Evening Star Newspaper, April 12, 1933, Page 29

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 12, 1933. Hopeful Nats Rebuilt in Thre [} I RAMBLING BASE BALL THOUGHTS. 16,0F 24 N SQUAD PUT ON SINGE 1929 Rice, Bluege, Surviving Members of First Flag Team. BY JOHN B. KELLER. ASHINGTON’S ball club, entering the thirty-third championship campaign of the American League highly hopeful of success, is truly a “new deal” for the National Capital. For seven of its players this is the first season in the Griffith livery, and just eight of the re- mainder wore it prior to 1930. Among the two dozen on the roster there are but three who hark back to the halcyon days of 1924 when the Nationals brought Washington its first pennant. Ball clubs that finish well back in the flag race always make sweeping changes in personnel, but it is unusual for a high-rating club as Washington has been for some years to be altered so ‘materially within the span of three years. Making over a well-worn base ball machine with 16 new parts gathered from widely scattered localities in such & short time is a remarkable achieve- ment even for such a master mechanic of the game as Clark Griffith, president of the Washington club. Nm'r of the Nat Nationals are Walter ‘Whitehill, Jack Rus- sell, Luke Sewell, Fred Schulte, Ed Linke and Bob Boken, but, excepting Linke and Boken, they are not so new to the fessional game. Stewart got his start with Bradenton of the Florida State League back in 1919, while Whitehill Birmingham tion a year later. Sewell stepped right up from the University of Alabama to Cleveland in 1921, Schulte made his debut with Waterloo of the Mississippi ‘Valley League in 1924 and Russell began 1'9"2“‘5, Paris of the East Texas League in ‘They served hard apprenticeships be- fore making the big league clubs from which Griffith got them in trades the past Winter, Stewart and Schulte from the St. Louis Browns, Whitehill from the Tigers and Sewell and Russell from the Indians. , have not been in the game long, but have made much progress. of the present crop of Nationals the club for the first time last season, Alphonse Thomas, Moe Berg, Johnny Kerr, Bill McAfee and Luther Thomas. Al Thomas was bought from the Chicago White Sox in June. He had been with them a little more than six seasons, but he rst entered professional base ball in 1918 with Buffalo of the International League. McAfee came out of the University of Michigan to gl‘in the Chicago Cubs in 1930 and the jationals finally picked him up from Montreal of the Ints. Kerr, a West Coast product, got with Washington in a trade with the White Sox. Berg, 2 Princeton grad, saw service with the White Sox and Indians before joining the Nationals at the Biloxi, Miss., training camp. Luther Thomas joined the club after finishing his season with Youngstown of ~the League. He had pitched much sandlot ball in and around Washington before turning pro. MONII WEAVER, the distinguished professor of mathematics, is the only player on the roster to have come up to the Nationals in 1931. He ust made that season by the skin of il.ll teeth, for Washington yanked him from the Baltimore club shortly before the season closed and he found time to pitch a game against the White Sox and win it. He began his professional career with Durham of the Piedmont League in 1928. 4 1t was in 1930 that Joe Kuhel, Heinie Manush and Dave Harris first put on the Washington uniform. Kuhel, who started with Flint of the Michigan- Ontario League back in 1924, was bought from Kansas City and got in 18 games in his first season in the big Jeague. Manush came along with Al Crowder from the Browns in June in the trade for Goose Goslin. Heirie has been around the pro game since 1921, when he began with Edmonton of the ‘Western Canada Lecague. Harris came from the White Sox in a trade in June. He had played with the Boston Braves bef ore. In 1929 Clif Bolton first joined the Nationals, a purchase from Raleigh of the Piedmont League. He was shlgped early, and this is his third time back with the club. IT was in July, 1928, that Joe Cronin, now manager, first donned a Wash- ington uniform. He was bought from Kansas City, but_journeyed around the country for a week with Scout Joe Engel before reporting here. Joe was afraid that Griffith wouldn't think well of the purchase. Bob Burke's first year with the Na- tions was 1927. He was drafted from Little Rock of the Southern Association. Crowder was found by the Nationals in Birmingham in 1926, but he had started with San Francisco in 1922. The General was shipEed to the Browns in 1927, to come back in 1930. Buddy Myer came up from New Or- Jeans in 1925, and managed to crash the world series the Nationals lost to the Pirates that year. Buddy started the ‘ear with Cleveland, only to be turned | over to the Pelicans. He was moved to | the Boston Red Sox in 1927, but came back two years later. F the 1924 championship team only | Sam Rice, Ossie Bluege and Goose | Goslin are here. Sam'’s been around | since 1915, when he was bought from | Petersburg of the old Virginia League. | moved in in 1922 from Peoria, and Goslin in 1921 from Columbia of the South Atlantic League. The Goose was shifted to the Browns in 1930, but he was glad to get back this year. New York (A), 6; Yale, 0. Newark (I L), 16; Rutgers, 1. ; Montreal (I.L.), .), 3; Black Yan- , 1. Boston (N.) at Holy Cross canceled, Philadelphia (A.) ‘at Newark (I. I..)l Tain, : Baaceled, Goslin Only |the Leafs win the next two gam WASHINGTON, D. C, Ball Games Here To Be Broadcast ED HUSING, sports announcer of the Columbia Broadcasting System, was to be at the WISV microphone at Griffith Stadium at 2:45 o'clock this afternoon, to give a play-by-play description of the opening game between Washington and Philadelphia, in the event bad weather didn't prevent the clash. Should inclement weather post- pone the game, the broadcast will be made tomorrow. Inning by inning reports of all ‘Washington games, beginning today, will be broadcast over WRC every afternoon. Every evening, between 6 and 6:30 o'clock, that station will give complete scores of both the American and National Leagues. MAPLE LEAFS BACK INHOCKEY RUNNING Down Rangers, 3 to 2, After Two Defeats in Five-Game X Series for Title. By the Associated Press. ORONTO, April 12—Due largely to the straight shooting and the inspiration of their smallest member, Ken Doraty, the Toron- to Maple Leafs still are in the fight to retain the Stanley Cup and the cham- pionship -of the professional hockey world. After losing the first two games of the final play-off series to the New York Rangers, Doraty led the Leafs to a 3-to-2 triumph in the third con- test and prolonged the play-off to a fourth game, which will be played here tomorrow. The team which first wins three games takes the cup. Doraty, a small slender youngster, weighing under 130 pounds without his skates, stick and hockey armor, set himself up as a serious rival to Cecil Dillon of the Rangers as the play-off hero when he scored two of Toronto’s three goals. ILLON kept his place of honor by scoring his eighth goal of the play-offs in the first period with his favorite play, tearing down alone when his team was short-handed. This counter put him one over the previous “modern” record, made by Frank Boucher in 1928 when the Rangers fought their way to victory in the Stanley Cup series, and only one short of Babe Dye's great total of nine made for the Toronto St. Pats against Van- couver. Despite a crippling injury to Irvin “Ace” Bailey, veteran right winger, were hopeful of going on to es tomorrow and Saturday and retaining the trophy. Bailey suffered a knee injury when Ching Johnson flattened him with a body “check. It was believed to be a torn caftilage that would keep him out of the ‘remaining games. CLOSE RACE 15 DUE - IN INTERNATIONAL New Play-off System Expect- ed to Add Interest to Flag Hunt Starting Today. By the Associated Press. EW YORK, April 12.—Anticipat- ing a closer race and added in- terest through the operation of a “hockey play-off” system, the International Base Ball League pre- pared to open its golden jubilee year today. ‘With the help of the weather man, the opening battles were to send the Toronto Maple . Leafs against Orioles at Baltimore and the Roche Redwings against the Senators at Al- bany. The other two inaugurals, at Newark and Jersey City, were post- poned a day so as to avoid conflict with the major league opening at New York. On Thursday the champion Newark Bears will face Montreal while Jersey City plays Buffalo. The Bears won the pennant by a mar- gin of 15, games last season, but a much closer, and more interesting race is in prospect this time. Under the new playoff system, the regular season will close September 10 after which the two leading teams and the two second-place teams in the Northern and Southern sections will meet in a three-out-of-five series. The winners then will battle over the four-out-of-seven route, the ultimate survivor earning the right to play the American Association cham- pions in the “little world series.” Bill McCorry, new manager of Albany Senators, has nominated Shealy for pitching duty in the first game, Rochester countering with Jim Winford. Guy Cantrell wias to take the mound for Toronto, now managed by Dan Howley, while Baltimore named gm'm Prudhomme for opening mound uty. Crowds of about 6,000 were expected at each game. Griffith Options Hurler to Minors HEN pruning time arrives May 15 Clark Griffith will have to cast aside but one of his Na- tionals, unless there are additions before then. He must reduce the squad to 23 that day. It was lowered to 24 play- ers yesterday when Bob Friedrichs, bespeckled pitcher, was tranferred to Willlamsporf of the New York- Pennsylvania League under option. * Friedrichs will be sent away as soon as arrangements for the trans- fer are completed with the Williams+ port manager, Mike McNalley, a for- mer National. NE guess is as good as an- other—before the season actually starts. Come Fall, the order of finish may be scrambled like an omelet, but at least we've had the satisfaction of trying to cook up something. No real, good reason for prog- nosticating a base ball race ever has been advanced. It serves no useful purpose other than to afford some “friend” a chance to rib you, if he remembers how you picked ‘em, for if you hap- pen to stumble on the right combi- nation it always is forgotten. With us, however, it simply is maintaining an old custom. For many years back we have bravely gone out on & limb with a forecast, trying to duplicate a feat achieved early in our career of cor- rectly calling the turn on the first division in each league, although failing signally as regards the tail- enders. But in one respect we have been consistently successful—the teams we named at the outset have been the same as at the finish—thanks to the fact that neither league has changed its circuit after a campaign got under way. IVIC pride, of which we claim to have our full share, would dictate placing the Nationals on top. As a matter of fact, it is entirely possible they will land there, for the team Clark Griffith has assembled looks to be the best ever to represent the Capital. Defensively it looms as the class of the circuit and with added punch in the outfield, together with im- proved pitching, it promises to make | a game fight under the leadership of the smart and hustling young | Cronin, e | But greatly improved as are the Griffimen, we doubt they can match that mighty New York machine. The Yankees have some aging parts, 'tis true, but that doesn’t ap- ply to the all-important pitching staff. | " "Ruth, Sewell, Combs and Lazzeri frequently are mentioned as on the down grade and likely to crack, but if they do«it is extremely unlikely they’ll all go at the same time, and McCarthy has a corps of replace- ments superior even to Washing- ton's, That’s a fact that probably has been overlooked in the enthusiasm e}xggndemd locally over Cronin's club. If Ruth can't play more than 100 games, Gehrig can. He's been play- ing every game for so many years now he is right on the heels of Everett Scott’s all-time record, and Lou is a far mightier walloper than any of the domestic array. P HE A's minus Simmons, the best ball player in the league— when he wants to be—and Haas and Dykes, will be experimen- tal in spots, but they still have Foxx, Cochrane, Grove and Wal- berg, and we rate them ahead of Cleveland, although the Indians, if harmony is restored and their new shortstopper clicks, are likely to prove troublesome. Detroit wb,'el.lubot ON THE SIDE LINES With the Sports Editor By DENMAN THOMPSON Looking Ahead AMERICAN New York Washington Philadelphia Cleveland Detroit Chicago St. Louis Boston NATIONAL Pittsburgh Chicago Philadelphia Brooklyn St. Louis New York Boston Cincinnati chance of the others to horn into the first division, even with new- comers in two spots, as their stronger pitching more than offsets Chicago’s gain in punch. St. Louis appears to be merely a fine defensive club, which Wash- ington fans have learned doesn't mean much, and it will take more than new ownership to haul Boston out of the cellar. ESPITE somewhat questionable pitching, we believe the well balanced Pirates have what it takes in the National League, espe- cially in view of Cuyler'’s loss for more than two months to the Cubs. The Phillies’ array of sluggers should land them third and the Cardinals, despite a crack curving corps, hardly will do any better than top the second section because of a ts appear to us to be headed nowhere at_ all, and that goes as well for the Braves and even more so for Cincinnati. Now it will be just our luck to have some one clip this and flash it on us next October. PHILLIES SELL MALLON. PHILADELPHIA, April 12 (#).—Les Mallon, regular second baseman of the Philadelphia National League base ball e Years : Weather Menaces Opening Games Today ~ A SCRAP BETWEEN THE UMPS ANOVER A FAMILY PORTRAIT OF “THE FELLowW MHERE'LL AOT BE MICH AY Bl S LONG AS THE B R A NESTED WITH DOSE OF AUTHOR\TY.... NEVER WINK AT 'ANOTHER. PLAYER. (A PASsING ! THE -TwWo BeAN N, Pots ARE LIKELY “© CREN AS MV GLOOM AS E e Al CH LEAGULE a -4 /// » g IN THE AMINORS, THE PLAYERS W BAT WI(TH TRAWN SCHEDULES- Ite GO T, FREGUT TfiEf'o.c BE TNAT WORRIED OVER A|GHLIGHTS OF THEIR. FUTORES... @4@2\ 04‘6 ONE N\ WHO 15 GOiNg To BE REALLY IMPORTANT THIS SBAsoN. ZONE FINAL TENNIS AGAIN SLATED HERE Cup Play at Chevy Chase Late in May—Middle Atlantic List Contains 49 Events. AVIS CUP tennis play again will be staged at the Chevy Chase Club here this Spring. ‘The dates are May 25, 26 and 27, with the United States and Argen- tina teams as the probable contestants in the competition that will bring to- gether the winners of the North and South American zones. Dates for the Davis Cup matches here were announced yesterday, when the 1933 schedule of sanctioned tour- neys was released by the Middle At- ‘[1antic Committee of the United States Lawn Tennis Association. Joe Rutley of this city is chairman of the Middle Atlantic Committee. Forty-nine events make up the Mid- dle Atlantic schedule, 12 of which are to take place on District courts. The vitation doubles tourney at Chevy Chase May 4 is the first event of those carded which are of especial interest to Washington net devotees. These events follow: May 4, Chevy Chase invitation doubles: a7, 13 Cify of Washinston champlonship at Reservoir courts: May 17, Old Dominion tournament at Richmond; May 25. 26, 27, Dayis Cup matches. Chevy Chase Chib. une =, 3, Hotchkiss Cup intercity matches ‘ton. Baltimore, Richmond and Nor- hmond: June 5, Maryland State at Baltimore: June 14, Middle ournament) ' at, Hot 's_cham- Country Club. uly 5 (tentative date). Middle Atlantic doubles at Baltimore; July 15, Leech Cup matches (Army_ vs. Navy) at Army-Navy Country Club; July Washington public parks tournament. August 14, Western Maryland champlon- ship. Mountain Lake Park: August 20, Capi- 1 Leagug fournament. September 5 ~Women's 'District Les championship: September 9. Wardman invitation: September 16, Suburban League championship at Argyle. Boys and Juniors. June 10, Washington boys' and junior team last year, has been sold outright to Toronto of the International League. amplonships at Wardman Park Hotel: June 30, Middle Atlantic boys and juniors, L'Hi- rondelle Club. Baltimore. By the Associated Press. INCINNATI, April 12.—The two great examples of how not to bat, said Honus Wags ner today, are Honus Wag- ner and Ty Cobb. ‘The books on base ball, said the famous shortstop of 35 years 8go, say to choke the bat is the thing the batter must not do.” “Ty Cobb always choked his bat,” he went on, “and so did I. We mah» aged to get away with it, and guess we were what you might H guess hitters. Somehow or other we always managed to knock the pill where the other fellows weren't.” The big “flying Dutchman,” here, as coach with the Pittsburgh Pira sald present day players probal are “a little better than we were in tl'l':c old d"'fl;ul' I don’t know the old-timers.” Ty and Hans All Wrong at Bat Poor Stylists, Merely Hitters, Says Wagner in Naming Ideal Old-Time Team. ‘Wagner then named what he con- siders the ideal team of old-timers in the National League. He headed it with Willle Keeler at right field because of his ability to “hit ‘em where they ain’t.” He put Clarence Beaumont, former Pirate, at center fleld use he made the record of six infleld hits in a single game. He put Fred Clark, former Pittsburgh manager, at left field; Jimmy Collins at third; Hughie Jennings, at short; Napo- leon (Larry) Lajoie at second; Fred Tenny, at first; John Kiing at g&cll:, and Christy Mathewson, at DALY RED SOX COACH. BOSTON, April 12 (#).—Eddie Col- lins, new general manager of the Red Sox, has named Tom Daly, veteran 3 ) 88 last season man- ‘Toronto, But things were ha 3 R O I ol o . |around just to fill It is Z flugee WiLL BE PLENTY OF SPEED ON THE SACKS AS THE BoYs REMEMBER. THBIR cuTs, CoME (F THEY DOWY, BY TOM DOERER. F it were not for the fact that the pappies of the peaceful pastime scoffingly sniffed at what they termed the interference of sports writers into their affairs, I would weep 1 ‘Heydler, major domo of the National League in his handclasping plea to the ball players to get out there and fight for dear old gate receipts and the na- tional pastime. During the Winter your observer, along with others, pointed out that the game of base ball would have to snap out of its lethargy of the past few years, take care of its old-timers and to generally beat the drums of pub- licity to bring back the golf, fishing, foot ball and even pinochle has snitched from the inds. None other than the most highly decorated of n;l do‘(a mhm of the great game, Ju 3 y scowler, snarled from his hxx\lgrv.u- suite of offices in Chicago a rebuke to your correspondent for having the audaucity to meddle into the affairs of the great slumbering pastime and its snoozing officials. BASE BALL wanted to be let alone in its task of salary pruning and changing faces on the teams. Other than attending to those affairs it felt that nothing else should be done to the complexion of the dozing sport. were taken at the lack of sympathy displayed by the big fellows in the game to the less fortunate of their clan. Writers and old base ball men were grumbling at the peacefulness of the recent games, of the indifference being shown the cash ]:ultomtr by the players and the moguls. But along comes & year that looms rather lean when it is viewed from under -a turnstile. The trade will not wander into the ball parks by force of habit as in other years. It will have to be lured in by what your observer said would take to turn the tide, the beating of the drums, a bigger and better base ball show than the peaceful papples have been giving the trade. So_Mr. Heydler, and Mr. Harridge, Mr. Grifith, Mr. Mack, Mr. Jake Rup- pert and a lot of the other tall of the sport are calling upon the hired hands to get out there and bust the fence for a few rings on the cash reg- ister. And the boys will, despite the terrific slashes they took in the wallet, because let alone and not hampered by being plastered with a fine every time they show fighting spirit the players will dis- play plenty of snap. They like to play. UT the gist of Mr. Heydler's plea for a better show simmers down to his uest that the players mix neither with the customers nor their rivals on the ball fleld and in the club It is a move forward, but not far enough. Neither the American nor Na- tional Leagues are going to spin the times without rem- three- out the schedule. to take more than lunch- this It =z fl;l‘t fnh:mumn o year. It's gof con- structive bally-hoo and fighting, well- matched teams. ‘The cycle has turned to where base PR ERAERE eon clul along with the honorable Mr, John A.|be AND MORE To {11+ Base Ball Must Entice Fans Ballyhoo, as Well as More Pep on Field, Needed to Overcome the ropes before mid- season eases into_vitw, but the teams and the with the biggest cus- will come through. It of the fittest in base ‘,l; every cah.:rd line. bowing unnh& _the mightest monarch PICEKS HOLY CROSS AIDES. Mass,, -By TOM DOERER CUME ON, ' No CRANE!! 4\ g P I “THE YEAR WILL BE BABE RUTA'S LEGS/ AND JOE CRONIN PUTTING SPIRIT INTO THE & |, SeNaTORS o é ] Minor Leagues SOUTHERN ASSOCIATION. Little Rock, 3; Memphis, 2 (10 in- nings). Chattanooga, 13; Nashville, 7, Birmingham, 5; New Orleans, 2. Atlanta, 13; Knoxville, 6 (called end eighth, darkness). PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE. Los Angeles, 9; Hollywood, 3. Sacramento, 17; Seattle, 0. Oakland, 5; Portland, 4. Missions, 20; San Francisco, 3. TEXAS LEAGUE. Dallas, 9; Oklahoma City, 1. Fort Worth, 12; Tulsa, 7. San Antonio, 17; Beaumont, 8, Houston, 5; Galveston, 1. AMERICAN ASSOCIATION. Milwaukee, 3; Indianapolis, 3 (called fourteenth, darkness). rain. Minneapolis - Columbus, postponed, rain. St. Paul-Toledo, postponed, rain. THERRY Kansas City-Louisville, postponed, |. RAIN THREATENING 4 OF 8 INAUGURALS Washington, New York, Bos- ton and Philadelphia on Doubtful List. BY HERBERT W. BARKER, Associated Press Sports Writer. NTO the forefront of the sports picture bounced major league base ball today, ready to com~ bat the tide of depression with a flood of base hits and the tightest pennant fights in years. The annual opening day gamble with the weather man, in the overnight fore- casts, loomed as a victory on points for base ball. Rain was threatened in Washington, Philadelphia, Boston and New York, but the other four cities where inaugurals were scheduled—De- troit, St. Louis, Chicago and Cincin- nati—anticipated reasonably clear, If ccolish, weather, so, no worse than a draw was in prospect. With the eight-game program intact, an aggregate attendance in the neighe borhood of 200,000 was in prospect. ‘the largest throngs, 40,000 apiece, were in- dicated at New York, where the Yanke ees open their bid for another Ameri- can League pennant against the reor ganized Boston Red Sox, and at Chi- cago, where the Chicago Cubs, National League champions, entertained the St. Louis Cardinals. For the otheps, crowds of from 12,000 to 25,000 were expected. IN keeping with the nmg major league magnates have instituted the most rigid economies, but accom- panied thess with a series of wholesale than its share of c! races in recent years, but paign promises to top them all. clubs, the Cubs, Pirates, all look minute batting ler Herman into th&fmrdm slot, w The Pirates, a speedy outfit strengthened by the addition of Lindstrom to the outfield, to send young Bill Swift to the firing line against the Reds, who were fo counter with Si Johnson. William Watson Clark, clever Brook- 1lyn southpaw, hoped to stop the Phillies great slugging cast, with Austin Moore or Flint Rhem him. President Heydler was to be guest of honor at this ¥ game. The Giants, with four Lieber, Boston's Huck Betts. In the American League pitted the Senators pairing Philadelphia Athletics at W‘m weather permitting, with (Continued on Second Page. against the BLUSSUM TIME zé at the “Standard” Capitol Servicenter . Constitution Ave. (2ndto 3rd Sts:,N.W.) 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