The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-04-26

days, the final contest being BIO,
first Sunday at home. In these
stiff battles shown at the ball var
at top speed.
First and foremost among those,
lads to tackle the Griffs this week
is Spark Plug Matthews. the little
outfielder from Milwaukee. If he
isn't OF the major league caliber,
then every scout In the land has
been kidding himself to death.
When Matthews first burst upon
Philadelphia fans, they dubbed him
Wild, just why is not known, unless
that was his monicker in the Ameri-
can Association.
Two brilliant, colorful exhibitions
against the Griffmen brought a
change in his name. 1t became
Spark Plug, sometimes chopped to
Sparky, over night. And the little
chap has been living up to his new
name ever since.
Matthews leads off the batting
order. He plays center field. He
can bunt. He can hit straight.
away He Is q streak going to
first and rounding third ahead Of
q bingle. In the garden he gets
everything, no matter how diff
cult, whether In the air or on the
ground.
The addition Of Sparky Matthews
gives Connie Mack his best outfield
trio in a long time. He provides
the speed sadly lacking a year ago.
Bing Miller. a fayorite with
Washington fans, is performing
nobIy in left field this season, re-
placing the veteran Tilly Walker,
who is now relief gardener and
pinch hitter. Tilly's pins are not as
strong as once they were, which ex-
plains his absence from the lineup.
Out in right field is Frank WEIGH,
a rather stationary outfielder most
OF the time, but lad who comes
to life without q moments notice
and produces the real goods, wheth-
er at bat or In the field il matters
not.
The Improvement i'm Joe Hauser
has done more to give Connie
Mack q strong infieId than the
addition of Harry Riconda or
Sammy Hale. Hauser was q bit
awkward last year. That awkward
ness has vanished now. He is q
big league first sacker these days.
Sammy Hale, alleged to have cost
the Athletics SIS, 900, and Harry
Riconda, who didn't cost anything
like that, have been playing third
base. Hale is suffering from an in
jured shoulder received sliding into
second base in the first game of
the season against the Griffs and
may not appear at all in the series
opening here today.
Riconda, Hale's substitute, is
better fielder than the former Coast
league star, but not so strong with
the war club. At that, he is by no
means a weakling up there at the
plate and the Athletics look good
with him in the lineup.
With Hale and Riconda available
for third base duties, Jimmy Dykes
has gone back to second where he is
playing brilliantly and hitting the
ball on the nose in his accustomed
manner.
Chick Galloway, fast becoming the
best shortstop in the American
League completes fast, smooth
working inner quartet.
While here Connie Mack will
probably select his pitchers from
among Bryan Harris, Ed. ROmmel,
ROlande NaylOr, Bob Hasty, War
rem Ogden, all righthanders, and
Fred Heimach and Walter Kinney,
SOuthpaws.
Harris has tanned down a lot since
last year and his new pitching mo-
ton works for better control with
out losing much of his speed. He
has one OF the best curve balls in
the league.
Hasty, too, has improved. He
has a better delivery now and the
ball is upon the batter almost be-
fore he can set himself. He has
a sort Of slingshot delivery most
perplexing.
Heimach showed excellent form
against the Griffs in Philadelphia,
though they collected eleven hits
pinches and this, with the Griff-
mems sorry misplays, gave him the
margin Of victory.
Ogden, whose brother is with the
Baltimore Orioles, is a strong right
hand hurler with control. Isl"
Perkins gets the most out Of him,
and he should go far in the big
show.
Walter Kinney, recently declared
eligible after a years penance for
jumping the AS, was a promising
southpaw before he disappeared
from the big show, but he has to
begin all over again and is
problem until he makes good.
Rommel won twenty-seven games