Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-04-02
.AyiIa CIoutinq
In 1854 Style
ForCIeveIand
Mexicun Holdout
Now Batting ST.;
Dropo Connecting
~ the Associated Press

The Cleveland Indians have
had Q familiar name in their
box scores the past few days
"Avila, 2b." And the chunky
Mexican with the big ideas about
his batting ability looks like he
really does intend to hit 400
this season.
It was back In early February
that Bobby announced, 81 try
for 400 this season." His tongue
was not in his cheek. Avila has
been talking like a hitter ever
since he surprised nearly every
body by batting .341 to lead the
American League last season.
The 5-foot- infielder never had
hit above .305 before.
After making the 400 speech.
Avila entered into lingual diff
culties with Hank Greenberg,
the Indians general manager.
It was only last week that Bobby
and Greenberg finally talked the
same language about contract
terms.
Cl0uts Against Giants
Avila came into camp 81 days
late. But after winter baseball
Che owns his own club in
Mexico), he looked like he had
been with the club ever since.
training opened March /.
In his first full game Wednes-
day, he had 2-for-4 at the plate.
hitting a double and a home
run and batting in two runs.
Now. after three games. he's
8-for-14 CHATS SID, adding
two more extra-base blows, both
doubles. He's committed two
errors in "a chances In the field.
Avila had a perfect day on II
chances yesterday. and swatted
two doubles and scored twice as
Cleveland clobbered the New
York Giants, 1873.
The Indians, now 7-6 against
the world champions this spring,
continued to fatten up on New
York pitching with IA hits, rum
ming their three-day total
against the National Leaguers
to 40 runs and II hits. Larry
Dolby. AL Smith. AL Rosen and
Bob Lemon, the, winning pitcher.
each hit homers yesterday.
Jim Hearn. the comeback
highlander, was the victim. He
gave UP five runs in the first.
Lemon, meanwhile, went eight
innings-longest stretch yet for
q Cleveland hurler.
Grand Slam for Dropo
Elsewhere, the Chicago White
Sox walloped the st. Louis
Cardinals and Harvey Haddix,
80. in a game halted at six
innings by rain. F,irst-baseman
Walt Dropo, one of the "ifs" IN
White Sox pennant talk, hit
his second home run in two
days-a grand slam off Haddix
in the flrst-and Chicago club
officials promptly optioned a
first-base candidate, Jim Mar
shall, to Oakland.
The Milwaukee Braves whipped
Brooklyn, 9-5. to even the spring
series between the National
League contenders at sail. Joe
Adcock hit a three-run homer
IN the first inning off Karl
Spooner, the Dodgers young
lefthander who was making his
first appearance since March l3
as he has been idle because of a
sore shoulder. Adcock later in
jured a thigh in a collision with
Del Crandall and will be out two
or three days. Rookie Bert
Hamric hit home run for
Brooklyn.
Pittsburgh completed q deal
for Rookie Gene Freese by send
ing two players to New Orleans
and Freese responded with q
two-run double that set of a
IA victory over Baltimore. Mel
son King and Whammy Douglas,
q rookie pair, did the pitching
as the Pirates won their ninth
decision in the last 10 games.
Orioles Option Segrist
Afterward. Baltimore optioned
Inflelder Kal Segrist, obtained in
that 9-for-9 winter deal with
the New York Yankees, to San
Antonio. Pittsburgh also sent