The Washington times., 1922-05-04


AS May Is draws on apace. the
extra pitchers in Warrington uni
forms become fewer IN numbers.
Nevertheless. with tho team here are
Brillheart, Ray Francis and Nat
Turk. two southpaws and one right.
handler. They ar~ doing rIost OF
their work in the bullpen. with now
and then an inning or so in a one
sided game. They make up the en-.
tire squad Of new nan who have
been thought worthy Of thorough
trials.
Hughey Duffy, drea ifuliy bsndi.
capped by a string Of weak pitchers.
has been actually compelled to Use
Alex Ferguson. This mig fellow a. I
around on the Yankees' bencn for
several years without ever getting
into regular game. lie WAS not
thought worth mor' than TO pitch 10
the oatters in practice.
Showing how irscrutably Fate fire.
ouently does its stuff, the Red Sox
arrived in New York with almost no
pitchers in shape, and IN went Fer.
guson against his former teammates
Not only did he make good. but he
proceeded 10 win couple OF games
tumbling the proud and naughty
champions out OF first place.
Thus Ferguson got his chance
through luck. He started his own
game. lie went IN and pitched
with all his might and returned
carrying his shield. And il has
been the same story with both
Robertson. Of the White Sox, and
Shriyer. Of the Dodgers.
Any pitcher will tell you that ne
prefers TO start his own game n
going in af~r somebody else ha.
mangled the thing. Now and then
may be found a man who glories in
the ability 10 go in cold, during a
batting rally, and stop the enemy
Such was Al Schacht, who would
rather he a relief than a regular
starter on the hill. But few have
either the ability or the desire for
such a role.
For years any young catcher
snapped up by the Chicago White
SoX has been unfortunate. Ray
Schalk caught all the games. Will,
the youngsters sat on the bench and
became rusty and hog fat. With The
pitchers. though. II has been differ
ent. Having only Urban Faber. hid
Gleason is practically compelled to
use his new and untried pitchers
The results has not been bad SO far
and the White Sox are proving the
surprise OF the early campaign.
Robertson. third in the American
League TO shut out a team hitless and
without allowing an enemy to touch
first base, Is having his third tria
In fast company. He compares
somewhat with Tom Phillips and
Joe Gleason, Of the Washington
club.
Robertson got his first chance ir
1917 going 10 the White Sox fror-
the sherman club in the West TexH,
League. He failed 10 make the grade
and went back.
In 1918 he again failed to make
| good and. when no Sherman club
WIS to be found, Robertson was
sent to Minneapolis where he has
| performed ever since. The Sox
paid $50 I'm cash for him and lat.
ter paid sl,i50, making a total of
| $1,000.
Last year Robertson pitched 3ot
innings in ~ games for Joe Can
tillon's team. Tie ranked fifth foi
efficiency. permitting an average o
34S earned runs per game. He wnr
seventeen HUd lost fifteen games fol
q second r.a,e club, which is fal
/ from starting.
| Robertson's total of l76 strike
outs was second in the American
! Association to Danforth's 204, 3,
| the White Sox farm hand mus
I have had some ability. Further
more. his lls free tickets was bu
/ two more than Danforth gave ir
/ twenty.nine more innings.
Now that Robertson has lcapet
| into the hall OF fame with such
| brilliancy. Kid" Gleason is likel,
to use him regularly, but he might
never have known how good thu
rookie was had he not been com