Evening star., 1953-03-12
.Cubans' DELAY,
Finally Solved,
Brings Speedup
Griffs Face Spohn;
SIugging Continues
Against Yankees
By Burton Hawkins
Ster Stcff Correspondent

BRADENTON, Fla, Mar. 12.-
The Mats. creating a commotion
in the Grapefruit League, 60
after their fourth straight vic
tory today at the expense of the
Boston Braves, but Manager
Bucky Harris admits he's pressed
for pitching.
Harris previously has never
permitted his pitchers to work
more than three innings this
early in exhibition games, but
against the Braves he's hoping
Spec Shea will survive five in
nings and that Bunky Stewart
will finish up. Lefty Warren
SPAIN and Dick Donovan were
named to pitch for the Braves.
I'm running short of pitch
ers," Harris admitted after the
IA triumph over the Yankees
yesterday at Orlando. "The fail
ure of our Cubans to report
makes it necessary for some of
the fellows to get a little more
pitching than I want them to
have at the moment"
Seven Cubans Cleared.
Bucky's problem is expected to
be eased momentarily, for the
State Department has notified
Vice President Calvin Griffith
that the clubs seven missing
Cubans have been cleared for
entry into the United States.
They should be joining us i'm
mediately young Griffith said.
Bolstering the pitching staff
will be Connie Marrero, Julio
Moreno, Raul Sanchez and Sandy
Consuegra. The outfielders now
in camp will get a bit more rest
with the arrival of Juan ViSturer,
Angel Scull and Frank Campos.
Buck Fleshman, the clubs
only home grown product, can't
straighten his arm after pitching
three scoreless innings against
the Cincinnati Reds Tuesday.
The big right-handed rookie
couldn't button his shirt yester-
day and was a bit panicky, but
Trainer George Lentz dismissed
Bucks bent arm as nothing
serious.
Dean Stone, rookie left-hander,
is the only pitcher who hasn't
broken into a game. He has
been used extensively in batting
practice. however, and will get
into competition as soon as
Bucky is able to grant him suf-
f1cient rest.
Averaging 10 Runs a Game.
Pitchers are finding the Mats
a delightful team with which to
operate. After being held to one
hut in their opener with the AS,
the Mats since have polished off
the AS, Reds and Yankees. They
have accumulated an average of
l3 hits and 10 runs a game in
the process.
Jackie Jensen is batting an
amazing $50 with six hits in
eight tries, but Harris probably
is getting as much satisfaction
from the 1903 hitting of Gil Coan.
Gil slammed a three-run homer
yesterday, his second in three
games. and has batted in eight
runs. He drove across 20 all last
season while hitting POS.
Three Others Hitting Well.
Bucky is beaming, too, at the
batting of Eddie Yost and Jim
Busby and Mickey Vernon, who
gave him nothing better than
.233, .236 and PSI hitting last
year.
YoSt now is hitting 1886, Busby
1853 and Vernon AIT. Some of
those hits have been smashed
off pitchers who may not sur
vive spring training, but some
OF the Mats heaviest hitting also
has been delivered against such
respected pitchers as Bobby
Shantz, Harry Byrd and Ken
Raffensberger.
The Yankees spurted into a
30 lead against Zeke Zeisz yes
terday as Charley Silvera and
Mickey Mantle clipped him for
home runs, but the Mats tied
the score against AL Cicotte in
the fourth on a pair of walks,
singles by Coan, Bob Oldis and
Yost, plus an error by Mantle.
Washington took a 7-3 lead
in the fifth with a four-run
splurge. Singles by Vernon and
Jensen. plus Pete Runnels' dou-
BILE brought the Mats a run, and
Coan then socked his homer
over the right field wall.
Dixon Finishes Well.
Joe Collins nailed AL Sima for
a home run in the sixth inning
but Sonny Dixon took over in
the seventh and finished in fine
style. Sonny yielded only one
hit and walked none in his three
inning effort. Art Shallock
mopped up for the Yankees and
likewise allowed only one hit in
three innings.
zeisz permitted six Of the
Yankees 10 blows, while nine of
the Mats hits were at Cicotte's