Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-02-20
Southpaw Gets Boost
To $1,000; Hur|ers
Fight for -Four Jobs
BY Burton Howkins
Sior Stoff Correspondent

nounced by Vice President CAL
vim Griffith. McDermott's salary
was estimated at $1,000, a
1000 boost.
In reaching agreement with
the colorful left-handed pitcher
young Griffith sliced the list Of
unsigned Senators to seven. with
only First Baseman Mickey YER
non and Outfielder Jim Busby
prominent among them. Busby
is believed to be en- route here
from Texas and isn't likely to be
troublesome, but Vernon is play
ing a waiting game with the
bosses
Others unsigned are Outfield-
err Frank Campos, First Baseman
Julio Becquer. Pitchers Jerry
Lane and Raul Sanchez and
Second Baseman Mel Hoderlein.
None is a key figure in Bucky
Harris plans.
Drills Begin Day Early.
Originally scheduled to hold
their first workout tomorrow. the
Senators opened spring training
today with Harris summoning
all available players to an untidy
Tinker Field. which currently
resembles an obstacle course.
The inneld is being patched and
rakes. rollers. shovels. clumps of
dirt and workmen are clutteriug
up the premises.
Players were supposed to
check in today, but so many re-
ported in advance that Harris
decided to put them to work
early. McDermott was a doubt
full participant in today's work.
out, but other members of
Bucky's starting staff-Bob Por-
terfield. Chuck Stobbs and Spec
Shea-were on hand along with
Pitchers Bunky Stewart, Bob
Ross. Dean Stone, Larry Clark,
Harry Beifuss and Third Base
man Eddie Yost. McDermott is
heading here from Miami.
Four Pitching Jobs Open.
Four relief pitching berths are
open and the scramble for them
has started. with an assortment
Of minor leaguerS and a handful
Of hurlers with major league
experience bidding for the jobs.
I'll carry 10 pitchers" Harris
said. Well have IA fellows try
ing for the four bullpen jobs and
I'm anxious for them to show me
something. If we can get four
respectable pitchers to come out
Of the bullpen and help our
starters when they falter well
be in pretty good shape from a
pitching standpoint.
IF Pete Runnels forgets about
his bad season and plays up to
his possibilities at shortstop, and
If Wayne Terwilliger gives us
more hitting, we're going to be
lot tougher. I'm not worried
about our catching. Ed Fitz-
Gerald hit only $50 last year, but
he was looking good to me late
in the season. He was seeing
the pitching in our league. for
the first time and he seemed to
be catching up with it,"
Goal Is 10 More Victories.
Harris isn't predicting a pen
nant for the Senator's. of course,
but he's hoping they can wedge
into the first division. 1--WE won
rs games last year." Bucky said.
I'm hoping we can pick UP 10
more this season. That doesn't
strike me as being overly ambi-
tious.
Let's say we win 10 more. That
would give us So wins. The pen
nant winner probably won't take
more than IS games, which
means we would be in the thick
OF things. And when you get
close maybe you can also get
lucky and do better"
Twenty pitchers ultimately will
be in the Senators camp, with
all except mellowed Connie Mar
zero due to join the group tomor-
row. Marrero will report late as
usual, take thee puffs on his
ever-present cigar and announce,
Me ready" He has been pitch
ing in the Cuban Winter League
and his fitness isn't one of Har-
riS' worries.
Marrero has a job sealed, as
an occasional starter and re-
lever, along with another vet
eran, Johnny Schmitz. They'll
back up the top quartet of Por-
terf1eld, Shea, McDermott and
Stobbs. Where Harris goes from
there IS one of his more inter-
eStlng problems.
Shea in Fine Condition.
Harris beamed yesterday when
he spied Shea signing the hotel
register. Spec is in his finest
condition since he won IA games
and lost S with the Yankees in
1947. He trimmed Is pounds
from his stocky frame by diet
ing during the winter and re-
ports he now weighs 207. Specs
pronounced bulge at the beltline
has vanished.
Jerry Lane and Sonny Dixon
believers with the Senators last
season, are on trial. Pressing
them for jobs will be Bob Ross,
25-year-old left handler recently
discharged by the Army, who. saw
slight service with washington
in 1850 and 1851. and Clark. The
latter is a right-hander who
won 4 and lost 4 in relief with
Chattanooga last year after
spending a year in Korea. Bucky
is fascinated by Clark's fast ball
Conzalo Naranjo. Comilo Pas
cual and Sanchez. Cuban right
handlers, also are hopeful. Ma
ranjo had a 7-6 record with Ha-
vana, Pascual was 9-6 with the
same club and Sanchez won 8