Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-04-27
O.NeilI.. Throwing Hurts.


O'NeilI's Throwing Hurts.
O'Neilfs ability to cover territory
and his skill in judging ground balls
is all that could be wished for. but
his poor throwing has so handicapped
the team that he could not be kept in
the game without gravely affecting
the clubs chances The Minooka. Pa.
youngster developed a stiff arm shortly
after reaching Tampa this spring
Those who have seen him in action
in midseasonsaSSer he has a strong
wing. and it was hoped that with
constant work it would round into
condition. but thus far it has failed
TO respond. In trying to make up
for his inability to throw hard ONeill
has overspeeded in his footwork and
sacrificed accuracy to hurry his pegs,
with the result that his all-around
fielding efficiency has slumped through
fumbling due to efforts to get the
ball away quickly and the resultant
wildness of hasty pegging.
A long stretch of warm weather
may be what O'Neill needs to put his
arm in shape. This will be awaited.
and the results of a layoff also OBJ
served, now that the plan to work
his arm into condition has failed.
When O'Neill RECEIVERS the full use
of his arm-if he does-he probably
will want his job back. IS in every
other respect he is a far better and
faster fielder than Ellerbe. If the
latter makes good the promise he
has shown as hitter. however. ONeill
will have battle to displace him. re-
sardless of how well his arm re-
spends to treatment.
Handed Over Game.
Entering the ninth inning with the
score TO / In their favor. and with
every prospect of auspiciously Open
ing their short road trip with 4 vic
tory to strengthen their hold on fourth
place, the Nationals yesterday oblig-
ingly handed back the pair of runs
that had been presented to them
to ? verdict. They still are in the
first diyision-in the Washington pa
pers-but the standing of the teams
as published in the metropolis credit
the Yankees with that somewhat
dubious honor. each club now having
lost one more than it has won of the
nine which thus far have gone to a
decision.
On merit alone the Yanks should
have copied l to O. as the home-run
wallop Roger Peckinpaugh shot into
the left-field bleachers before the
contest was ten minutes old was the
only, earned tally of the encounter
However, after being made a gift of
a brace of markers in the fifth inning
by Herb Thormahlen. who followed
passes to Harris and Shannon by TAX
ing Erlckson's intended sacrifice and
tossing it wide of third to permit both
OF the young infielders to register, it
seemed tough that the prospective
triumph should be frittered away in
the mannerit was.
considered that Lief Erick, as on his
two other appearances Of the infantile
season, hurled a sterling article of
ball. only to have his support cave in
on him. Ed Charity and Jim ONeilI
share the blame, bad throw by the
former accounting for the tying run.
while the latter's tumble let in the
tally that decided the issue.
Not His First Failure.
This is not the first time Charity
has failed Erickson in the coming
as the backstop really
was to blame for the 81 reverse in
fourteen innings Olaf absorbed at the
hands of the Red Sox in Boston Sat
urday before last. 1t will be recalled
that on that occasion. in the third
inning. with Red Legs on third and
first. two out and double steal under
way. Gharrity's wide throw to Harris
permitted counter that turned out
TO be the margin by which the Soy
won. Charity. enacted a similar role
yesterday
From the opening round until the
mai Erickson perm tilted only four
unbunched bingles. III the ninth Meu-
sci started with bly, that would
have resulted in an out nth cleaner
handling by O'Neill. but Which was
set down as a hit. Bodies -egular
safety sent him to second and after
Ruel had popped to Erick in tr..-e
to bunt, there was wild cheering from
He
the cloudy. chilly Monday and Babe
Ruth was to hit for Thormah len. The
smuggling monarch. who. has been laid
up for several days as result of an
injury to his side failed to knock
the ball out of the lot az the fans
were implorins him to. but did raise
fly to Milan SO far out that Meusel
and Bodie advanced after the catch.
Aaron Ward, who doomed as danger
Gus by reason of having connected for
three successive singles prior thereto,
caused Erick to work on him care
fully and he finally succeeded in
drawing a pass to fill the bases. With
memories of that circuit clout of the
opener still fresh. Erick treated Peck
inpaugh with a lot of respect. He had
succeeded in slipping over a strike
when Harris ran over to second and
Charity, in an effort to nip Bodie.
who was playing far Off made wide.
low peg that enabled Meusel TO race
home with the tying run
Apparently unf1ustered by this tough
break, Eric continued to work on
Peck, but failed to get the decision
on the corners from Umpire Connolly
and the Yank captain walked, to again
fill the bases. Olaf was getting along
fine in his effort to dispose of Pipp.
having two strikes on the first sacker,
when Wally jolted one at O'Neill. Jim
knocked it down. but recovered TOO
late to make 4 toss and. Bodie was
over with the deciding counter.
Three Hits for Roth.
The three hits registered b. Roth
made yesterday his most profitable
day yet with the bat. but two OF them
were dinky affairs and put him in po-
sit;on to gum his teams chances with
poor judgmen. on the bases. His bin
gle in the second was rap to Thor
mahlen tat he barely beat out. With
Charity and O'Seill disposed of, Har-
ris shot line drive to right. Roth
oyerran third base and on the return
was trapped on the lines. His safety
in the fourth was swinging bunt
down the third base line. He pilfered
around in clever fashion. but on Char
! rity's crack to Ward again was run
down between bases. In the sixth he
bounced one OYER the pitchers box
and advanced on Gharritys suicide,
only to be left by O'Neill and Harris.
The only hard drive he made was in
the eighth. and it went straight at
Frat and netted nothing.
Moss Shannon. who was dropped out
OF hfth place in the batting order in