Evening star., 1954-04-26
Clutch Hits Earn Job
For Veteran; Vernon
Ready 10 Face TurIey
+ By Burton Hawkins


Clyde Vollmer, who is supply
ing muscle to the Senator's still
questionable attack. will give
Washington's outfleld some SEM
blance Of permanence tomorrow
night. when he remains in the
batting order against Balti-
more's swift Bob Turley.
Normally. Manager Bucky
Harris would send the left
handed hitting Tom Wright to
rightfleld against Turley. a fast
balling highlander, but voll-
mer's clutch hitting has earned
him q regular job.
Mickey Vernon, sidelined by
an intestinal virus infection for
two games, will return to first
base, thus shifting Roy Sievers
to leftfleld. Pete Runnels will be
restored to shortstop, supplant-
ing Mel Hoderlein, but Harris
isn't tempted to tamper with
Vollmer.
"Clyde will be in rightfield,"
Harris said. following the Sena-
tors 5-1 victory over the Red
Sox yesterday at Grifith Stadium
before a crowd of 9.462. Regard
less Of the pitcher or the situa-
ton, I know his knees won't be
knocking. I like to have him
swinging for me when the game
is riding on the outcome.
Not Hurting Defense.
There has been a tendency
to regard the 32-year-old Voll-
mer as q creaky relic available
only for occasional duty, but
he's friskier than in the past
several seasons following an ap-
pendectomy last fall. He isn't
hurting the Senators on defense
and he's delivering at a 300 clip
at the plate.
Vollmer's presence in the bat
ting order was born Of desper-
alton following Alex Kellner's
one-hit shutout of the Sena-
tors last Tuesday. When the
Senators shifted to Philadelphia
the next night Harris inserted
Clyde in the lineup with the
remark, II can't help but feel
he'll pop one in those leftfield
stands" q.
On the bench before that game
Harris was watching Vollmer
take batting practice and num-
bled to nobody in particular.
Come on. big fellow, get hot"
Vollmer did. He crashed a two
run homer in the first inning,
eased the tension among his
teammates and won Bucky's
gratitude.
The next game Vollmer pro-
vided a bases-loaded single in
the seventh inning which scored
two runs, tied the Red Sox at
6-6 and the Senators went on
to win, 7-6. Clyde obtained two
of the Senator's six hits in a
6-1 loss to Boston Saturday
night.
Hit Breaks Tie.
And Yesterday. when the SEN
ators broke loose for flve runs
in the eighth inning against Leo
Kiely, it was Vollmer who shot
them ahead with his lone hit
Of the game after the sizzling
Jim Busby had whacked across
the tying run.
It was Vollmer. too, who.
figured prominently in holding
the Red Sox to a one-run lead.
With Billy Goodman on second
base and Jackie Jensen on first
with one down in the eighth
inning, Vollmer roamed into
right-center to stab George
Kell's well-kissed liner. Good
man. off and running, became
an easy double-play victim.
So, with the weather cool and
Vollmer hot, Clyde stays put.
He may become a bit frazzled
when the season wears on, but
Harris will have to see signs
of it before the clutch-hitting
veteran is benched.
Chuck Stobbs. who has pre-
Sented the Senators two spark
ling efforts. in three starts,
picked up his first triumph with
a 7-hitter. He aided his own
cause in the eighth after Wayne
Terwilliger walked. Chuck twice
failed in an attempt to sacri-
(See SENATORS, Page A-180
e d.