Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-03-05
.McDermoftSays
'StartersCouId
Use More Relief
Mickey Feels "a Club
Could Have Won on
Additional 20 Games
By Burton Hawkins
By q Stor Stcff Correspondent

ORLANDO. Fla, Mar. S.
Maury McDermott is convinced
the Senators could have won 20
more games last season with a
crack relief pitcher and cites his
own case as an example of where
the club would have benefited
by more help from the bullpen.
McDermott, a loose-jointed
left-hander who won 18 games
with Boston in 1858. was a dis
tinct disappointment with WASH
ington last season, winning only
z and losing Is.
"It's a rare pitcher these days
who can go nine innings con-
sistently." McDermott said. Lets
take Bob Grim of the Yankees,
for instance. He won 20 games.
but he pitched only seven COM
plete games. The Yankees had
those good relief pitchers to get
him out of jams.
II won only seven games, but
I pitched IL compete games"
Maury continued. my earned
run average last season was 3.44,
compared with 3.01 in 1858. I
don't believe that slight differ
ence in earned run average
could account for the difference
Of II games in the win column.
Weighs rs Pounds Less.
II can't say it's the breaks
generally you make your own
breaks-but against the Yankees
I'd be going along pretty well,
they'd bloop a hit. somebody
would boot one, then they'd come
up with a solid hit or two and
they'd have a big inning where
they should have had nothing.
1T was one of those years as
far as I'm concerned. I don't
believe I ever really got into
condition. Last year I reported
here weighing 210 pounds. This
year I'm 1874. That's 26 pounds
I don't have to carry around.
Well see if that helps"
It's significant that when Nc
Dermott won Is games he started
80 and finished only 8 under
manager Lou Boudreau. Last
season, with Bucky Harris handi-
capped by lack of adequate re-
lief pitchers, McDermott was
forced to stick around longer,
sometimes with disastrous re-
suits. Apparently easy victories
suddenly became crushing de-
feats in the late innings.
Operating under his third man
ager in three years, McDermott
is likely to revert to the Boud-
reau pattern under Chuck Dres-
sen and indication are Maury
will like it.
Seeking Few Shoppers.
Dresser will attempt to locate
a suitable stopper or two from
pitchers now laboring here, but
if he's unable to find them he'll
relieve with starting pitchers in
close games. Chuck plays to
win today's game and doesn't
fret about the future.
Bob Porterfield might pitch
on a Monday and relieve for an
inning or two in a tight game
Wednesday. That would apply
to all of the Senators starters
unless Chuck discovers bright
bullpen prospects among his
current crop of second fight
pitchers.
Dresser will get a line on his
material today and tomorrow
when squad games will be played.
Chuck may permit the Senators
to play. nine-inning games if
they don't show signs of wear
after seven innings. "They look
as If they're in pretty good
shape" Chuck said. 80 maybe
we'll play regulation games"
Chuck put the Senators
through a rigorous drill on fun
damentals yesterday. He had
them running bases, sliding,
practicing pickoff plays and
making squeeze bunts. They
kept at 1t for five hours and
there's many a moaning muscle
on the SQUAD today