Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-03-03
Calvin Griffith,
COMMUNICATING
|ApprovalofP|an
Senators Reported
Trying to Get Olson
And First Busemun
By Burton Hawkins
Stor Stoff Correspondent

Calvin Griffith. vice president Of
the Senators. and Joe Cronin.
general manager Of the Red
Sox, seemingly have settled on
a deal which would transfer
First Baseman Mickey Vernon to
Boston. but both are awaiting
approval of other officials.
IT want to talk to Bucky
(Harris) and Uncle CLARK Grit
fith)," Calvin said last night after
a conference with Cronin. land
Joe wants to talk with Lou
Boudreau (Red Sox manager) :"
Calvin said that in preliminary
discussions Vernon was the only
Washington player mentioned as
a possibility in trade converse
ton. He added that the Sena-
tors were seeking more than
one player from Boston but re-
fused to identify them.
Shocked by Pay Demand.
Were trying to get more than
one player" Calvin said. But
1 don't know that we will be
successful. Joe was shocked
when l told him the salary YER
non wants" Vernon recently
trimmed his salary demands
from $40.5O0 to $4,000. Young
Griffith said there was little like
lihood of a deal materalizing
before tomorrow.
Washington repeatedly is seek
ing First Baseman Norbert
Zauchin. 6-foot-4 right-handed
hitter, and Outflelder Karl Olson,
6-foot-3l2, 205-pounder who also
is a right-handed hitter.
Olson saw only slight service
with the Red Sox after ending
his military duty last July 80.
The Big Swede batted .32l with
Birmingham in 1850. slamming
% home runs and batting in
100 runs. In 1851 he compiled a
800 mark with Louisville before
entering the Army in midseaSon.
He was a 400 hitter for the
Fort Ord club.
Pleased With Catchers.
Meanwhile, Harris is refer
ring to Catchers Ed FITZGERALD
and Joe Upton in a glowing
vein. They'll give Washington
the best catching it's had in
years." Bucky said.
Harris isn't concerned at the
moment about the third member
of his catching staff. who prob
ably will be restricted chiefly to
bullpen duties. He's content to
have FITZGERALD and Upton
functioning for him, feeling both
are clever operators.
II don't understand how the
other clubs in the National
League could waive on FitzGer-
aid and permit us to get him
from Pittsburgh" Bucky said.
Fact is. I don't see how Pitts
burgh could let him go. He's
"a pretty doggoned good ball
player" =.
Bucky is convinced Fitzgerald's
batting average will rise above
it's 1853 level. A .118 hitter with
the Pirates in mid-May, Fitz
batted $50 with the Senators
and Harris emissions improve
ment this season.
ED has a sound batting
stroke" Harris said. land he
figures to do better. After all,
he was looking at American
League pitchers for the first
time and toward the end of the
season he showed me he was
catching up with them. Late in
the year sort Of liked to have
him up there swinging for me.
He's dangerous with men on
base"
Upton, who will catch when
FITZGERALD doesn't. came to the
Senators from Cleveland in Janu-
airy for Mickey Grasso. but it
was while Joe was seeing more
action with the Athletics two
years ago that Harris learned to
like him.
Proves Smartness.
'He showed me he's smart"
Bucky said. Three times in
Philadelphia he called for pitch
outs against us in hit-and-run
situations and nailed our runner
at second base.
II thought he had stolen our
hit-and-run signal. so tested
to see. told George Wyatt I'd
flash the hit-and-run sign to
him and he could flash it to our
men involved, but told our fell
lows in this particular instance
to ignore Myatt's' sign. I was
using the occasion to see If Tip
ton had detected our sign.