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Cavarretta Inks Sox Pact; Kell on Way Erstwhile Red Sox Infielder To Start at Third; Michaels May Alternate in Outfield By ED SAINSBURY United Press Sports Writer Two former major league batting champions were added to the Chicago White Sox yesterday arid one of them, Phil Cavarretta, ex-manager of the cross-town Chicago Cubs, will be ready for action against the American League leaders, Cleveland, tonight. Cavarretta, ousted as pilot of the Cubs, March 27, for a "defeatist attitude," signed with Sox general manager Frank C. Lane yesterday and then dressed for pictures in a White Sox uniform. He arrived too late to participate in the daily batting drill. The second acquisition, George Kell, obtained from Boston Sunday for infielder Grady Hatton and 00,000, will join the club Friday in Baltimore, and hell get into action that night. "Hell start at third base the day he joins us," manager Paul Richards said. Kell won the American League batting title with a .343 mark in 1949, while Cavarretta, who has a .291 major league average in 1,953 games with the Cubs, won the National League crown in 1945 with a .355 mark. "We can use Cavarretta as a pinch hitter, utility first baseman or utility outfielder," Richards said. "He could help us." At Playing Weight of 175 Pounds Cavarretta said he was at playing weight, 175 pounds, and that he had been working out daily, running and playing in the infield, since he left the Cubs. "But I didnt get much batting," he said. "Thats why Ill be out here early every day. If he asks me too, though, Ill go in tomorrow night. „* Thats what Im here for." There was no announcement of the salary specified in Cavarrettas contract, but there was no doubt it was less than he received for managing the Cubs. But terms of his release by the Cubs provided that he would receive his full salary this year, less whatever he made playing baseball elsewhere. "Ill make the same money," he .said, "but its nice to be back. All I could do at home was listen to the games." Acquisition of Kell meant that the Sox leading hitter, third baseman Cass Michaels, might be put out of a job. Michaels has a .342 batting mark and a .940 fielding mark so far this season compared to .258 and .920 for Kell. . Still Richards didnt figure that Michaels was out of a job. "We could use him some place else," he said, "as a utility infielder maybe, and he could, be a pinch hitter. Or he might work out in the outfield. "I wish he had three weeks of spring training. Hed be ready to go out there now. But this way hell have to play deeper. We plan to alternate him with Jim Rivera and Johnny Groth in the outfield." Lane was pleased with the new players. "Richards was worrying in the spring about not having a third baseman," he said. "Now let him worry about having two. And all we gave up to get Kell was money. Who would you rather see hitting for you, Hatton or Kell?
