The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-12-21
HARRIS HANDLED
TWIRLERS WELL
Shifting OF Stars And Re-
lief Men Won The
Pennant

Would you know how Stanley Harris
eased Washington into the 1924 cham
pionship of the American league? Then
forget what the Washington team bat
ted, what it fielded, the runs it scored
how Leon Gaslin led in driving them in,
after Harris himself had sacrificed them
along into position for scoring.
Consider how Manager Harris manip-
ulated his pitching staff, using the ma
terial he had without regard to pre-.
cedent or consideration for personal
feelings-and fans have seen the youth
full leader of the champions order even
Walter thomson from the mound on
occasion, as if the great Walter was
a mere muddled rookie.
That wasn't because the youthful
Harris had less regard for Walter john
son-his was the master mind that
nursed Walter through, and while max
ing Walter the leagues premier also
took advantage of the star of his staff
for the main idea, that of finishing first.
Inspect the playing averages as they
touch on pitching for evidence of the
masterfulness of Harris in handling
pitching-masterful since it got re-
suits.
Trio OF Aces
The averages show that the Washing
ton club had only three pitchers who
got in as many as ten complete games.
They were johnson, Zachary and Mog-
ridge. That trio pitched all told 694
innings in the season Of 1924, of ap-
proximately 400 innings Washington
played
Pitchers not in ten complete games
pitched the other 700 innings or so the
team played.
johnson was in SO games all told,
pitched but 20 complete, and yet got
credit for winnig % games.
Zachary was in 33 games all told,
pitched Is complete and got credit for
winning Is.
Mogridge was in 80 games all told,
in 10 complete games, and got credit for
winning 16.
Note that each of Washington's "reg-
ulars' won more games than there were
games which he started for himself and
finished for himself
Now turn to the list of secondary
pitchers on the Washington staff.
Allan Russell did not pitch one full
game all season, yet he took part in 81
and pitched total of SO innings.
Byron Specie was not in one full
game, yet pitched SO innings.
The Relief Star
Fred Marberry, that notable among
pitchers called on for relief work, was
in so games all told, pitched total of
1876 innings, yet in the averages is
credited with having pitched only 6
games that he started and finished.
81 Ao1I 80.
the figures for Ogden, Zahniser and
Martini, who made up the Washington
staff except for two or three twirlers
who were in not enough innings to get
in the records.
These secondary pitchers did not get
credit for winning many games, but
they did lot of the work, practically
one-half of it.
That is no discredit to Washington's
regular" trio of pitchers-the three
who were in more than ten complete
games each. 1t is tribute to the craft
ness of the Washington manager.
Take the case of Walter johnson,
with his aging arm. How come he was
in 80 games, yet started and finished
but 20 for himself? Was he knocked
out: Seldom. But relieved otter never
theless. Now and then he was called
in as relief pitcher.
As part of the idea for nursing John
son along, conserving the pitching that
was left in his old arm, when a game
looked safe in the won column, after
he had started it, then Walter was
likely to go out for rest. Did Walter
wobble bit, showing signs of firing,
then out Of the bull pen came Mar
berry or Russell or some lesser light.
And the same sort of relief for Zachary
and Mogridge
Figures tell the tale of how Stanley
Harris manipulated his pitchers in the
1924 season. These are taken from
the American league averages: