Evening Star Newspaper, April 4, 1929, Page 49

JOHNSON PLANNING NO FURTHER CUTS Hopkins and Harris to Be Kept at Least Until After Season Opens. BY JOHN B. KELLER. ACKSONVILLE, Fla, April 4— Next stop for the Nationals will be a town that has been a jinx to them the past few years. To- morrow Manager Walter John- son’s charges will land in Birmingham to make the place their headquartrs for four days and the club has no pleasant memories of the Alabama mef lis. In past stop-overs at Birmingl b ‘Washington hitters couldn’t hit, field- ers couldn't field and pitchers couldn’t pitch. To make it worse, the athletes usually left with a flock of colds scat- tered among them. It ought to be different this time, however. The Nationals are going into Birmingham tomorrow in better form in a playing way and better trim physi- cally than they have in years. So per- haps the jinx, after seeing what splen- did shape they are in, will stick his tail between his legs, slink away from Rick- wood Park and take a long, flying jump into the Warrior .that flows nearby. Four games are to be played in and near Birmingham while the Nationals make the town their base. Tomorrow and Saturday they will stack up against the minor league outfit with which they long have been associated in a business as well as a playing way, the Barons of the Southern Association. To Face Giants Monday. ‘Through with Johnny Dobbs’ aggre- gation, Johnson's charges will shitt to Montgomery Sunday afternoon for a tussle with the Southeastern Leaguers of that town. Monday will find them back in Birmingham to begin their an- nual Spring series with the Giants, which this year will consist of seven en- gagenfients. Despite the old jinx, there's some- thing to-be said in favor of Birmingham as a stop-over point for a ball club. It has the finest base ball plant the Na- tionals will use before they reach their home lot, a week from today. The in- field is well graded and free from peb- bles. The outfield is springy, but not too soft, and the entire playing ground is free from the mounds that so often makes play on ‘a training season field ‘hazardous. The stay in Birmingham will be something of a “homecoming” for many. of the Nationals. No less than six of the Washington squad have seen service with the Barons and two of the six spend much of their time in the Ala- bama city between playing seasons. Red Barnes, regular outfielder, and Jack Hayes, who has been given the second-basing job, are native Alabam- ans. Barnes, in the Winter, dividgs his time between Suggsville and Birming- ham, while Hayes' home is so near the city that he expects to stay in Clanton while the club is in the big town and commute for the games there and in Montgomery. Barnes saw considerable service with the Brmingham club, but Hayes was in only one game with the Barons be- fore he moved up to the big show. Stuffy Stewart formerly managed the Barons, Sam West starred in the out- fleld for them and Irving Hadley got most of his schooling in professional pitching with the same club. Bob Burke bases his claim to being a Birmingham alumnus upon his midsea- son turn with the club last year. Looks as though there’ll be some friendly ene- mies on the field at Rickwood Park. All Hands to Be Ready. Manager Johnson will have all his athletes in the games with the Barons and the Montgomery club. The boil that bothered Lioyd Brown is healing so rapidly that the promising left-hander probably could step through four or five innings without suffering any an- noyance, while Hadley has fully recov- ered from the slight stomach indispo- sition that affe his hurling when he faced the Tampa Smokers Tuesday. Others of the rather meager pitchin, squad of nine are in excellent phydeg condition, as they have been since the first two weeks of the training season. It looks as though Manager Walter Johnson has pruned his squad as much as he will until after the championship season gets under way. He had con- sidered carrying only eight pitchers and four outfielders into the flag race, but now he plans to hold Paul Hopkins, young hurler up for trial with the Na- tionals for the second time, and Spen- cer Harris, outfielder, bought from Minneapolis. It is unfortunate that Hopkins hasn't more “stuff” on the ball, for he is a heady pitcher and makes few mistakes. However, he doesn't seem to have suf- ficlent natural ability to make him'a big Ie;g&e moundsman. But Johnson now tl s he will need a rinth pitcher around to employ in batting drills once the season is under way. Hadley, Liska, Jones, Braxton and Brown are billed s starting hurlers, so Marberry, Cemp- bell and Burke will have to be held reserve for relief work instead of de- voting any great amount of time to the wand practice. The decision to retain Harris has nothing to do with any uncertainty as to Goose ’s ability to throw. The Goose has b?mlo:;:?“'fd that again there should y_of power in the wing that was lfiinc throughout last season. Instead, Johnson now holds that Harris might make a good emergency batter for his club and to keep him on the roster even though retaining the outfielder means the payment of $18,000 to the Millers. ZUKE PLUMLEY- GROVER /\JAYLOR: A Golf Record. EVERAL queries have blown in asking whether or not any other golfer ever duplicated Horton Smith's record from November to April—from Joplin to the Pacific on back of the Atlantic. No other golfer has even come close to Smith’s prodigious, almost unbeliev- able performance. When you consider the length of his campaign—nearly six months—the vast varieties of courses he has been called on to play—the qual- ity of the opposition and the quality of his own game—you get a golf story that slips into the miracle order. 1f he had won one or two sensational tournaments, that would be something else. If he had been able to win with only fairly good golf, that would also be something else. But this young Missouri Merlin and his set of magic wands have blistered about 10,000 miles of fairway and have beaten, week after week, the finest profes- sionals in the history of the game. It is the phenomenal average of his scoring under heavy pressure for nearly six months that lifts him to such a pinnacle of golf greatness. A few years ago Mac Smith played 18 rounds in four or five big tournaments—all in a row—with an average of. 70 to each round.. This included two 70s over the backbreaking Lido test, one of the finest in golf. Yet Mac's record fades out before the other and younger Smith's. Two years ago Johnny Farrell won seven big tournaments out of eight starts, and that was nothing to be laughed off. It was a brilliant achieve- ment. But even that was below. the amazing record the Joplin entry has turned in since he began his wild march THE SPORTLIGHT '—————————By GRANTLAND RICE. last Fall. gxmu.nchecklm:kuur as you caré to in golf and you will never find & record for sustained bril- liancy and consistency to equal Horton Smith's. X Tampa Row Still On. Before he left Tampa for Washing- ton y:surd-y, President Clark Griffith conferred with the owners of the Smokers, hoping to smooth the way to- ward making the big city of the Florida west coast the Nationals' training base: again next year. No agreement was reached, but the ‘Washington prexy left hoping to have his club at Tmp:h:ncehmme. MSo f:r as conditioning yers con- cerned, Tampa is an i&u training site and Grifith is loath to abandon it. But he'll do so if the Tampa club owners_insist u}:on being given & sub- stantial sum before they waive the territorial right to the locality hold under laws of organized base bal 11 Griffith likes Florida for Spring train- ing and prefers Tampa to any other in Florida, but zg;ggg Egggi The Big Feature, OLF is & game where even the best can only expect to be at the peak for a short spell. Even the best golfers have dreaded to reach this peak too soon before some championship started. Some years ago Gil Nichols, now at Deepdale, might have won more than one open, but he had the tough luck to reach top form the week before and win some . big tournament just ahead of’ the bigger event. Bobby Jones shot a 66.at Worces- ter, the day before the championship, and had the struggle of his life to'gét & 77 the next day when the maih show opened. Tommy Armour had a bril- liant 67—68 in the $10,000 Los Angeles tournament, but the terrific pace burned him out the next day.’ 4 Golf timing is something of a hair-trigger matter when it comes to competition. The physical part isn’t so hard, but the merve strai is heavy and continuous,, Any num- ber of the best pros and leading amateurs ean set a fast pace for few days of competition. Thes they begin to slip, to lose the touch and feel and the needed timing, and the 69s and the 70s turn to 77s and 79s. ‘To play at top speed for three weeks in first-class competition has been an unusual happening. To keep under even 4s for nearly six months, while traveling thousands of miles, is something no one believed possible, much less probable. I recall Vardon and Ray at the end of & two-month toyr in this country. Both were wornto ‘s fraszle. On the last day Ray was over 80. “My eyes are | tired,” he said, “and I never want to| see a golf ball again.” Even the best golfers who win one or two big events run into certain slumps shortly afterward. The nerve strain gets them in time. And nerve weariness is & far different matter from mere physical weariness. It calls for more time, much more time, in which to re- cuperate. F One’ Answer. 'OW is it that Horton Smith, not yet 21, could keep traveling at such speed over so long & stretch? ‘There are three reasons to be offered. The first is physical stamina and fine condition—a matter he watches closely. The- second is & temperament which or & disposition which carries little worry. He is less inclined to tension, to the keyed-up state than most golfers are. Hagen has been a wonder in this. The third is probably the most impor- tant. He has a smooth, true golf swing that is almost flawless in its style. It is the type of swing that makes golf look and feel comparatively easy. He has made correct balance or I correct weight shifting a matter of instinct. He isn’t constantly fighting ervors that creep into so many swings. He has no faults to think about or to worry about.: Only an almost flavless golf swing could keep fine | timing operating for six months on" | a stretch. He hits a goif ball as ‘Walter Johnson once threw a base ball, with his weight always in the tion that gave no sign eof great ef- fort and yet collected the results. No golfer with & faulty swing could | have done what Horfon Smith has done, And most of the great golfers have cer- | tain faults they have to watch—too much right hand—faulty foot work or faulty balance—the tendency toward tension and lifting the head—lack of | w:aflnnmmmdm—l g i § £t fl £ £ Bei E ::{:;. MAGKS DSPLAYNG MUCH BETTERBAL Work Has Steadily Improved on Jaunt North—Red Sox Twirlers Ready. By the Associated Press. REENSBORO, N. C., April 4— r o gal S g:‘thelx ‘homeward trek their Florida training camp. A steady improvement has been noted in the team since it left Fort Myers. Nearly every man is hitting and sev- eral of the pitchers have gone the full- game route. JACKSONVILLE, Fla,, April 4 (#).— Bill Carrigan of the Red Sox has reported Big Ed Morris and Charley Ruffing as the farthest advanced of his pitchers. Both of the big fellows are in fine form and fit right now to pitch | a full game. SEMINOLE, Okla., April 4 (#)—The “insurrection” quieted, Manager Black- burne had his White Sox in Seminole today for a game with the locals. ‘The White Sox won a circus game with Des Moines of the Western League, 19 to 7, at McAlester yesterday, getting 18 hits. FORT WORTH, Tex., April 4 (#).— After handing the Chicago Cubs a 5 to 3 beating yesterday. the Detroit Tig- ers moved here from Beaumont to open a ::rlu with Donie Bush’s crippled Pi- rates. MEMPHIS, Tenn. April 4 (#).—The St. Louis Browns finally saw a home run in an exhibition contest. Four of them yesterday, two by each team, were the first ones the Browns watched in 12 games, and the Birmingham game went 12 innings before the American Leag- uers won, 16-11. NEW ORLEANS, La., April 4 (#).— ‘Two days of work are the interim for the Cleveland Indians separating their defeat of the New York Giants gesteg- day and the games Saturday and Sun- day with the Brooklyn Robins. e Sl s e Baegse vl o more, a =l T WO down in the ninth yesterday and Luke Sewell brought him in with a single which scored the fifth run, breaking a 4 rt’g 4 tie and splitting the two-game serles. FORT WORTH, Tex., April 4 (#).— The famout Ruth-Gehrig home run combination has been broken up, but only for a day. The Babe came here with the Yankees' regulars yesterday and celebrated by missing his the University of Texas namuun. They {are together again today to repel the threat of Arndt Jo E" the young Waco, Columbia. At CI Charlot! (A), At lanta, 0. At At Houston, Columbus, 1. 15; Columbia, (A.) va: Greensbore. ~At Memphis, Tenn.—St. Louis (A.) vs.| At Pensacels, Fla.—~Brooklyn (N.) vs. Pensacola. At Birmingham, Ala.—Cincinnati (N.) vs. At Macon, Ga.—St. Louis (N.) vs. Macén. At Houston, Tex.—Chicago (N.) vs. louston. At Biloxi, Miss.—New York (N.) vs. from | Toledo (A. A.). At Jacksonville, Fla.—Washington (A.) vs. Jacksonville. At Columbia, S. C.—Boston (N.) vs. 2. Fights Last Night By the Associated Press. CINCINNATI.—Maxie New York, outpointed Joe Anderson, Covington, Ky. delphia, Jack b ”"'fi"o); Indian Tiger West, stopped Young Williams, ton, W. Va. Philadelphia, Cincinnati (5) (10); | BIG LEAGUE BASE BALL ' By the Assoclated Press. TODAY'S SCHEDULE. At Fort Worth, Tex.—Detroit (A.) vs. Pittsburgh (N.). At Tex.~—New York (A) vs. l::rlo“c, N. C.—Boston (A.) vs. YESTERDAY’S RESULTS. At Beaumont, Tex.—Detroit (A.), 5; | Chicago (N.), 3. At New Orleans—Cleveland (A.), 5; New York (N.), 4. At Daytona Beach, Fla.—Washington 8; Montreal (L), 3. Atlanta—Cincinnati (N.), 6; At- Birmingham—St. Louis (A.), 16; Birmingham, 11 (12 innings). At Fort Worth, Tex.—New York (A.), 5; Fort Worth, 2. Tex.—Pittsburgh (N.), 5; Houston, 4. At Columbus, Ga.—St. Louis (N.), At Jacksonville, Fla.—Brooklyn (N.), 12; Jacksonville, At Salisbury, N. C.~Philadeiphia (A)., 8. C, 1. ‘Rosenbloom, ~—Davey Abad, Panama, Wee outpoin johnny Louis (10); Rosey R { 3 ted Henry Lenard, Chicago (10). Kaiser, St. ‘oungstown, KANSAS CITY.—Joey Rivers, Kansas City, knocked out Don Barnett, Angeles (7). Solomon (10). . BENTON HARBOR, Knopp, Toledo, and Harry Mich., 2mazoo, first | - drew (10) CHARLOTTE, N. C—Sid Terris, Chapel Hill, N. C, outpointed King Los Mich.—Art Perlick, Kal- FRANK_ Cocsis- MARANVLLE EARNS 1B AT SHORTSTOP Veteran Beats Out Farrell, Braves: Announce—Card the race Rookies Do Well. C berth_from the Braves announced. Secretary Ed Cunningham said the veteran would start against Brooklyn when the regular season but de- clared Farrell would have plenty of op- portunity to win back the post, MACON, Ga., April 4 (#)—Two re- cruits, being groomed for regular posts with the St. Louis Cardinals, showed to good advantage yesterday. Ray Lingrel hurled five cipher in- nings, allowing but two hits, and Char- ley Gelbert, shortstop, stole bases, in- cluding home for the first Red Bird tally. Another rookie, Delker, counted for two of the Birds' four safeties. HOUSTON, Tex., April 4 (#).—The Pirates have been doing some sweet hit- ting during their Spring training, the team average being .304. George Gran- tham, second sacker, whose home run beat Houston yesterday, 5 to 4, leads the squad with .424 in 17 games. Lloyd Waner turned an ankle slid- ing in the fifth inning and retired from , Ala.. April 4 (P).— Red Lucas and Eppa Rixey, Cincinnati Red pitchers, were privileged to sit on 4 P)— le has won for the Dr. Eddie management, has OLUMBIA, 8. C., A “Rabbit” Maran ) uege. e, | & imew | before game time and presen . | & floral horseshoe, the 1, 4 | Beach neighbors and friends of big train. Johnson maintains a home . | here during the Winter season. The game itself was a mere incident to the present of the fans who came to see Johnson, Nick Altrock and Al - | Schact. to the dugout, but Altrock ventured over to first base in the ninth inning, . | chased the willing Joe Judge to the showers and grabbed one putout as his share of the celebration. 4 n 7 Hit Win- t. 10 s in 2 innings. t (Barnes). Horset]" Crpires—pies kle. Time of game—1 fal THEVENOW UNABLE T0 PLAY THIS YEAR Injured Shortstop Is “Doing| Nicely”—Loss Is Heavy Blow to Phils. thi By the Associated Press. ger Shotton and his Philadel- phia Nationals were nearing home today from the Southern = t base at Winter Haven, They are due early tonight and pre- parations have been made for workouts tomorrow on the home grounds. They meet the Athletics in the first game of the city series on Saturday. The loss of Tommy Thevenow, who was badly injured in an automobile accident at Lakeland, Fla., Tuesday night, was a hard blow to Manager Shotton. Shotton said he conside ‘Thevenow one of the best ;hon-lwps’tmffl, in the National League. Advices from Lakeland today said that Thevenow was “doing nicely,” but that be probably would not be able te play base ball this season. Harold Elliott, rookie pitcher, who was injured with Thevenow, left Winter Haven with the team. He was not badly hurt. MORGAN DEFIES JINX IN ZORILLA BATTLE By the Associated Press. LOS ANGELES, April 4—Tod Mor- gan will try to succeed tonight where three other fistic champions failed. The junior lightweigh title holder will enter the hempen square here in answer to the challenge of Santiago Zorilla, d glove thrower from p‘;l‘mthe f the 10 d ince passage of -roun boxing law in California three ci plons have brought their diadems into Los Angeles rings, only to see them snatched away. Frankie Genaro, fly: weight; Mike Ballerino, junior ligl weight, and Pinky Mitchell, junior we terweight, suffered that fate. By a coincidence Morgan was one of and a walk _Nick flock started the put 10HNSON HONORED AT DAYTONA BEACH Barney Gets Floral Horse- shoe—His Team Wallops - Montreal, 8-3. Special Dispatch to The Star. DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., April 4— The Nationals proved to the delight of about 2,500 fans here yesterday that Walter Johnson is as much a hero among them as he is among Floridans by walloping the Montreal Royals of the Internationsl League, 8 to 3, in ] “Walter Johnson day” contest. johnson was called to the plate just The latter Johnson sat on the the game, a Boy Scout on each side. Hemhnd uflnmm Inn%‘ he pmba:ly would p an or twe, but changed his mind. Garland Braxton, the southpaw, and Fred Marberry kept scattered. Braxton was found for four hits, two of whish, a single and a home run, were bunched in the fifth to give the Royals their first runs. After Fowler had poked a it | single to left, - | idol of the French in Montreal, rolled a homer down the first base line. Home runs can roll several blocks on the island diamond here and Gaudette's blow was no éxception. b, | The Royals counted their third and final marker in the sixth frame when Walter Doc Gautreau, the former Brave, drew a walk off Marberry, stole second and third and scored on Gulley’s one- baser to right. Elon Hogsett, full-blooded Osage In- dian, started for the Canadians and ai- lowed the Nationals seven of their el?ht runs. Singles by Bluege’s Texas League double into right the first three runs for the visitors in the opening chapter. Hogsett, who revealed streaks of wild- ness throughout the game, allowed an- other run in the fifth on singles of Gos- lin and Barnes and 2n infield out. After the Royals had pulled up_to within one run of the Nationals, Red Barnes took it upon himself to clinch the battle in the seventh. Sam West opened this frame by fanning for the but then the fireworks started. Myer singled. Goslin walked and Barnes cut loose with a triple down the third-base stripe. Bluege walked PHILADELPKIA, April 4—Mana- | and Barnes counted on Judge’s infield irly well [u ird time, out. Just to make matters certain, the visitors counted their final run off Dunagain in the ninth. Goslin again walked, Barnes followed with a single and Judge's sacrifice fly counted the CULLOP REJOINS ROBINS, LEADS THEM JACKSONVILLE, Fla., April 4 (#).— whose in on e game. He rejoined the Robins yesterday, after being away for some time due to the illness of his wife, and promptly led them to their first victory in many days. Nick’s triple with the Robins on a batting spree that beat out the Jacksonville Tars, and him back in line for one of the reg- ular posts with the club this year. 15-ROUND BOXING BILL INTRODUCED SPRINGFIELD, Ill, April 4 (A.—A bill raising the limit on Illinois boxing matches from 10 to 15 rounds has been introduced in the Legislature by Repre= sentative Albert P. Mancin of Chicago. Another bill by Mancin would compel racetrack licenses to return to the State 5 per cent of the 62 per cent now held on demand. PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE. Hollywood, 6; Los Angeles, 5. Portland, Bucky to rumors that he would ta to Brooklyn as the scene of his ball activities this year, has gone a long way toward disproving the reports ted with gift of Daytona the kept pretty ciose bench throughout six Montreal hits Gaudette, the Judge and Hayes, TO VICTORY absence from the bases loaded IN ILLINOIS those winning a title here, and he will defend it tonight in the same ring in which he battered it from Ballerino’s brow more than three years ago. The champion in most quarters was | favored to win, 10 to 9, but many Zorilla backers went so far as to put encounter against the Atlanta club and turned in a shutout, 6 to 0. BEAUMONT, Tex., April 4 - (®). After ht of ten games with the Cubs set out for ipril 4 - ().—Al habit of hitting at all times, Mel O, Giant outfielder, finds the climate of home State of Louisiana conducive to a good batting average. In three exhibition games the Giants have played in the State Mel has gone | “l’:e bat 12 times and hit safely five of th up even money. LEAGUE MEETS TONIGHT. the Georgetown Church Base Ball League a meeting will be held tonight at 8 o'clock at Peck Memorial Church Cha i » ’Iu‘dfin o asks that representatives of ing franchises as well as teams wishing to enter present. A San 7. STUDEBAKER R. McREYNOLDS & SON 1423-25-27 L St. N.W. Decatur 686 NEW CARS Telice Your USED CARS 1{th&E Sts NW.]