Evening star. [volume], May 23, 1947, Page A-19, Image 19

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

Image provided by: Library of Congress, Washington, DC

                
Win, Lose, or Draw
* By FRANCIS E. STANN
The Greater Crime Is Which?
Like every other major league clubowner, Clark Griffith sub
scribes'to a service which furnishes monthly or bimonthly batting
and pitching averages in the minor leagues. The Washington Club
president hangs them on a series of spikes in his office and usually
they show signs of being well thumbed. But tnese
days Griffith is maintaining they don’t mean very
much.
"Not with the types of baseballs they're using
today,” he was saying. “Up here in the big leagues
we use one kind of ball. In the Southern Asso
ciation and some of the other minor leagues they
are using those rabbit balls and they’re making
power batters out of banjo hitters.”
Griffith is going to carry his complaint into the
annual summer meeting of the American and Na
tional Leagues in July, just before the All-Star
game in Chicago. He hopes that by the time the
winter meetings of the majors and minors roll
around the subject of a standardized baseball will
be a major issue.
Some jears ago, it may be recalled that a neat little ruckus de
veloped between the American and National Leagues on this subject.
This was when Ruth, Gehrig, Simmons, Foxx and other sluggers
were indulging in an orgy of distance-hitting. The National League,
which had no Ruths, Gehrigs or Foxxes, countered by adopting a
“pitchers’ ball” and boasting that most of its games wound up 1-0,
or 3-1, or 3-2, and that it was in the National League, only, that
real, scientific baseball was played.
Long-Hitting Bushers Bring Big Money
It was a lively argument for quite a spell. It is remembered that
Griffith took baseballs to the Bureau ol' Standards to have them
tested for bounce and sawed in half for examination.
Eventually the two leagues got together. With the passing of
Ruth, Gehrig, Simmons and Foxx, the American League lost much
of its power, so much of it, in fact, that Di Maggio, Greenberg and
Williams could replenish wily a fraction of same. Hie National
League, with Ott, Mize and a few others, practically matched the
American in muscles and a uniform ball was spun off. This is the
ball they are using today.
The minors may use any ball they see fit and baseball being
what it is—a business—many of the bush leagues see fit to play with
rabbit balls. The explanation is simple: A mihor league clubowner
makes money selling players to the majors. If that player hits 40
home runs, 18 triples and 35 doubles he is worth that much more.
Major league scouts and clubowners, not being innocent babes,
may feei certain that Joe Doakes of Atlanta has been whaling an
oversized golf ball but they never can be sure the fellow! won’t con
tinue to hit a long ball in the majors. Besides, if they don’t buy,
somebody else will. It’s a hoax, pure and simple, but what can be
done about it?
Major Leaguers Living in Glass Houses
Griffith thinks legislation is possible. This is to be doubted.
Aside from helping them sell players, a lively ball may be what the
Southern Association customers, for instance, want. Why should a
minor league that is prospering adopt a deader ball to please the
major league capitalists?
When Bob Feller, the young business genius, organized his All
Star team and toured the country, he didn’t buy the official Amefican
League ball. Realizing the fans wanted to watch Musial, Vernon
and the other sluggers riding the ball, Feller used a lively type. The
fans must have liked it; they, helped make Feller a little richer.
If the minors reject any suggestion by the majors that the
baseball be standardized they hardly can be blamed. To the accusa
tion that they are promoting home runs by use of a lively ball, the
minor league bigwigs can say:
“So we do use a rabbit ball! We admit it. But which is the
greater crime, using a lively ball or shortening fences? We leave
our fences alone and toss out a jack-rabbit baseball. In the major
leagues you play a deader ball and bring your fences in closer to
promote home runs. What about ‘Greenberg Gardens’ in Pittsburgh?
What about that phony wire fence Bill Veeck threw up in Cleveland?”
It may be rough going, Mr. Griffith.
Francis Stann.
'Fly or Else' Ultimatum Denied
By M'Phail; Fines Irk Yanks
»/ the Associated Press
NEW YORK, May 23.—President
Larry MacPhail of the New York
Yankees denied today that he had
Issued a "fly or else" ultimatum to
his players, but confirmed the fact
that he had fined six players for
failure to co-operate in promotion
and non-baseball activities.
Because they failed to leave bat
ting practice to have their pictures
taken with soldiers and WACS
modeling proposed new style Army
uniforms, Joe Di Maggio was fined
$100, the first fine of his career as
a Yankee, and Charley Keller and
Aaron Robinson were docked lesser
amounts.
MacPhail. describing the fines as
a way to "lay down the law in a
way the players would understand,”
almost boiled over at hearing reports
that players who refused to fly with
the club on the next Western trip
would be required to pay their own
railroad fare.
"No one on our ball club ever has
been told that he has to fly. Nor
will any one ever be told that
he must fly,” MacPhail asserted.
"Players who prefer to make trips
oy iram may ao so hi any lime.
The Yankee president refused to
take the fining of the players very
seriously. “I haven't received any
squawks aj all from the players I
fined,” he said.
Johnny Lindell. often mentioned
In off-season trade stories, drew the
MacPhailian wrath for allegedly ad
vising the younger players to ‘ skip"
banquets and Don Johnson, a rookie
pitcher, was fined because he paid
attention to Lindell. Frank Shea,
who shut out Hal Newhouser and
the Detroit Tigers in his last start,
also was said to have beep fined.
Players Plan No Action.
As far as could be learned, the
players plan no joint action, con
sidering each case an “individual
matter.” As Di Maggio said, "They'll
just take it out of my pay ana I will
have no choice In the matter.”
A scheduled clubhouse meeting
I was not held yesterday when the
game with Detroit was rained out. |
! “We'll prohably talk it over a lit
: tie,” said a player, who did not wish
to be identified.
Yanks’ Situation Unhealthy.
Coming on top of Jpe Gordon’s
recent blast at MacPhail and rev-;
elations about conditions during the'
late days of the 1946 season, the
epidemic of fines were regarded byi
baseball men as reflecting an un-!
healthy situation on the Yankee
team.
Unhappily the club's popular
j manager, Bucky Harris, was caught
in the middle and could only ob
serve "the players just didn’t realize
that there is a clause In their con
tract binding them to take part
in promotion plans.”
Di Maggio and the other players
admitted they knew they were* re
quired to ‘'co-operate” with the
; club under the new player con
tract. In return the players were
granted certain privileges by the
owners and a pension plan was
established.
High School Meet Tests
Are Opening at Central
The high school track and field
championship meet, set back from
yesterday because of wet grounds,
was to start this afternoon at Cen
tral Stadium.
Trials in dashes and field events
were scheduled today. Finals will
be held next Tuesday.
Thomas Bows in Ring
JOHNSTOWN, Pa.. May 23 (*>).—
A1 Smith, 195, of New York out
pointed Buddy Thomas. 188, of
Washington in an eight-round fight
last night.
international league.
Rochester. 3: Toronto. 2.
Buffalo, 10; Montreal. 5.
Other games postponed
Major League Standings and Schedules
_FRIDAY, MAY 23, 1947.
AMERICAN LEAGUE.
Yesterday's Results.
Detroit at N. Y„ rain.
Cleve. at Boston, rain.
Chicago at Phila., rain.
Only games.
Games Today.
Wash, at Phila., 9:00.
Boston at New York.
Chicago at Detroit.
St. Louis at Cleve. <n>.
Games Tommornw.
Washington at Phila.
Boston at New York.
Only games.
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NATIONAL LEAGUE.
Yesterday’s Besults.
St. L.. 4; Pittsburgh, 1.
Only' game.
Games Today.
New York at Boston.
Phila. at Brooklyn tn>.
Cincinnati at Chicago.
Pittsburgh at St. L. (n).
Games Tommorow.
New York at Boston tn).
Phila. at Brooklyn.
Cincinnati at Chicago.
Pittsburgh at St. Louis.
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ICrack Tennis Field Paired for City Title Tourney
- <
Ann Gray, Welsh Head
Seniors; Youngsters
Look to Big Meet
A brawling brood of racket guys
who make sweet music with tennis
strings, begin blasting away tomor
row in the City of Washington tour
nament,, first major net event of the
season.
Sponsored by The Stax, seniors
will congregate at 10 am. at Six
teenth and Kennedy streets N.W.
for the start of play in that divi
sion, while boys and juniors are to
report for practice at 9:30 am. at
Columbia Country Club. Pairings
for the latter were to be made im
mediately after the draw at 1 pm.
today.
A total of 93 men and 33 women,
topped by Champions Barney Welsh
and Ann Gray, are entered, and on
paper it shapes up as the toughest
and most colorful of all City of
Washington tournaments since the
1929 inaugural. Doping the winner
of a crooked hound race would be
child’s play compared to picking the
ultimate victors in this affair, al
j though on paper Barney Welsh and
Ann Gray must be conceded an even
chance of retaining their crowns.
Noteworthy is the return of such
formidable pill pounders as Dr.
Dave Johnsen, Jim Farrift, Don
Leavens, Bill Gifford and the addi
tion of dark-horse Eddie Miller of
the University of Maryland. At
peak form all of them are danger
ous and no one knows better than
Welsh that his title defense will be
no cake walk.
Welsh Gets Break in Draw.
But critics who saw Barney in
action against Jean Borotra a couple
of weeks ago argue that he showed
enough against the former French
Davis Cup ace to establish himself
solidly as the pretoumey favorite
land a tough man to handle in a
tight spot.
Welsh apparently got the best deal
in the draw, falling into the lower
bracket with the following seeded
players: Leavens (3), K. K. Jones
(6), John Curtiss (11), Doyle
Royal (12), Chuck Jones (13), Miller
(14) and Buddy Adair (7).
Johnsen, seeded No. 2, topped the
upper bracket, a sizzling package of
firecracking competition, including
Gifford (4), Allie Ritzenberg (5),
Farrin (9), Frank Dunham (10),
Jim Thackara (15) and Austin Rice
(18). You can pick a winner with
a hatpin easily as you can figure
the winner in that crowd, but it
all adds up to an excellent finale.
Chet Adair and Betty Zimmer
man, representing the District of
Columbia Tennis Association, sat
in last night as Tournament Di
rector Joe Jones, Bill Shreve, Bill
Helfrich and Rod Thomas made
the draw and arranged the first
day schedule. Jones, a transplanted
Georgian, competed in the tourna
ment last year while assisting Aus
tin Rice with its management, but
gave up competition this year to
help make it one of the best tourna
ments ever held here.
Stars to Start Late. *
Ann Gray, who has dominated
the distaff division of the net game
here for the last several years,, was
seeded No. 1, with Willie Herbert,
No. 3, going into the same upper
bracket. Charlotte Decker, No. 2,
and Alice MacDonald Jones, No. 4,
were placed in the lower bracket,
and all will swing into action to
morrow.
Chairman Rickey Willis today an
nounced that arrangements had
been \ made to postpone opening
round matches for Gil Bogley and
Jack Yates of Landon School, if
necessary, to permit them to enter
the junior tournament. Landon is
at Deerfield Academy this week
end for a match and it is possible
1 that the squad will not be back in
j time for tomorrow's inaugural. But
iwith so many youngsters clamoring
i for a shot at Bogley, particularly
1 Gerry Thomas who gave him a good
; battle in the final, Willis’ group
agreed it would be more satisfactory
to all to permit them to make a
tardy debut.
Ed Wesley, Georgetown Prep’s
! No. 1 player, and Ted Rogers, who
I won the boys crown in the recent
| Friends School tournament, are
among the better-known younger
players entered in the City of Wash
ington. Willis said today he thinks
the tournament represents the best
I junior field ever grouped in a local
tournament.
Doubles Begin Monday.
Doubles will begin Monday at Co- j
lumbia in both boys and junior
ranks. Tomorrow's pairings:
Men.
10 a.m, Gerson Fuss vs. Charles S.
Grant. Col. C. J. Long vs. Ashbel Green,
James Thactara vs. Richard Cohen; David
West ts. Leonard Sarner; Otto Frted
lander vs. George Weare; John Andary
vs. Mack Taylor: William Dugan vs. Daniel
P. Murphy; A1 Wheeler vs. Tom Greany;
Glenn E. West vs. Emanuel Lawrence.
11 a m., Bill Helfrich vs. Woody Mor
gan. Harry Kearney vs. Lt, R. S. Boyer:
Chester Abenschiend vs. Joseph Dougherty;
Eliah Perlman vs. Emmett Sheehan:
Charles Jones vs. Baxter Prescott; Bob
Davis vs. Leon Porman: Shepherd Wol
man vs. C. 8. Armstrong; Ben Theeman
vs. Jack Beatty.
12 noon, David Johnsen vs. Eugene
Burroughs: Carl Pontannini vs. Alfred
Yeomans; Prank Dunham vs. Risoue Gibbs;
Seth Booth vs. Capt. Oliver Shaw: J. B.
Gay vs. Alan McCarroll: Don Leavens vs.
O. L. Prom; Harry Schwartz vs. Mai. L.
H. Joran; Buddy Adair vs. Kahl Spriggs.
1 p.m , Phil Nell vs. Ed Richardson;
Austin Rice vs. J. Russell; Jim Miller vs.
Gene Fry; K. K. Jones vs. Bill Pavltt; Ray
jSherfy vs. Robert G. Williamson; John
Curtiss vs. Donald Nelson: A. W. Sher
wood vs. John P. Shipman.
2 p.m.. Louis Mulltg vs. Carlos Sison:
A. Chintakananda vs. M. C. Oliphant;
Barney Welsh vs. Lt. C. D. Robinson.
:t p.m. AUie Rltzenbexg vs. Robert T.
Moran: Paul Penney vs. Col. F. K. New
comer: Robert Hacken vs. Charles Gordon.
4 p.m . Eddie Miller vs. John J. Mc
Carthy; Bernie Dennison vs. Gdorge War-;
wick.
f> pm. Bob Burgess vs. Bill Malkin;:
Bill GifTord vs. winner of Mullts-Sison
match; Roger Spencer v*. W C. Brister.
6 p.m, Gene Herman vs. Hilliard Brick
man.
Watties.
10 a m, Eleanor Shaw vs. Ellen Oberti.
11 a.m, joan Craig vs. Dorothy Joiner.
12. Alice Burkowiky vs. Mary Reichers.
1 p.m, Ann Gray vs. Ellen 'Sarner;
Sara Moore vs. Stephanie Stevens.
2 p.m, Madge Lennon vs. Libby Prince;
Priscilla Helfrich vs. Betty Zimmerman;
Louise O. Darlington vs. Carrie Root.
3 P.m, Frances Berry vs. Marlon Faalck;
Willie Herbert vs. Helen Levy.
6 p.m, Margaret Sweeney vg. Claire
Oekey. _
Georgetown A. C. Dating
Georgetown A. C. wants baseball
games with unlimited teams out of
Lown. Call R. C. Crampton at Em
erson 8728.
RED STICKERS WANTED
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"The geese of mtaiit StntetT
A
NIPPED AT HOME—Stan King, Coolidge High catcher, tags out Francis Wesley, Eastern High
third baseman, as Wesley slides home in the sixth inning after trying to stretch it all the way
from first on a single by Bill Kallas. Hal Nitowitz, Colt second sacker, made a perfect throw to
King on a relay from Right-fielder Jim Colliton. King was one of the big guns in the game,
driving in three runs with a first-inning double as Coolidge won, 8-0, for its second straight base-,
ball title. ' _-Star Staff Photo.
■ — ■ •
Coolidge Annexes 5th
Interhigh Title in
Row as Nine Wins.
By George Huber
The Colts are champs—again.
Calvin Coolidge, youngest high
school in the District, continued its
monopoly of sports laurels in cart
ing home the big Clark Griffith
Trophy, emblematic of the inter
high baseball title, from Griffith
Stadium yesterday.
The Colts beat Eastern, 8-0, for
the second straight time in the
playoff series to make it five major
sports titles in a row. They began
this string with the 1946 basket ball
crown and in succession added base
ball in 1946, football last fall, basket
ball again this year and now an
other diamond crown. Only in
track have they missed, and as the
city fathers have not seen fit to give
the Colts a stadium or track they
haven’t much chance in that sport.
Seventeen-year-old Bill Witzel,
right-handed curve-baller and con
trol artist, had a major part in the
windup of this baseball win. He
pitched yesterday for the second
straight day, and a second win over
Eastern. Yesterday’s effort was a
three-hit, no-walk shutout, even
better than, his seven-hit, 4-2 win
the day before:
rie iacea omy za patters yester
day and only seven of them got a
ball out of the infield. He was in
command all the way, and only
twice had to look at as many as
four batsmen in an inning. Also
he cracked out two hits in three
trips, same as he did the day be
fore.
His battery mate, Stan King, also
played a major role, coming out
of a batting slump with three hits,
one a double, in four trips and
scoring two runs.
The Colts collected seven hits off
Bernie Myles, Eastern hBrler. who
came back after a one-day rest to
pitch the first four innings, and
added another safety in the last
three frames off Frank Utley, who
was pitching in his first interhigh
game.
King started the Colts toward
victory with a first-inning double
that cleaned loaded bases, and
scored himself on Hal Nitowitz’s
single. Stan scored again in the
third by going home on the front
end of a double steal after he had
singled and reached third on an
error. The final three runs came
in the fourth on three singles, a
sacrifice and a wild pitch.
District Met Prep School
Track Games Tomorrow
The first annual District Metro
politan prep school track and field
meet will be held tomorrow after
noon at Georgetown Prep School at
Garrett Park, Md.
Schools entering the event in ad
dition to the host school are Friends,
Landon, St, John's, Gonzaga and
Devitt. Invitations also have been
extended to Charlotte Hall Military
Academy and Stuyvesant School of
Warrenton, Va.
Sponsors of the meet plan to hold
it every year hereafter on the same
date with the District interhigh
meet.
Award Night at YMCA
Awards to outstanding YMCA
athletes will be made tomorrow
night at 8 o’clock as the annual
awards night is revived.
Mount, Vernon Takes 21st
Mount Vernon High’s baseball
team beat Occoquan, 6-4, yesterday
for its 21st win in 24 games this
season.
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Embellish Show
A mixed doubles match has
been added to the professional
tennis program at Kenwood Club
tomorrow afternoon. Pauline
Betz and Sarah Palfrey Cooke,
both former United States ama
teur champions who recently
turned professional, will meet in
a singles match at 2 o'clock.
Following this they will team
with Dan Watson, tennis pro
at Chevy Chase Club, and Frank
(Buddy) Goeltz, pro at Columbia,
for the mixed doubles.
Hopkins Out for Title
In Stick Clash With
Terps Tomorrow
Johns Hopkins can put the
clincher on the national collegiate
lacrosse title by beating Maryland
at College Park tomorrow in the
28th meeting between these heated
rivals in a series begun in 1920.
Action starts at 3 o’clock.
The Old Liners with only four
triumphs in eight games this year
and still minus a major victory
hope to put a black mark on the
record of Johns Hopkins, which has
won seven straight. It will be Mary
land's last game of the season, but
Hopkins has to meet the powerful
Mount Washington Club on June 4.
Win or lose, Hopkins, conceded
,to have by far the greatest assets
in the country, may get the crown,
although Army, which has lost only
to the Baltimoreans, might put in
a claim if it routs Navy tomorrow
at Annapolis.
Maryland will be a decided under
dog, but the team is fit and in a
fighting mood and has licked the
Blue Jays before under similar con
ditions. The Terps turned the trick
in Baltimore last year, 7-6. when
they were supposed to take a drub
bing.
Grays Get Series Edge
Over Black Yankees
i
Washington's Homestead Grays j
got the edge in the three-game series
with the New York Black Yankees,
which will be concluded Sunday
afternon in a twin bill, by defeat
ing the New Yorkers, 5-2, at Grif
fith Stadium last night.
Red Fields, ace right-hander,
limited the Yanks to three hits
until the ninth, when the visitors
scored on a hit-by-pitched ball and
two hits, including a ponderous
triple by Jim West.
The Grays nicked Schoolboy Grif
fith for nine hits, tallying twice in
the first and getting a run each
in the third, fourth and sixth.
Noted Sculler Dies
PHILADELPHIA, May 23 (tF).—
Edwin Hedney, 83, former Olympic
oaramen and one-time Canadian
singles sculling champion, died yes
terday after a long illness.
Legion Softies Booking
Potomac Post of the American
Legion wants unlimited softball
games. Contact Dave Griffith at
Emerson 0303 after 7 o'clock.
Accurate Golf Makes
Palmer Big Factor
In Philly Meet
By the Associated Press
PHILADELPHIA. May 23.—Stocky
Johnny Palmer surveyed rainsoaked
Cedarbrook Country Club golf course
today and opined in a cautious Caro
lina drawl he “hopes to do pretty
good” in the fourth annual Phila
delphia Inquirer invitational tour
nament.
OfT early in the throng of 102
entrants in the 72-hole, three-day
scramble for $15,000, the former
Army Air Forces tailgunner looked
to many in the first tee crowd to be
a good dark-horse prospect. De
spite the presence of Bustin’ Ben
Hogan, Jim Demaret and nearly all
of the other top money winners, the
Palmer backers figured his chances
better than fair.
Pouring rain that forced t post
ponement of the opening round until
today had left the course so water
logged the experts virtually were
unanimous on the preference for
accuracy over distance. Palmer
backers pointed out this was his
specialty and Johnny himself ad
mitted he's “been hittin’ pretty well
off the tee.’’
The quiet 28-year-old golfing
sophomore from Badin, N. C., wasn’t
making any extravagant predictions.
"It’s a tough course,” he said, "not
many chances to cut a stroke off par.
I'm shooting for any score within a
couple strokes of 280.”
That would be 4 tinder par for
four rounds over the 6,573-yard
layout.
“Those last three holes—uh-uh,”
said Johnny remembering his one
practice round after the long trip
here from Forth Worth, Tex. “Any
body who makes those three four
times in 48 strokes ought to pick up
the money.”
The holes, each a par 4. are 365,
453 and 431 yards, respectively, each
a narrow fairway to a sharply
trapped green.
Revision of the tourney plans be
cause of the rain left the full field
to play 18 holes today with the 80
low scorers going into the second
round tomorrow. For Sunday, with
36 holes to be played, the field will
be cut to the low 60 and ties.
Petworth Alley to Give
Trophy for '85' Game
Vernon Graves, proprietor of Pet
worth Bowling Alleys, will award a
trophy to the first bowler to rack
up an “85” game in the first summer
one-ball tournament to be held at
his alleys next Sunday.
The trophy is one of several prizes
being lined up for the event, the
first of a series of one-ball compe
titions being sponsored by the Bul
letin. Top cash prizes of $100 have
been guaranteed.
A special feature of the tourney
will be a match, at 7:30 p.m„ be
tween the District Minor League
teams of Northeast Temple and
Petworth. Bowling in the tourna
ment will take place from 3 p.m.
until closing.
Voted Outstanding Boxers
Tommy Nairne, Merrick Boys’
Club; Umbert Vagnerini of Apollo
and Wesley Howard of St. Mary’s
Club were voted the outstanding
boxers in this week’s amateur fight
show at Merrick.
t *
Christman's Fine Play
At Short Helps Keep
Nats' Spirit High
By Burton Hawkins
Star Staff Correspondent
PHILADELPHIA, May 23—No
glory grabber is the Nats’ shortstop,
Mark Christman, but in the short
period he has been performing for
the Washington baseball club he
has kindled a growing respect for
his ability. He has been no sensa
tion, but his steadiness has charmed
the Nats’ followers.
“There goes a good ball player,’
remarked Detroit’s veteran out
fielder, Doc Cramer, at Christman
trotted by the other night at Griffith
Stadium when the Tigers were in
Washington. “He isn’t spectacula
and he won’t knock down many
fences, but he’ll give Washington
consistent fielding and he’ll hit
when it counts."
Christman hasn’t been flashy, but
his smooth brand of fielding is re
flected in the fact that he has been
charged with only three errors in
the Nats’ 26 games. Over a stretch
of 17 games he fielded flawlessly
and was challenging the American
League record of 25 errorless games
held jointly by Joe Cronin and
Frankie Crosetti until he unleashed
a wild throw over Mickey Vernon’s
head.
Mark’s Throwing Impressive.
Christman’s throwing is one of
the beauties of his shortstop play,
for Mark is accurate in his tosses
to Jerry Priddy at second base and
on the longer, more demanding
pegs to first. He doesn't impress the
customers with lightning-like
throws, being content to nip run
ners by a step with unhurried
heaves.
Currently batting .261, Christman
is required to offer no apology for
that figure. The Nats were aware
he wouldn't threaten league leaders
when they obtained him from the
St. Louis Browns, but Christman
lately has been indicating he may
bolster Washington’s attack. In his I
last five games he has hit .333. |
Mark hasn’t the range of Cleve- j
land’s Lou Boudreau or Boston’s;
Johnny Pesky and he can’t whisk
a baseball across a diamond with
the steam commanded by Detroit's
Eddie Lake, but he has brought a
welcome steadiness to Washington’#
infield and has solved a situation
which was plaguing the Nats in
spring training.
Haefner Hurling Tonight.
Christman rates high with his
mates and his smooth play helps
keep their spirit high in the face
of repeated defeats.
One of his three errors this sea
son was self-inflicted, for he re
quested the official scorer to charge
him with an error which had been
attributed to Catcher Prank Man
cuso. That request was as rare
as a ton of platinum.
Mickey Haefner, who left the
mound at the end of eight innings
with a 2-2 tie against Chicago in
his last start, will 'face the Phila
delphia Athletics here tonight in
the opener of a four-game series,
with a single game slated tomor
row and a double-header on Sun
day.
Idle Monday, the Nats will re
turn to Griffith Stadium Tuesday
night to inaugurate a three-game
series with the Yankees, then tangle
with the Boston Red Sox in a dou
ble-header on May 30.
Michigan U. Alumni
Honor 8 D. C. Boys
Eight Washington high school
seniors who distinguished them
selves as scholars, athletes and
leaders, were honored last night at
a dinner given by the Washington
Chapter of Michigan alumni at the
Burlington Hotel.
Guest speaker was Judge Wilbur
K. Miller of the Court of Appeals,
an alumnus of Michigan’s law school.
Paul Magoffin and Ward Oehmann
served on the committee in charge
of arrangements.
Boys honored were Eugene Schroeder
of Anacostia, William Shlrey of Cen
tral, Stanley King of Coolldge, Phillip
Taylor of Eastern, Austin Lawrence
of McKinley, Richard Vogel of
Roosevelt, Estel Hostettler of West
ern and Martin Wiegand of Wilson.
Adair, Jones Are Beaten
In Richmond Tennis
By the Associated Press
RICHMOND, May 23. — Buddy
Adair and Kendall Jones of Wash
ington were eliminated from the
Cavalier Invitation tennis tour
nament yesterday.
H. Landon Buchanan topped Adair,
5—7, 6—1, 6—0, and Howie Atwater
downed Jones, 6—4, 6—3.
Ruth Not So Well,
Going Back Home
By th» Associated Press
MIAMI BEACH, Fla., May 23
Babe Ruth, baseball's home-run
king, left early this morning for
New York City after a three-week
stay at the home of a friend
here.
Ruth, who came here in an
effort to recuperate from a neck
operation, was accompanied by
his wife and a nurse.
The stay was his second hers
since April. He spent most of
his time resting, fishing and
playing an occasional game of
golf.
“I have my good and bad days,
he said earlier this week, and
added that "I’m not feeling so
well.”
Ruth underwent a neck opera
tion in New York last February.
Olympic Preview Test
Seen in Coast Meet
Packed With Stars
■y th« Associated Press
LOS ANGELES, May 23— In What
may be regarded as a preview test
for 1948 Olympic Games aspirants,
top stars of the Nation compete to
night in the seventh annual Lo*
Angeles Coliseum relays, with atten
tion centered on the dashes and the
1-mile run.
Upward of 30,000 cinderpath en
thusiasts are expected to attend, an
estimate based on the fact that near
ly that number turned out here for
the dual meet May 3 between Illi
nois and the University of Southern
California.
The 100-yard dash drew such
speedsters as Southern Cal’s Pellmel
Patton, Texas’ Allen Lawler and
Perry Samuels, Barney Ewell, ex
Penn State national champion, and
Bill Martineson and Stoney Cotten
from Baylor University.
If the 100 doesn't produce enough
encitement, the 220-yard dash
should, with attention concentrated
on undefeated Patton and undefeat
ed Charley Parker of Texas, who
was scratched from the 100 to go in
the 220.
The mile promised to be a high
light of the night, pitting Texas’
tiny titan, Jerry Thompson, against
the toughest field he has faced this
year—Gerald Karver of Penn State,
Leslie MacMitchell of the New York
Athletic Club, Don Wold of the Uni
versity of Washington and Thelmo
Knowles of San Jose (Calif.) State
College. Boland Sink of U. S. C.
came up with laryngitis and the
school said he would not run.
However, Coach Dean Cromwell, &
cagey strategist, has been known to
effect last minute “cures” and Sink
may show up. Even so, he doesn't
figure among the leaders.
Baldwin-Wallace's Harrison (Killer)
Dillard looked a cinch in the hurdle*
over Craig Dixon of U. C. L. A.
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