Evening star., 1953-01-25
70 Of 40 Mats
Signed; Busby
Given Increase
Salaries Of Vernon,
Yost and Coun Cut;
No HoIdouts Seen
By Burton Hawkins

S0b9Oha bsAW Nttu9
The Mats reached the halfway
mark in the contract negotia-
tions yesterday when Calvin
Griffith, vice president, an
nounced receipt of II signed
contracts and revealed that Out
fielder Jackie Jensen has agreed
to terms although his contract
hasn't been forwarded to the
front office.
Pitcher Bob Porterfield and
Shortstop Pete Runnels previ-
ously had signed, bringing into
line 20 Of the 40 players sched-
uled to report for spring training
at Orlando. Fla. next month.
The Mats have three catchers
signed in Bob Oldis,i Les Peden
and George Bradshaw. They al
ready have a respectable pitch
ing staff under contract in Por-
terf1eld. Chuck Stobbs, Connie
Marrero. Spec Shae, Al Sima,
Don Johnson. Bunky Stewart,
Sonny Dixon, Jim Pearce and
zeke Zeisz. Infielders signed are
Runnels, Roy Hawes, Wayne Ter
williger and Pompeyo Davalillo,
while outf1elders ready to go are
Jim Busby, Bucky Warner and
Jensen.
Jensen, Shea get Boosts.
Jensen, who batted .280, and
Shea, who won IL games and
lost Z, received anticipated salary
boosts but surprise addition
to the ranks of those who got
raises was Busby, a .236 hitter.
Busby batted nearly SO points
less than the previous season
with the White Sox, but he's
rated by Manager Bucky Harris
as the best Washington center
fielder in Harris memory and
finished the season as a hot
hitter despite his low average.
'Busby was getting less under
his old contract than some Of
the fellows we had sitting on
the BENCH" Calvin said. His
raise will bring him up in the
company of other regulars. "
Busby came to the Mats last May
with Mel Hoderlein in the deal
that sent Outfielder Sam Mele
to Chicago.
Several of the more important
Mats haven't signed. among them
First Baseman Mickey Vernon,
Third Baseman Eddie Yost.
Pitcher Walter MaSterSon,
Catcher Mickey Grasso and Out
fielders Gil Coan, Frank Campos
and Ken Wood.
Asked to Take Cuts.
Vernon, Yost and Coan, who
batted from 80 to 50points below
their lifetime averages last sea-
son, are being asked to take cuts.
I'VE might run into a little Stub
bornness among some of the fell
lows who haven't signed" Griff-
ith said, "but I don't believe
we'll have much trouble. / don't
think we'll have any holdouts."
Vernon held out last year when
asked to take a cut from $24, 900
to $4,000. A compromise was
reached at $21 900. still making
Mickey the highest-salaried Nat.
but it's likely the lean first base
man will be trimmed to $4,000
this season.
Sima, a lefthander who failed
in previous trials with the Mats,
won "a games and lost 9 with
Chattanooga last year and Griff-
ith looks to him to fortify the
Mats pitching staff. "Stobbs
gives us the acceptable left
handler we didn't have last sea-
son." Calvin said.
Southern AII-Star
Slma 1alieQ 70 impress Harris
in previous tests, but he was a
standout in the Southern ASso-
citation. He was one of three
players in that loop to receive
the unanimous vote of 19 writer's
who selected an all-star team.
Stewart a cocky iefthander
won only six games and lost nine
with Chattanooga but the slim
6-footer is regarded as one of
the Mats brighter prospects. The
21-year-old, 154-pounder is one
Of Harris pet projects.
Otherwise the Mats will be
looking for pitching help from
among zeisg, a righthander with
an 1912 record at Charlotte and
Chattanooga: Dean Stone, 17-lO
at Charlotte, and Dixon, 1914
at Chattanooga.