Evening star., 1953-02-20
Move WhitfIes
Playing Field
By y15Feet
Moy Speed Up Plans
To Get Right-Hond
Bottlins. Outfielder
By Burton HoMkins
Star staff Correspondent

OtCLANDO,gF Fla, Feb. 10.-The
Mats have abandoned plans to
install seats in front of the
bleachers at Griffith Stadium
this season, But WIN accomplish
their objective of reducing the
playing area by installing the
visiting hullpen there.
Calvin Grifnth. vice president,
said today the visiting bullpen
construction would run frokn the
left field foul line toward center
field for. approximately 100 feet"
and will be Is feet wide. Thus
the distance from home plate to
the left field corner will be whit
tied from 405 feet to 800.
At the fields shallowest point,
in' left-center, the fence is 391
feet from the plate and his will
be sliced to ,376. The move is
calculated to aid Eddie Yost and
Jackie Jensen, right-handed pull
hitters who have seen many of
their long blows to left field fall
just short Of the bleachers.
Helps Other Hitters.
It also will benefit such hitters
as Gus zefnial and Eddie Joost
of the Athletics, Walt Dropo. of
the Tigers, AL Rosen of the In
dians, Mickey ... Mantle of the
Yankees (who bats right-handed
only against left-handed pitch
ing). Vern Stephens and Sam
Mele of the White Sox and Dick
Gernert of the Red Sox, among
others.
The bulipen will start about 20
feet inside the foul line. but
young Griffith said the gap be-
tween the foul line and the bull
pen will be fenced in. It is nee
essary to install a movable fence
at the foul line to permit pas
sage for the batting cage through
the leftf1eld gate.
Calvin reasons that left-hand-
ed pitchers opposing the Mats
will have a rougher time of it.
The Mats only starting left
handler is Chuck Stobbs. but
Philadelphia has Bobby Shantz
and Alex Kellner. New York has
Ed Lopat and Whitley Ford. Bos-
ton has Mel Parnell and Mickey
McDermott, Detroit has Ted
Gray and Bill Wight and Chi
cago has Billy Pierce and Tom
my Byrne.
May Speed Trading Plans.
The move also may accelerate
the Mats moves to acquire an
other right-handed hitting out
fielder. Those ideas have been
stalled temporarily by Brooklyn's
demand Of $4,000 and two in
fielders for Bill Sharman, Bos-
ton Celtics' basketball star who
batted .294 with st. Paul last
season.
Right now everybody is watt
ing to see how they shape up in
spring training" Calvin said,
''but we may be able to deal
for another outfielder before the
season starts"
The Mats opened spring train
ing officially today as pitchers
and catchers trotted on Tinker
Field, but resisting to the last
minute were Pitcher Walter
Masterson and Catcher Mickey
Grasso. They haven't signed
and weren't to be allowed to put
on a uniform unless they agreed
to terms.
Grasso offered $1,000 Boost.
Grasso, who batted .216 last
season, has been offered a 1000
raise. but snubbed it yesterday
in a conference with Calvin.
Masterson also conferred with
Calvin but neither reported
progress.
Calvin said he hasn't heard
from Outf1elder Gil Coan but
said Yost trimmed his demands
in a letter the vice president re-
ceived yesterday. Eddie came
down a little" Calvin said. He
also revealed that Coan is being
asked to take LESS than per
cent cut" despite hitting .205 last
year.
Infielders and outfieiders aren't
scheduled to work out until Feb
ruary 26, but already here are
Outfielders Jensen and Jim
BuSby and Second BaSeman Roy