Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-02-23
McDermoit Happier
With Whole Plate for
His Target This Year
> By Burton Hawkins
Star Stoff Correspondent

ORLANDO, Fla, FEB: 23.-
Maury McDerrnott, the accom-
plished left-hander who per-
formed admirably in cramred
Fenway, Park last season. sees
himself as an improved pitcher
In Griffith Stadium's spacious
playing area this year.
Fenway Parks left-field fence
is a niblick shot from the plate
and is particularly bothersome
to left-handed pitchers, what
with a swarm Of right-handed
hitters being 'wedged into the
lineup to take aim at the in
viting target.
EFT will be wonderful to see
those pop flies caught instead Of
soaring over the fence for home
runs" said McDermott. who
came to the Senators with Out
fielder Tom Implicit last De-
cember in exchange for Out
fielder Jackie Jensen.
"In Boston a pitcher has about
half the plate to work with"
McDermott said. stick a pitch
inside to a right-handed hitter
and it's likely to be the ball
game. I think I figure to i'm
prove. working in a bigger ball
park"
About to Reach Heights.
An 18-game winner last sea-
son. McDermott is viewed by
Clark Griffith as a pitcher about
to reach the heights. ut al
ways takes those left-handers
time to develop" Griffith said.
land McDermott is on the way
up. He's only Is and with an
18-game season behind him to
give him confidence he'll be bet
ter"
Coach Heinie Manush. an out
standing hitter in his day. is
enthusiastic about McDermott's
possibilities. "McDermott's con-
troll will improve. working in a
big park. He won't have to
pitch so tight to the hitters.
He'll be working for the best
manager in the business. from
his standpoint. because Bucky
Harris goes along with his pitch
ers. Bucky doesn't get panicky
and yank a pitcher just because
he walks somebody.
"McDermott ought to have
those power hitters right IN his
hip pocket when they come to
Washington" Manush contin-
ued Il know when I was play
ing that Al Simmons used to
come to Griffith Stadium. take a
look at the distance to the
bleachers. and fold up Good as
he was, he seldom hurt us in
Washington.
II was talking to Maury in
Miami when we were playing in
a golf tournament there last
week" Heinie said. Hes all
popped up about coming with us
and I think we're going to see
a whale Of a pitcher"
Threat to Win 20.
Hes q definite threat to win
20 games" Harris said. "He has
80 feet more to play with in
leftfield than he had in Boston.
A routine fly in our ball park
is an out, but in Boston it's a
home run. If we can get him
some runs he's going to do all
right"
McDermott is part of a pitch
ing foursome which Griffith re-
CARDS as his best in 80 years.
With Bob Porterfield. Chuck
Stobbs and Spec Shea he gives
the Senators a feared staff.
Maury is particularly effective
at night. He won 10 and lost
none under the lights last year
and he's joining a club that leads
the league in playing night
games. He brings the leagues
sixth best earned-run average
GOD to Washington in addi-
ton to a voice which is good
enough to get him considerable
coin singing in night clubs dur
ing the of season.
McDermott has been on the
fringe Of pitching prominence for
years with sporadic brilliant dis
plays. but never realized his
promise until last season. With
he pitched q no-hitter
against Albany in 1916 and
against Utica in 1948. He set an
Association strikeout
record by tanning 20 ST. Paul
batters in 1949, while with Louis
vile.
He'll be the Senator's best
pinch-hitter. too. Last season he
batted .301.
The wavy-haired 6-foot-312
1rishman, who qualities as the
clubs f1ashiest dresser, is Porter
fields chief challenger as the
teams most polished pitcher.
AALAn~GHII