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Hint Yankees Still After Scarborough Trade Deadline Threatens Deal NewYorkMoundStaffWeak; Griffith Places ,000,000 Price Tag on His Ace Hurler By BARNEY NAGLER NEW YORK, N. Y., May 4.— No matter what the word may be to the contrary, take it as a bright possibility that the Yankees will come up with Ray Scarborough, Washington pitching star, before the trading deadline. May 18. That this development was approaching the reality stage was hinted around the Stadium press coop yesterday despite last weeks feeling that all was lost for the Yankees in this regard. Clark Griffith, the old Washington owner, turned an indignant and accusing finger at the Yankees at that time, saying he would go to Commissioner Happy Chandler if the New Yorkers didnt stop telling the press the deal for Scarborough was in the works. Since then all has been calm, which has been taken as an indication that the boys are talking real terms now instead of just engaging in time-of-day twaddle. When the deal was first discussed, Yankee bossman George Weiss and manager Casey Stengel offered the Senators the choice of any Yankee catcher excepting Yogi Berra, outfielder Johnny Lindell, infielders Billy Johnson and George Stirn-weiss and pitching help in the form of a second-rank hurler. Griffith bridled at this offer, insisting: "Scarborough is for sale, sure. We want ,000,000 for him." Count it right and count it slowly: A cool million. Griffith was just talking big money to set the proper niche for the deal. He believes — and rightly so— that Scarborough is a key man in the American League pennant fight and that the flag, is worth that much to any club. Red Sox May Want Ray Whether he meant a million in terms of hard cash is another story. Of course, the hard-pressed Red Sox, twice beaten by Scarborough in significant pennant games in 1948 and 49, may prove desperate enough to come up with that kind of loot. But this is extremely doubtful. s At the time Griffith was saying all this the Senators werent considered much. Now, however, they at least fare In respectable fashion against eastern competition in the opening games. They came out of the first fortnight with a 5 to 4 record against eastern clubs, with Scarborough winning two of these games. However, a newcomer, Steve Nagy, who came to the Senators from the West Coast for the claiming price of 00,000, has come along as a mound hopeful. He beat the Yankees in his first major league start, a 10-inning stint, and did this despite the laxity of the Senators defense. So it could be that Griffith, envisioning Nagy as a second Scarborough, may deal Ray to the Yankees for all the fine talent involved. — Scarborough would bring solid support to the Yankee mound operatives. The Bronx -ites havent been getting pennant-winning work on the hill, a defect that can be overcome by Rays presence in the New York lineup. Just to show the situation on the Yankee mound, be reminded that no Bronx hurler went the distance in the first week of the season. It wasnt until the opening of the second week that Vic Raschi finally threw around the clock, beating the As in Philadelphia, 6 to 3, "while allowing 10 hits. The next day, Ed Lopat also lasted through nine innings, following in the Raschi pattern, but two good pitching jobs in 10 games doesnt make a mound staff. Scarborough would do that and nobody knows this better than Stengel, who told Harris in New York, during a chance meeting at Toots Shors: "Wed like to do business with you fellows. Real business, that is." It may soon come to pass; has to, for that matter, before May 18.
