Evening star. [volume], May 28, 1941, Page C-1, Image 46

About Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972

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Sports News Comics and Classified
___WASHINGTON, D. C., WEDNESDAY, ttAY 28, 1941. C-l
Harris' Job in Jeopardy as Washington's Losing Streak Reaches Nine Games
' _ ' _ ' “ ' . i -T. 1 ... . — ~ - — —
Win, Lose or Draw
By FRANCIS E. STAN.
An Old Fox With His Dander Up
Ir requires no clairvoyance nor occulistic powers to establish that
Uncle Clark Griffith is pretty disappointed with his 1941 Washington ball
elub and in a mood to do something about it. This was indicated when
he released Outfielder Ben Chapman outright. And he delicately hints
there may be other and more important changes coming.
The old gentleman felt last March in Florida that this would be a
wide-open American League race, with no super teams to beat. So far
this observation has been correct. Tire Indians are no great ball club,
the Tigers are feeble flag defenders without Greenberg, the Yankees are
too old in some spots and too young in others, the Red Sox have many
weaknesses and the rest of the clubs lack all-around class and balance.
It was such a race that Griffith wanted. The old boy always was at
his best when sitting in a tight game and drawing to an inside straight,
with everybody else doing the same. That was the reason he expected
such big things this season and that is the reason he is so disappointed
at having received so little.
"I still say we've got a pretty good team.” Griff was saying today.
*T think we're as good as the White Sox, for instance. But they're out
hustling us and winning.”
Griff's Words: 'Sox Outhustle Us'
It isn’t often that a club owner will admit that his team is beirf^out
hustled, because this usually is a reflection on the manager, whose job it
is to see that players give their best. But Griffith very distinctly used the
term ‘'outhustle” and he sounded none to enthusisatlc over the in-again,
out-again policy which Bucky Harris has been employing in an attempt
to get the Nats started.
Griffith's ire is no great surprise to Bucky now. The erstwhile ‘‘boy
wonder” got a brief taste of it during the first Western trip, when the
Nats dropped their first two games in Chicago. The boss was In the
flfands those days, having gone West to participate in a tribute to Hoss
Radbourne, the old pitcher. He is reliably reported to have made certain
caustic suggestions to the manager whom he signed to 11 contracts.
We wouldn't know if the White Sox are a better team than the Nats.
Griffith insists that he wouldn't swap clubs, even-up. He wouldn’t give
Travis for Appling, Bloodworth lor Knickerbocker. Cramer for Kreevich
and Lewis for Lodigiani, nor trade his pitching staff of Leonard, Hudson,
Chase. Sundra. Kennedy and Masterson for Lyons, Rigney, Smith, Lee
Dietrich and Appleton. That sounds sane enough.
Yet the White Sc£ are in second place today by a clear margin and
the Nats are in seventh place. After six weeks of play the Nats have
fallen 1312 games behind the league-leading Indians and are 81* games
behind the Chicagos.
Harris and His Hot-and-Cold Tactics
Harris was a strong hunch manager when he was playing boss of the
Nats from 1924 through 1927. He was a gambler who was both lucky
and shrewd. When he returned to Washington after managerial flings
at Detroit and Boston. Bucky was more cautious, although he still gambled
more than some pilots. As a young pilot and as an old-timer, he always
played the man he thought was potentially capable and bother the con
sequences.
This year Bucky has bewildered even Griffith with his hot-and-cold
tactics. Because Rookie George Archie didn't burn up the American
League right off the bat he benched Archie and put Jimmy Vernon on
first base. Vernon was a mild sensation from the start. Yet, when Jimmy
was hitting .347. Harris benched him and put Archie back on the bag,
explaining that it was because a left-handed pitcher was opposing the
Nats.
Ever since the Nats gathered in Orlando last February, Harris talked
about Catcher A1 Evans, whom he made the first-string catcher in Florida.
When the season opened Rick Ferrell was behind the plate, because he
was best fitted to handle Dutch Leonard's knuckler, but Evans got his
ehance and when the kid made one or two early mistakes he was chained
in the doghouse and Jake Early was moved from No. 3 to No. 1. Ferrell
Was traded for Pitcher Kennedy.
Griff Missed a Few Buses Himself
When Chapman got off to his usually slow start. Harris benched
him and tried Johhnv Welaj and Sammy West, the former a .146 hitter
this year and the latter a 37-year-old .250 hitter. Chapman was put
back and then benched again to make room in the line-up for Jimmy i
Pofahl, a little lame-armed shortstop, who is batting .138.
Already this season there have been two second basemen. Jimmy |
Bloodworth and Buddy Myer There have been two shortstops, Cecil I
Travis and Pofahl. and three third basemen, Buddy Lewis. Travis and
Bloodworth. In left field have been Chapman, Welaj and George Case.
In right field Case started and Lewis is there now. Ken Chase and .
Walter Masterson were starting pitchers when the season opened and !
both were demoted to the bullpen. Chase recently was promoted again. 1
Harris has not been the only guy who has played in hard luck this ;
spring. Griffith, himself, has not done too well. He let Babe Dahlgren
get away from him. Then Rip Radcliff was smuggled from the Browns
to the Tigers while he wasn't looking. Griffith could have used both of
these boys, especially Radcliff. and it is not definitly established that he
made a wise move in firing Chapman.
Ben was playing for $12,000 a season, taking a $2,000 cut after coming
In trade for Cleveland. Griffith thought this was too much salary and
cut him loose. But if Chapman ever would have been worth his salary
It would have been from now on. He never was a spring hitter (he was
batting only .167 this time a year ago), and yet from mid-June on he
consistently has been an asset. Maybe this is one of those years when
nobody can do anything right.
Major League Statistics
WEDNESDAY. MAY 2S. 1941.
_if 4HAV II
Results Yeslerdar.
New York. lO: Washington 8.
Boston. 5—1: Philadelphia, 2—11.
Detroit. 9. Cleveland. 8.
Bt Louis. 5: Chicago. 2.
Standing of the Clubs.
W. I,. Pet GB
Cleveland _28 14 .887 -
Chicago -’-l Jo
New York _21 18 ,>-i-i nli
Detroit -20 IB .513 B>,
Vnit on __ __If Is .*lUU f
Philadelphia -1J 20 .4:4 8
Washington -H 2o -.oB 1 -a
Bt. Louis_ 12 23 .343 12«/i
Games Todar. Games Tomorrow.
If Y at Wash . 8:30.N. Y. at Wash, 3:15.
phila at. Boston. Phila. at Boston.
Cleve at Detroit Cleve. at Detroii.
Bt Louis at Chicago St Louis at Chicago.
Ke.ulti Yesterday.
Brooklyn, fi: Philadelphia. 0.
New York. 2: Boston. 1.
S' Louis. 3: Chicago. 2.
Only games scheduled.
(landing of Iht Club*.
W. L. Pet. Ol.
St. Louis _ 28 9 .797 „
Brooklyn _20 12 .884 2 .4
New York_ 39 14 .9<fi <
Chicago - 18 19 .49. 10 4
Cincinnati _ 18 20 .444 12
Pittsburgh -12 19 .88, 13
Boston - 17 -1 .384 14
Philrdelphia _10 2o .286 1<
Games Today. Game* Tomorrow.
Bkl. at Phil, (nicht). Boston at New York.
Boston ai New York. Cinci. at. St. Louis.
Pitts. atmCincinnati. Only games-scheduled.
Chicago at St. Louis.
international league.
Jersey City. 7: Syracuse. 3 (1(1 in
nings'. _ „ „
Montreal. 3: Toronto. 2 18 innings).
Baltimore. 3; Newark. 1.
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION.
IndianaDolik. 12: Toledo, o.
Columbus. 6: Louisville, o.
Milwaukee-St. Paul, wet grounds.
Kansas City-Minneapolis, wet grounds.
PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE.
La* Angeles. 4: San Diego. 2.
Sacramento. 8: San Francisco. 2.
Hollywood-8eattle. rain.
Oakfcnd-Portland. rain.
SOUTHERN ASSOCIATION.
Knoxville. 9- Nashville. 7.
Atlanta. 4: Chattanoora. 3.
Little Rock. 7: Memphis. 3.
New Orleans. 6: Birmingham, o._
25,000 Throng
Seen for Griff
Tilt Tonight
Johnson's Pitch to Set
Switch Inaugurating
Arc Baseball Here
Into the full glare of 180,000.000
candlepower will prance the em- 1
barrassed Nationals tonight, with
upward of 25,000 spectators ad- j
justing themselves to the unfamiliar !
sight of scanning baseball under the |
arcs.
The anticipated huge crowd will
provide testimony to the lure of
night baseball, for the curious
throng will be watching a team that
has dropped nine straight games.
Battling to deal the Nats their tenth
successive licking will be the New
York Yankees, with action slated
to start at 8:30 o'clock.
Walter Johnson, Washingtons
pitching sensation of another era,
will hurl the ball that will switch on
the 740 floodlights suspended from
eight towers. At 8 o'clock Johnson
will pitch to a sensitive photocell
beam of light across home plate.
When’s Johnson s pitch nicks the
3-inch light beam, the electric eye
will blink and be amplified over a
cable to throw the switches that will
turn on the floodlights, swathing
Griffith Stadium with more light
than any park in either major
league.
noosrvrii cadets Parade.
In previous tests engineers an
nounced lighting intensity at the
pitching mound and at home plate
is 20 times greater than the average
well-illuminated business desk,
Should the amount of light thrown
over the playing field be concen
trated In a single beam it would be
possible to read a newspaper 18
miles away. Enough electrical ca-l
parity has been installed to supply
the electrical needs of 5.000 homes.
William Harridge, president of the
American League, will attend the in
augural. Kenesaw Mountain Landis,
commissioner of baseball, wired
President Clark Griffith that pres
sure of business will prevent his
being here.
Roosevelt High School's crack :
cadet band and a company of cadets
from the same school will participate
in inaugural festivities. Both the
Nats and Yankees will take fielding
practice under the lights, although
both clubs will have hitting practice
at twilight Washington’s batting
practice was to start at 6:15.
A development which may revolu-1
lionize the baseball industry, major
league night play is the handiwork i
of Leland Stanford MacPhail, now
the enterprising general manager of j
the Brooklyn Dodgers.
MacPhail Leads Way.
Night baseball is no invention of
MacPhail's — the first organized
league game under artificial light
was played at Independence. Kans., j
in April. 1930—but it was Larry who
introduced it to the majors, much
to the satisfaction of the Cincinnati
Reds.
With the money of Powel Crosley. !
jr„ and his ingenuity, MacPhail
yanked the Reds out of the red
with night baseball, which long had
been the savior of many a minor
league. MacPhail later was drafted
by Brooklyn and employed much
the same medicine in curing the
Dodgers’ financial ailments.
The twelfth major league execu
tive to submit to the night game,
President Griffith of the Nats once
was night baseball's sternest foe.
He battled it bitterly, but last year
hopped on the band wagon and
advocated a bit of legislation which
alarmed other owners.
Griff suggested night baseball be
played five nights a week during
July and August. He feels it even
tually will come to that, and he
doesn’t see much sense in waiting.
Clubs now are restricted to seven j
night games a season, although the !
St. Louis Browns last year were per
mitted to play 14.
Washington has been cited as an
ideal spot for night baseball, what i
with its large ratio of Governmentj
employes who are reluctant to clip
time off annual leave to attend week
day games. B. H.
Armstrong Nine Champ
After Beating Dunbar
Armstrong High's nine was recog
nized as the District's colored high
school, champion today, following its
20-3 rout of Dunbar yesterday. Nine
Dunbar errors were largely responsi- i
ble for the score, as Armstrong
fhade seven less hits than runs.
Before taking the field against i
Dunbar the new champs licked Na- i
tional Training School, 5-2, in a
warmup game. '
'Pepper' Martin, Playing Pilot,
Has Sacramento 10 Games in
Van, Hasn't Lost a Series
By the Associated Press.
SAN FRANCISCO. May 28 —
"Pepper” Martin, the old handy man
and ball of fire of the St. Louis
Cardinals, likes his new job as man
ager of the Sacramento Senators.
From his results in two months he
appears cut out for the work.
The Senators are leading the
Coast League by 10 games, haven't
lost a series yet, and unless half the
squad pulls up with broken legs,
seem destined to breeze in for Sac
ramento's first pennant.
Martin, besides master minding
the Cardinal-owned outfit, is doing
a journeyman's stint in the outfield.
It is on the offensive side that "Pep
per” is as hot as his edible name
sake.
Using Bunting Tactics.
He's scandalized the Coast League
by a generous use of powder-puff
bunting tactics in a game where he
man home run larruping claims the
most applause.
Rival third basemen and catchers
are growing fresh crops of gray
hairs daily.
Six times this season—the Sena
tor pulled bunts with two men out.
Five of the six times they got away
with it and four game victories are
partly attributed to what some call
unorthodox baseball.
“I don't care what they call it. as
long as it makes runs.” Martin said.
"It isn't anything new. I saw Bill
Champion Clubs
Seek Chapman
Outfielder Ben Chapman, re
cently released by the Nats, to
day was considering offers from
both of last year’s pennant win
ners, the Detroit Tigers and the
Cincinnati Reds. Chapman also
has received a bid from the Chi
cago White Sox.
Meanwhile, it is rumored Man
ager Joe McCarthy of the Yan
kees is displaying interest in First
Baseman George Archie of the
Nats, who would be shipped to
Kansas City in exchange for
Third Baseman Buddy Blair.
Greenberg Is Clouting for Soldier Softball Team
Little Rates Self 15-1 in Open; Two N. L. Umpires' Sons Playing for Notre Dame
By EDDIE BRIETZ.
Associated Press Sports Writer.
NEW YORK, May 28.—Lawson
Little considers himself a 15-to-l
shot to do a repeat in the na
tional open. Army life hasn't
dimmed Hank Greenberg's fa
mous batting eye—a homer and
a double in a camp softball game
the other day. Note to Ed Lewis, j
Corpus Christi, Tex., and several ,
dozen others: The Louis-Baer
light pav-off was on the seventh
round "His friends at Kansas
City say Phil Rizzuto misses the
razzing he used to get from his
teammates. Always a great wor
riei, the other Blues played all
sorts of practical jokes on Philipo
to keep his mind off baseball.
Bill Stewart, jr„ and Ray Pi
nelli, jr., sons of the National
League umpires, follow each in
the Notre Dame batting order.
For crying out loud—Ben Ho
gan, who has finished in the
money in 48 consecutive tourna
ments, is moaning he is in the
worst slump of his career! Billy
Conn arrives tomorrow to begin
training for Louis at Long
Branch, N. J. That noble Roman
ana ace newspaper man. Jack
Miley, will do the tub-thumping.
New Yorkers planning to play in
the national open can figure on
at least $350 for transportation,
hotel, meals and caddy fees alone.
Now that Brother Buddy is steal
ing the spotlight. Max Baer is
going into the flllums to try to re
capture a spot of same. Right
now he is just another guy named
Joe. Beg pardon: The Mutual
System, not Columbia, will take
over the Mike Jacobs fight broad
casts next month.
Rounding 'em up—Coach Jim
my Hitchcock of Auburn ian’t iu
perstitious—he awarded 13 base
ball letters. Madison Square
Garden, which has had every
thing else, becomes America's
largest dance hall Friday night.
Monte Proser. former boxer, is in
charge and name dance bands
will be featured. So you’d like to
own a ball club, huh? Well, the
Charlotte Hornets of the Pied
mont loop already have spent
$1,200 for baseballs this season
and are running out again. Mud
dy Ruel, White Sox coach, advises
youngsters not to learn to throw
the knuckle ball—it tightens the
muscles in the forearm. Joe
Ricardal, who used to be quite a
Golden Glover, authored the
new hit tune, “Wise Old Owl.”
One-minute interview — The
eminent elbower. Mr. Lefty
Grove, who is trying to make it
300 victories for his major league
career says:
4
‘The last hundred games are
the hardest, and I don’t mean
maybe.”
Technically ok.—The score
keeper of a Negro ball game, down
in Bummingham, turned in his
box score. Included in the sum
mary was: Time of game—4:30
p.m.
Prescription Dept.
We have a simple remedy
To cure the Dodgers’ ills.
Just let them finish out their
string
Against the lowly Phils.
bas!ball=
NIGHT GAME
Washington vs. New York
AMERICAN LEAGUE PARK
Tihiw Ntw York 3: IS P.M.
a
A NEW LIGHT ON THE NATS —By JIM BERRYMAN
[ ?r,S? sssl
(Mgji
* -
Terry (now manager of the Giants)
try to bunt with two men out and
the bases full and nobody else but
Mr. John McGraw was sitting on
the New York bench giving the sig
nals. And Mr. McGraw left a pretty
fine record as manager for every
body to shoot at.”
Making Use of Speed.
“They gave me mostly right
handed hitters all blessed with
plenty of speed so we decided to
make the best and most of it. We
practiced bunting all during spring
training.”
With a few years of major league
ball still left in him, Martin decided
to take a whirl at a manager's job,
he disclosed, after discussing the
possibilities with Vice President
Blanch Rickey of the Cardinals off
and on for three years.
He had an equal opportunity to
get into the coaching end and Bill
Klem, umpire in chief of the Na- |
tional League, encouraged him to 1
become an arbiter.
( RIDE SAFELY ^
ON DUNLOP TIRES!
GET NEW “BISONS”
FOR YOUR >**!
HOLIDAY TRIP
Guaranteed by
Orioles Come to Life
To Knock Newark
From I. L. Lead
By the Associated Press.
A lot of folks have been saying
right along that the Baltimore
Orioles couldn't be as bad as
they've looked, and Newark fans
probably will agree with that view
today.
Many of them were inclined to
think that the Birds were mighty
lucky in taking two out of three
from the Bruins over the week
end, but the seventh-place Orioles
showed it was no accident by whip
ping the Bears again last night, 3-1,
Exercise Boys
Get Easy Coin
Pj the Associated Press.
LOS ANGELES. May 28—E#
ercise boys are cashing in on win
ners at Hollywood Park, without
risking a dime.
The track gives the exercise
boy of each winning horse $10. a
total of $4,080 for the meeting.
Officials said it's the first time in
turf history exercise boys have
been so rewarded.
i to knock them out of the Interna
tional League lead.
The Montreal Royals took over
first place by a half game with a
3-2 decision over the last-place To
ronto Leafs. Victory gave the Roy
als a record of 24 games won and
13 lost; Newark has won 24 and
(lost 14.
Griffith Angered.
By Lax Play of
Outfielders
Blames Bucky for Lack
Of Spirit; Defeat by
Yanks Protested
Bv Bl’RTON HAWKINS.
Manager Bucky Harris of the Na
tionals today was skating on thin
ice under a sweltering sun, for
President Clark Griffith admits
"something will have to be done"
unless the floundering Nats sud
denly display more spark. Unless
Washington's players show' hustle
and zest which has been lacking
lately a switch in managers is not
unlikely.
"I never contemplate changing
managers until I'm ready to make
a change,” said Griffith, focusing
no light on the subject. “But.” Griff
continued, “unless we improve
something will have to be done. I'm
hoping Bucky can pull the boy*
through.”
Harris, now serving a seventh con
secutive season as Washington’s
manager, is blamed by Griffith for
the team's apparently unenthusi
astic attitude. Alter yesterday's
protested 10-8 loss to the Yankees
—the Nats’ ninth straight—Griffith
fumed about the loafing of his out
fielders.
. 1_ _i. « m
• 'viiaua waiui urn i,\ra I •
“Our outfielders aren’t hustling."
griped Griffith. "They aren t rush
ing the ball and other teams are
picking up extra bases on us. Bucky
could remedy that situation—I don't
know' what’s wrong with him.’’
Not new to Harris this season are
Griffith complaints. Earlier this year
Griffith gave him a going over for
the team's appearance in a brace
of losing games at Chicago. In the
West to dedicate a plaque to Hoss
Radbourne. former pitching great,
Griffith criticized the team's tepid
attitude and advised Harris to re
turn to the coaching line.
Peeved, too, is Griffith that Har
ris failed to protest a game Sun
day at Philadelphia, when the A s
Wally Moses flied out to Right
fielder Buddy Lewis, only to return
to the plate and swat a single to
center. Moses claimed he had re
quested time be called before he
swung at the pitch he lined to Lewis
and Umpire Summers upheld him.
Why Moses swung after calling for
time is something Griffith feels
should have been explained.
It may be significant that Harris
protested a somewhat similar sit
uation yesterday. He was to submit
his protest today to William Har
ridge. president of the American
League.
Claims Hit Illegal.
Harris claimed third base Umpire
Eddie Rommel had called time out
before the Yankees’ Frankie Cro
setti singled to center opening the
seventh inning. Rommel apparent
ly had done that when a foul ball
was thrown on the field from the
stands, but the hit was allowed.
The Yankees already had collected
nine runs, enough to win. but Grif
fith says the protest has a fine
chance of succeeding.
Now removed from the cellar by
the grace of a few percentage points,
Washington owns its longest losing
streak in several years. It isn't
<Se~e HAWKINS. Page~C-4.) *
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’ 5.25x17 | $11.60 | $5.80
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WHITE-WALLS
FIRST LINE, GRADE A TIRES
Size List Price Sole Price
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4 Other World Famous Tires Reduced!
__A
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