Evening star., 1960-04-17
WIN, LOSE OR
GNAV BY FRANCIS sTANN
Not Quite q Do-Nothino

THE POPULAR NOTION that he is a Do-Nothing club
president always has been bum rap, Cal Griffith has
INSISTED and by way OF proving his point he will field a
radically changed team tomorrow the Senators open
the American League season against the Red Sox And
maybe Cal has something, even if it's more than
different place club.
For the main thing Roy Severs won't be in the lineup
Cal finally took the plunge traded Sievers while the
veteran hot item on the market Warm anyway
Instead Griffith has catcher in Earl Battey, possible
first baSeman in young Don Mncher and $5OOOO cash.
Little Abie Pearson, who rookie the-year ac-
claim in 1858 will be among the missing, too, along with
Norm zauchin, Clint Courtney Ed FITZGERALD Ron Sam
tord and few others who the premises a year
ago. Courtney and Sanford of declining ability and
the other of dubious original sks belong the Baltimore
Orioles now and that could turn out to be of the best
deals any club swung during the winter-spring.
This was the trade that brought Griffith a second
baSeman, Billy Gardner, who knows how to make the
double play.
GARDNER is NO UNBEARDED youth He will be 80
IN July and began playing in organized ball in l945 weak
bat Killed him with the Giants and Orioles and follows
that Gardner is not going make ht-conscous fans
forget Slevers But it's been long time since Griffith
Stadium patrons have seen Washington second baseman
perform Gardner can.
1t was the consensus among rival managers in Florida
that Cal gave up little in order to shore up neld even
only Tor season or two Jimmy Dykes of the Tigers may
have put best day when he said Pascua
Ramos and those other pitchers may wish times they
had SeverSS bat working for them but therel be
times when they're glad Batey is catching and Gardner
playing second base don't think there's anybody in the
majors who makes the double play as we'll"
Battey the first Negro catcher in Washington history
Is husky 25-year-old Californian who doesn't bring much
bat to the Senator'S either Earl has average of
only 2O9 but he used sparngly by the White Sox
VINO mad Sherman Loar The only two he caught
any appreciable number of games was as a tyro with
Waterloo in 1854 Charleston in 1885, he bated
.292 and 269, respectively
The tip is that Battey won't hit breaking stuff and
maybe he won't but nearly every report on the fellow
strongly suggests that he catch and throw Or will
once he gets used to playing every day.
ORIGINALLY CAL WANTED another White sox
catcher John Romano, who went to Cleveland in trade
This in Differences RomanoS superior batting power
but Griffith's house divided the Romano-vs-
Batey issue Some of his advisers felt that Cal would do
better with Batteys mitt than Romano's bat
Cal took pretty good beating from critics when he
sWapped SieVerS for Batey Mncher Less than
year ago he could have claimed much more according
to the White Sox say that he had choice of five
players and S3OOOOO But Griffith stuck with his solid man.
and 1t was only with reluctance that parted with sievers
this spring.
just had to get catcher Roy explained after the trade
washington couldn't have opened the season without
improving that department. don't blame Cal one bit !"
one OF the last top deals the late Clark Griffith
negotiated was trading Gil Baltimore for Seves
This was in February of 1854 when severs was de-
1nte risk because of his bad shoulder and throwing
But Clark Griffith, who was to pass on the following
year lived long enough to the beginning of fruit
tul six years for sievers.
NO BIG AVERAGE HITTER" Roy became the Sena-
tors al-time home king with 1S0 and in those six
seasons ne also drove in STA despite poor injury
plagued campaign in So Coan long since disappeared
from the baseball scene.
There will be occasions when the Senators will wish
they had Roys bat but in Gals studied opinion the home
run isn't everything Last year the Senators were tonned
only by Cleveland in the American League in the number
OF homerS they produced 16 to 1863 Their output was
more than the White Sox-but Chicago won the pennant
and Washington finished in the cellar. Defense-as ex-
emphted by Nellie Fox Luis Aparco and Landis-and
pitching depth more than Cancelled out the home run
9ne Senators still have longball threats in Harmon
hAeoreW, Bob Allison and Jim Lemon. They also have
according to rumor better catcher than anybody since
RICK Ferres heyday And they have the second
IN Gardner They'll have to make-do with the peach
uzzed 21yearold Mincher somebody at first base
and bravey face up to serious gap at shortstop
Twice every week. barring mishaps, they'll be tough
Those will be the days when Canilo Pascual and Pete
Ramos mitch