Evening Star Newspaper, April 18, 1937, Page 28

Cascarella Hurls Nats’ Opener : Whopper Victor by Nose at Graw L2 HELLEYA CHOIE | TOOPPOSECRIFES Bluege to Play Short ifi Hurt Keeps Travis Idle, Weaver Injured. BY FRANCIS E. STAN. OE CASCARELLA pitches the opening game! The jaunty little man with the great big tenor voice definitely | ‘Was nominated yesterday to face the Athletics on Monday when the curtain rises on the major league pennant parades. Manager Bucky Harris, whose mind had been made up for several days, gave Joe the green light in the club house following the National's losing battle with the Baltimort Orioles. An eye- brow was lifted here and there, as Buck Newsom was the favored candi- date, but it was with no apologies that Harris made his announcement. Off his Spring record Cascarella simply was the logical choice over Newsom, but, still, Harris was grave- faced with concern when he flashed the “go” sign to Joe. Barring a re- markable recovery the Nationals will open the American League season without Cecil Travis at shortstop. In the seventh inning of yesterday's ball game at Griffith Stadium Smokey Joe Martin of the Baltimore Orioles attempted to steal second base. A lightning throw from Shanty Hogan to Travis nipped him as he slid, spikes high. One of the steel shoe nails ripped Travis' left knee, where the Jjoint bends. He finished the inning, but last night he was heavily ban- daged and hardly able to walk above & limp. - Weaver Hurt by Line Drive. OSSIE BLUEGE, who has been wear- ing a Washington uniform well into a second decade was to guard ‘Travis’ post when the Orioles were met today in Baltimore. And to- morrow, unless that miracle happens, Ossie still will be cavorting for the edification of one F. D. Roosevelt and 31,999 other fans. Nos only these developments, but others were brought to light yesterday as the Griffs, in hectic and nerve-try- ing fashion, wound up their pre-season local appearances. In batting prac- tice Travis banged a line drive back to the box. The ball struck Pitcher Monte Weaver squarely on the knee- cap and Monte had to retire for first- aid treatment. “The kneecap was ab- | €olutely black,” reported Trainer Mike | Martin. “I wouldn't care to say when ‘Weaver will be able to pitch.” To top it off Pitcher Eddie Linke, etruck on the shin by a ball off Jess | Hill's bat the day before, reported to | the elubhouse in no shape to put on a | uniform. He was given the day off and Harris, now hard pressed for | pitchers, crossed his fingers and of- | Zered little prayers for mercy. } Kelly Is an Ex-Nat. EANWHILE, with Cascarella’s nomination for the signal honor | of pitching the opener, a saga of three grand comebacks is bared. You see, Cascarella broke into base ball with | the Athletics. He won 12 games for Connie Mack the first year up, but he didn* fare so well thereafter and | Mack, peeved one day, sent him “down the river.” From the Syracuse club of the International League the Red Sox picked him up, sent him back, picked him up again. | When Cascarella was traded to | ‘Washington in midseason of 1936 he ‘was known as a passable radio crooner who was trying to make a living by pitching base ball. Tomorrow, promptly at 3 o'clock, Joe will become the base ball pitcher who could make a living by singing. Cascarella has moved along since Con- nie Mack, who will direct the A’s, last #aw him in a Philadelphia uniform. But 80, too, has Connie’s opening- Bame pitcher. Just as Cascarella was shipped from the A's so was Harry Kelley, who will face the Griffmen to- morrow, barring one of Mack’'s last- minute changes. The fans who re- member Kelley as a National now are & thinning, veteran lot. As a young- ster Harry wore a Washington uni- form in 1925, but Manager Bucky Harris deemed him no great prospect and let him get away. For nearly 11 years Kelley lingered in the Southern | Association and then, out of a clear sky, he found himself a member of the A’s due to the minor league draft. ‘The rest—his great season in 1936—is strictly of the Alger-book tempo. Fourth Place for Griffs. AN'D. last but not least, of the “comebackers” who will figure strongly is Francis Shanty Hogan, the mountain who is becoming on the ant-hill side. A year ago he weighed 290 pounds and was out of a job—even & minor league job. Tomorrow the loud-speakers will bellow: “Batteries: Yor Washington—Cascarella and Ho- What of the Nationals' chances? This correspondent was fortunate enough to pick them fourth in the 1936 chase-—which is precisely where they finished. This year they are im- proved, but 80 are most of the other eontenders. Fourth place again seems to be the spot. The Yankees, with or without Red Ruffing, rate the inside track on the pennant for another year at least. Any club which can spread-eagle a fleld as Joe McOarthy’s outfit did last year cannot be junked due to the loss of one player. ‘The Tigers, with Mickey Cochrane end Hank Greenberg back on the " (Bee NATIONALS, Page B-1) Opening Games American League. April 19.—Philadelphia at Wash- n. April 20.—Washington at New York; Boston at Philadelphia;’ Cleveland at Detroit; Chicsgo at, Bt. Louis. National League. April 19.—Philadelphia at Bos- fon (2). April 20.—New York at Brook- lyn; 8t. Louls s$ Cincinnati; Pitts- burgh st Chicago, he Sundwy Shae WASHINGTON, D. C, SUNDAY MORNING, APRIL 18, 1937. SPORTS SECTION Washington’s Pennant-Winning (?) Cast for Base Ball Season Opening Tomorrow JESS HILL. ] SHANTY HOGAN. JOE CASCARELLA. President’s Pitch Tomorrow Will Ope BEN CHAPMAN. AL SIMMONS. Major Campaigns, With Yankees Overwhelmingly Favored to Retain Honors, But Giants Given Slim Chance in Championship Defense BY ALAN GOULD, Associated Press 8ports Editor. EW YORK, April 17.—The familiar sound of the drum beats and the base hits, the old war-cry of the clans and | the crowd, draw closer for 1937 in the major panorama of American sports. Base ball's big leagues, hopeful of & favorable nod from the weather gods and profitable results from this | Spring’s extraordinary build-up, start the championship season Monday and Tuesday. Notwithstanding some concession to modern times, with the American League this year following the Na- tional League's example in permitting night games, tradition still holds sway in America’s national game. The playing trend is toward the “good old days” of pitching battles. President Roosevelt will throw out the first ball Monday for the Ameri- can League’s s0lo opener in Washing- ton. Meantime, the Bees and the Phillies of the National League will celebrate Patriots’ day by playing two games in Boston. This novelty will be followed on Tuesday by a seven- game program, rounding out the get- away festivities. Openers to Draw 250,000. IF THERE'S a fair break in the weather, close to 250,000 fans may witness the double-barreled openings. The world champion Yankees enter- taining Washington on Tuesday in their home bailiwick, should draw the biggest turnout, perhaps 50,000. Ca- pacity or near-capacity crowds likely will witness the openings at Cincin- nati, Detroit and Brooklyn, where the National League champion Giants re- new an ancient base ball feud with the Dodgers. Marking off the customary per- centage for “breaks” or form reversals, which have become the rule rather than the exception in bese bell in recent years, ‘our eagle-eyed experts look forward to five-club races in each league. There is one striking difference to be noted, however, after exhaustive study of reports from the Spring training fronts as well as views expressed in the annual Associated Press pennant poll. The newspaper railbirds believe the National League’s dog-fight will, as formerly, involve the champion. They figure the super-heated struggle in the American League will be strictly confined to second place. Yanks Can’t Miss, Experts Say. DEPITE the bad breaks that have hit them prior to the start of the season and which actuslly may be warning signals of disaster ahead— including holdout trouble climaxed by Charley Ruffing, the club’s only 20- game pitching winner of 1936, and tonsil trouble for jarring Joe Di Mag- Bio—base ball writers agree witl bet- ting men that the world champion Yankees are in a class by themselves, as odds-on choices. The Yankees are favored by 87 out of 106 experts to repeat their pennant parade. The Tigers, in the poll, are rated the best of five potential chal- lengers. Yet the most intriguing fac- tor in the forthcoming championship chase, by all odds, revolves around the pitching wizardry of the youth- ful Bob Feller an d the effect he will wield, not alone upon the box office, but also upon the pennant prospects of a Cleveland club that has for years had a habit of disappointin; its sup- porters. . No amount of pre-season specula- tion can anticipate what will happen i, for instance, Feller exerts the same electrifying influence upon the Cleve- landers that Di Maggio did upon the Yankees, as a freshman outfleld sen- sation, last year. Tigers Took Hard Tumble. IT IS well to bear in mind that at this time, a year ago, the Tigers | were heavy choices to repeat and the Yankees rated nowhere in particular. Inasmuch as New York romped off with the pennant, by a margin of only 19% games, it can be seen that the FRED SINGTON. A pre-season forecasts can be anything but prophetic. If the Yankees, in base ball par- lance, “come back”; in othe words, if they help close last season's gap by folding in certain vital places, the American League race may well turn into a free-for-all. Outside of the St. Louis Browns and the Phila- delphia Athletics, all the clubs have ambitions to land in the first divi- sion, at least. On the National League side, the 8t. Louis Cardinals top the champion Giants by a substantial margin in first-place votes in the Associated Press poll—62 to 28. As was the case 8 year ago, the Cardinals also are the choice of so-called “wise money” to finish on top. Cards Need Much Pitching. ’I*ams no doubt the addition of Lonnie Warneke, erstwhile right- handed ace of the Chicago Cube, has fortified the Cardinals on the main firing line, but they will need another big year by Dizzy Dean, along with & comeback by Brother Paul Dean, to show the strength they need in the box. The Red Birds have dash and color, a great outfield. But an un- certain inner defense. Analysis of all the evidence, in fact, fails to indicate any pronounced edge for the celebrated “Gas House” Gang in a fleld embracing not only the atrongly - equipped, well - organized Giants, but the revamped Chicago Cubs, the improved Pittsburgh Pirates and the hustling Cincinnati Reds. ‘The Reds, a consistent fifth-place club, now loom as a “dark horse” in the fiag chase. Many base ball men minimize the Giants’ prospects on the ground that the club achieved a base ball “mira- cle” last year by coming from far behind to win with a late-season rush. These critics do not see how the New Yorkers can repeat, especially with & problem at first base created by the retirement of Manager Bill Terry from the active list. Yet all the Spring evidence otherwise points to a gen- eral improvement of the team on the fleld, plus steadier pitching support | fore the one and only Carl Hubbell, Giants Have Few “Ifs.” T MAY prove that John McCarthy and Sambo Leslie combined cannot fill the big shoes left by Terry, long | the game's most polished first base- man and a batsman with a .340 life- time average. But Lou Chiozza looks & capable replacement at third for Travis Jackson, Hank Leiber appears due for a hitting comeback in the role of regular center flelder and Prince Hal Schumacher gives un- questioned evidence of s return to pitching form after an erratic 1936 season. Thus fortified in the most vital de- partment of base ball strategy—pitch- ing—the Giants appear to have fewer “ifs” in their line-up than either the Cardinals or any other National League contender. In short, from this ocorner, they look “the team to beat,” & smart, well-knit outfit that figures to pack more punch this season than at any time since Terry replaced the late John McGraw at the helm. Terry has demonstrated his talents as a master mind on the field and it will be interesting to note the results of his concentration upon the job from the bench. How They Size Up. Hmrs s quick size-up of the big league prospects, club by club: American League. ‘Yankees—Unchanged except by cir- cumstances that keep Joe Di Maggio and Red Rufing, holdout pitcher, from opening day picture; accent on power, with “Iron Man” Lou Gehrig ready to play his 1,808th consecutive Report on Travis Due Today New Batting Order Likely if Bluege Takes In- jured Player’s Place in Inaugural. 'HETHER Cecil Travis will be able to play shortstop for the Na- tionals tomorrow in the opening American League game probably will be learned definitely todsy, it has been announced by ‘Trainer Mike Martin. Travis, spiked on the left knee- cap by Joe Martin in the seventh inning of yesterday’s game with the Baltimore Orioles, hardly was abie to walk after the game. The cut 1s on the spot where the knee bends and’ is subject to opening every time he moves the joint. “It was my own fault, ob- served young Mr. Travis, regret- fully. “I was late in covering the bag when Martin started to steal and s0 I had to take S8hanty’s (Ho- @an's) throw on the run and dive at the fellow.” Manager Bucky Harris said last night that Ossie Bluege would play short if Travis cannot be ready by tomorrow. The playing of Eluege will involve a change in the batting order, too. In all probability Buddy Myer will be moved from the No. 7 hole to sixth place in the order. Bluege would bat seventh. F.E.S. A. P. Voting Puts Nats Sixth B the Associated Press. EW YORK, April 17.—Box acore on the annual Associated Press major league pennant poil, based upon the ballots of sports writers in big league cities, and showing the number of votes for each club, by positions: Ameriean HEE P31 0SS BLUEGE. Last Year. First. Second, Pifth. 8ixth. ‘Third. Fourth. Beventh, 4 Eighth. 8 Last Year. --Tied for Second. - Pirst. --Tied for Second. o Fourth. 1 Pifth. 12 Sixth. 15 Beventh, 8 Eighth. ’ ‘OEN MIHALIC. game and still supply the big punch; ! pitching comeback by Lefty Gomes relied upon. Strong in every depart- ment. ‘Tigers—Plenty power, with Hank Greenberg and Mickey Cochrane back in form; pitching comeback by Elden Auker has offset 8pring worry over| condition of Tommy Bridges, consis- tent 20-game winner for three years. Indians—Chances revolve around pitching arms of Bob Feller and Mel | Harder, present and former aces, If | both come through with big leuom} and Johnny Allen repeats 20-game showing of 1936, team will be tough to stop. Shake-up in regular line-up, | with Julius Sollers and Lyn Lary re- | placing Joe Vosmik and Bill Knicker- | bocker has helped club morale. Heavy backstopping burden still rests on PFrankie Pytlak. Nats Get Sixth Rating. Rm SOX—Can't be worse than last year and probably due to rise few notches, despite reliance on such aged soupbones as Lefty Grove and Wes Ferrell for pitching. Comeback by Manager Joe Cronin at old short- | stop post and deveiopment of rookie | second base star, Bobby Doerr, improve | outlook. White Sox—Surprise club of 1936 | can’t be overlooked. Has plenty pep and power, but pitching somewhat on | doubtful side. Manager Dykes starts | twentieth big league season at third base, with understudy handy. Nationais — Good defensive outfit, with added punch supplied by Al| Simmons in outfleld, but still doubtful in pitching department. May be real dark horse of race. Browns and Athletics—Neither a | pushover, but sufficiently shy of pitch- | ing resources to eliminate them from anything but trouble-making roles. A’s have speedy outfit and one first- | rate flinger in Veteran Harry Kelley. Browns pack punch, especially with | Manager Rogers Hornsby taking an- | other active whirl, National League Outlook. 'ARDINALS—Rely principally on pitching “big three,” with Warn- | eke joining Dean boys, and youthful | inflield replacements at second and third base. Lack of experience be- hind plate, but rookie sensation, Mickey Owen, may furnish fireworks. Outer trio of Martin, Moore and Med- wick is club’'s defensive bulwark. Giants—8tronger than last year, despite retirement of Manager Terry; Schumacher’s as well as Castleman’s return to pitching form gives better balance to strong staff, headed by Hubbell; more punch, with Chiozza on third, Leiber back regularly in center fleld; but questionable whether McCarthy will plug big hole at first. Bartell, sparkplug of team, in lead-off | spot. Cubs—better balanced, with Rip Oollins stationed at first, but question- able whether added all-around punch and better inner defense will offset loss of Warneke in box. Staff featur- | ing French, Lee, Parmelee and Davis| should be strong enough to pull club through however, if rivals slip. Bucs Have Speed, Class. PXR.ATB&plenty of speed and class, but still trying to find pitching combination that will click on all cyclinders at same time. Addition of Ed Brandt to staff including Cy Blanton, Bill Swift, Jim Weaver, Red Lucas, Guy Bush and Waite Hoyt, offers real range of possibilties. Reds—Nighting spirit high and club undoubtedly on upgrade, but still lacks sufficient power and pitching to be real pennant contender. Will surprise | it flingers like Grisson and Vander Meer come through and have enough stuff to annoy pace makers. | Bees, Dodgers and Phillies—all three | trying to make ends meet with limited | resources and none going anywhere in particular. Bees, ably handled by Bill McKechnie, look best of trio. Bur- | leigh Grimes has rebuilt Dodgers, but team’s only standout still is Van Mungo, fireball flinger. DICK LANAHAN. PETE APPLETON. ED LINKE. WALTER MILLIES. STAVES OFF LATE RUSHBY NEW DEAL Columbiana, Philadelphia ’Cap Choice, Disappoints 25,000 at Track. | B~ the Assoclated Press. AVRE DE GRACE, Md, April 17.— Whopper, Hall Price Headleys big bay, after = shouldering top weight of 122 pounds, had just enough left today to stave off Aroha Stable’s New Deal and win the mile-and a-sixteenth Philadelphia Handicap by a nose in a photo finish. After Whopper had set the pace all the way, Jockey Eddie Smith of Washington rushed New Deal up, and in the stretch went with the leader near the finish. Whopper, under the strong urging of Harry Richards, put every ounce he had into the contest and nosed ahead at the wire. Townsend B. Martin's White Cockade, second to Whopper in the weights with 115 pounds, came In third, a length behind New Deal, J. W. Y. Martin's Dark Hope, an aged gelding, was the best of the other three. Columbisna Disappoints. | \V J. HIRSCH'S trim filly Colum- | ® biana, winner of the $50,000 ‘Widener Challenge Cup in Florida, disappointed bettors who backed her into favoritism and wound up fifth. ‘Whopper’s time of 1:45 3-5 was only ordinary for the fast track. He was not rushed especially until she fleld turned into the stretch. His prize money amounted to $6,400 and his mutuel pay-off was $10.10 on $2 tickets to win, $6 to place and $4.40 to show. o | Attendance and betting both set | records for the 1937 Maryland season to date. A turnout of upward of | 25,000, largest since Man o' War won the 1920 Potomac, was on hand for the seven races and the mutuel handle | was estimated to be in the neighe | borhood of $600,000. | Justa Play, property of R. L. Hanns | of Washington, sped a mile and one ¢ | sixteenth in 1:49 1-5 to capture the day's opener. | Mucho Gusto Scores. LONG shot players collected in the second when F. R. MacDuf's Fair | Time bounced three quarters in 1:13% to pay $18.80 in the regular wagers ing. Those fans coupling him with Justa Play in the daily double drew down $79.80. The first favorite of the day, G. H. Meriman's Bill Donoghue, regis- tered in the third when the gelding * was timed 6 furlongs in 1:124% to pay $5.10. After the race he went over to R. Robertson's barn, due to the Washington owner and trainer dropping $3,000 into the claiming box for the gelded son of Master Charlie and Waitress. The Pagebrook Handicap, 6-furlong long secondary festure, saw Smith win with the Araho Stable's Mucho Gusto that carried 122 pounds home in 1:12 3-5. YANKS’ 2-1 VICTORY EVENS DODGER SET | Powell's Two-Bagger in Fourth Frame Opens Rally Netting Champs Their Runs. By the Associated Press. o ROOKLYN, April 17—The world champion New York Yankees, al- though held to five hits, evened their Ebbets’ Pleld series with the Dodgers today by putting on a fourth-inning rally for a 2-to-1 victory. A two-bagger by Jake Powell, sin- gles by Babe Dahlgren and Bill Dickey and Tony Lazzeri's long fly, all off Roy Henshaw, gave the Yanks all their runs. Monte Pearson and Frank Makosky held the Dodgers to six hits and ke them scoreless until the ninth, wt Jack Winsett caught one of Makos- ky's slants and poled it over the right- field wall for a homer. New York (A) 000 200 000—2 & 1 | Brooklyn (N.) 000 600 001—1 8 0 Pearson. Makosky and Dickey: Henshaw, | Hamiin. Eisenstat and Phelps ‘ PAUL DEAN. WALLOPED ST. LOUIS, April 17 () —The hard-hitting American League Browns defeated the National League Car- dinals, 17 to 5, in the first game of the city series today, scoring six runs off Paul Dean in the second inning and six more off Bob Weiland in the eighth. - Harland Clift hit two home runs, one with the bases loaded | 8t. Louis (A) ______ 160 000 183—17 8t. Louis (N) 22000 002 120— &+ . BE}[Q!ENM‘K“OH‘ Hogsett and Hemsley; . Dean. Ryba. Weiland, Warneke ®n Growdowski Pitchers Picked For Inaugurals By the Associated Press. N!W YORK, April 17.—Here's how the starting batteries shape up for the opening games in the major league base ball season. Probeble batteries: American League. At Washington—Philadelphia, Kelley gnd Hayes; Nationals. Cascarella and ogan. onal League. At Bost« (First _game) _Phillies, Walters and Wilson: Bees, MacFayden and Lopez: (second game) Phillies, La Master and Atwood: Bees, Turner and Des. TUESDAY. hington. Appieton o | Yankees, Gomes ic! ey At Philadelphia—Boston, W. Perrell Hd R. Ferrell: Athletics, Caster and ayes At Detroft—Cleveland. Harder and Pytiak: Tigers, Auker and Cochrane. At 8t. Louis—Cl! 20. Whitehead or Kennedy and Sewell; Browns, Hilde- brand and Hemsley. nal l;ll:!-sch h ew York, Schumacher and Mancuso; Dodgers, Huluo“lnl e oiunabi—st: Louis. ', D ¢ "Cincinnati—8t, Louls, J. Dean and Owen; Reds, Davis or ringer and_Lombardi. . At Chicago—Pittsburgh, cas and Todd: Cubs, Prench and Hartnett Bees and Puiliiss Dot schedul