Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-03-13
SENATORS
Continued From Page c.

4
ing into July /.
Sievers shudders at the
thought of any approximation of
that sour start. I'm not q
chronic slow starter" Sievers
said. when I hit .306 with the
st. Louis Browns as a rookie
before I hurt my arm-I led the
League for a month early in the
year.
Last spring I murdered the
ball in exhibitions down here, "
Roy continued. "but I wasn't
worth q nickle when we got
home. Maybe, subconsciously, ]
was putting a little extra effort
into my swing trying to pump
'em into the bleachers at Griffith
Stadium. That could have fouled
up my timing. Eventually it was
ILavagetto who Strengthened me
out.
! Cookie COFEcctS TldWS
st was lunging at the ball."
Sievers said. II was hitting of
my left foot, consequently lock-
| ing my hips and getting no
power. Also I was taking my
eye of the ball a split-second
before it reached me. Cookie
discovered the flaws. worked on
me, and got me out OF the
slump"
Sievers is happy about shift
ing from leftf1eld to first base.
a move which could be blocked
Ionly If Julio Becquer displays
sudden hitting improvement.
Compared to playing first base,
Ileftfleld is vacation" Sievers
said, "but think I'll like 1t
better at first base. There's only
one throw that's likely to bother
my arm. That's when a mans on
first base and somebody bloops
one over my head, forcing me
to chase the ball into short
Irightfield, then throw to third
That doesn't figure to happen q
half dozen times a year. I'll
have fewer worries about my arm
playing first base"
1 Roy isn't inclined to be pessi-
lmistic about the Senators. 1--WE
gave up lot" he says. "but we
may have picked up a lot, too
There's real good spirit on this
Iclub-a lot of young fellows try
ling to make good. It's q fine
feeling to be trying to make q
major league team. / know how
lit was when I broke in. You give
lit everything you have, then hope
for the breaks.
;. II needed breaks as a rookie
The breaks / got actually
stemmed from the misfortune Of
others. Dick Kokos and Pau
Lehner collided in the outf1eld
That created an opening fol
Whitley Platt.
Saved by Pinch Double
:; II had pinch-hit q couple Of
TIMES and struck out both times,
, Roy said. II was sent in to pinch
Init a few days later and ! knew
that if I didn't deliver I'd be
sent back to the minors. I dou-
bled and it saved me. Platt had
, been going badly, and lack Tay-
lor, managing the Browns then
said. you're playing leftfleld to-
morrow
II was scared to death, start.
ing my first game in my home
town, st. Louis. But I got
, three-for-four and stayed in the
, lineup. Going into the last da.
/, of the season, I was hitting .295
We had a double-header with
j the White Sox and I figured
, four for-10 would get my aver.
age up to 800. I got flve-for.
five in the first game against
Bill Wight, got another hit of
5 Max Surkont in the second gam,
, which was called in the fiftf
, inning or so because of rain, ant
/ finished at .306. 1t was the best
/ day I ever had.
| Funny thing, I'm still nervou,
before every game. I lose il
once action starts. but 1 JUS
: can't shake those pre-game jit.
ters."
Sievers, taking extra battinl
practice after holding out for {
week and getting behind hi.
: teammates from a conditionin,
standpoint, doesn't figure Il
crash the Senator'S lineup fol
several days.
The Senators are here toda,
2 to clash with the White Sox
8 with Garland ShifHett, Dear
Stone and Ralph Groves slatet
I to pitch.