arm or two among pitchers
now available would force Harris
to give his other hurlers more
work than he wants them to get
at this stage.
The Mats also have only five
outf1elders here, which means
one of them will have to play
nine innings. Bucky can stagger
them, Of course, but they still will
be getting more action than he
deems advisable.
The delay may mean Scull and
Visturer's chances of sticking
with the Mats are all but oblit-
Grated. The club breaks camp
March 81 to head home and if
the colored outfielders don't re-
port for two more weeks. they'll
have little opportunity to make
lasting impressions. Harris has
seen all the Mats other Latin
players In action except Dava-
lilo.
Bucky usually employs his
Cuban pitchers extensively in
early exhibition games, since
their winter pitching normally
has kept them in superb condi-
ton. He won't have them to
fall back on this year and is
hoping the added pitching bur-
den won't promote sore arms
among those he has available.
Bucky Beams Over Hitting.
Meanwhile, Harris Is pleased
and pop-eyed at the hitting of
his Mats. It's only in practice,
but Bucky beams nevertheless at
the frequency with, which Jackie
Jensen. Gil Coan, Eddie Yost,
Ken Wood and even Mickey
Grasso are betting balls out of
Tinker Field.
Jensen doomed one of the most
monumental blows in memory
over the centerfeld fence yester-
day. The ball scared high over
the 412-foot mark and probably
carried $50 feet on the fly. That
blast, delivered off Jim Pearce,
was one of several Jensen drove
out Of the park.
Grasso's newly discovered pow
er is amazing his best friends.
Mickey has staked the Mats to
only two home runs in three
years. but he claims he's going to
reach the new bullpen in front
Of the left-field bleachers at
Griffith Stadium O few times this
year.