Evening star., 1924-05-13

Wretched pitching and anemic bat
ting is responsible for the lowly po-
Sition, of the Mackmen. who have
foundered because the athletes de-
pended upon have failed TO deliver.
but it is ifferent in the case of the
Indians, who have a Legitimate eX-
cuse for their failure to date. in that
the team has been hard hit by the
loss of regulars, due to illness
An indication of how the team has
been handicapped may be CLEANED
from the fact that Speaker himself.
the handspring of the club on both
attack and defense and its chief
source of inspiration. is just recov-
ering from an attack of influenza;
Riggs Stephenson, the walloping
second sacker has been unable to
play. due TO water on the knee. re-
sulting from collision with Earl
Sheely of the White Sox, Chick Few
ster. his underStudy. performing with
a finger that ordinarily would keep
him confined to the bench; Third
Raseman Lutzke is suffering from
heavy cold. and George Uhle, the ace
of the pitching staff, is inactive with
a sore arm.
Neither Speaker nor Uhle was with
the team when it started on its in
rasion of the east last week, al
though they are expected to be
among those present when the Tribe
gets here tomorrow. Uhle has pitch
ed but one complete game this sea-
son, winning that and getting credit
for winning another when he was
forced TO quit the hill late in the
game. whereas last season at this
time the former sandlotter was bag
ging victories with great regularity.
In addition. Stan Coveleskie. veteran
spit ball manipulation, has been un-
able to win a single contest, three
defeats being charged against him.
Tribe Has Array of slusgers.
For all their failure to maintain a
place high in the race, the Indians
have been hitting we'll, and will do
even better when their FULL strength
is available, as it is expected to be
shortly. With all their regulars on
the job they have half a dozen real
Sluggers in the lineup. the records
for 1928 divulgfng this: Speaker. $50;
Joe Sewell. .352; Jameson. .345; Sum
ma. .32S; Burns, .S2S. and Stephenson,
.S19. With Uhle in the box, the Tribe
has another clouter available. as the
pitcher attained .361 average last
year, and Catcher Glenn Myatt this
season has been listed up with the
first five hitters.
In addition to Coveleskie, Uhle and
Morton. veterans. the Indians have
an effective portsider in old Sherry
Smith, who has won half of his four
games to date, and pair of very
promising youngsters in Jim Edwards
and Joe Shaute. while Logan Drake.
another newcomer. has displayed a
world of stuff. Right now the In
dians. despite their seventh place
standing, are but five games back of
the league-leading Yanks, and with
their potential strength should yet
make things interesting for the Hug
men and Tigers when they begin hit
ting on all cylinders. In any event,
starting practically even terms
with the Nationals. one or the other
of the two teams should have its
percentage materially improved as a
result of the series which gets under
way here tomorrow.
Final With Tigers Today.
Having nosed out the Tigers in the
first mixup of the season with them
last Saturday, the worst Harris men
can get is an even break should they
lose to them in the final today, and
they are by no means resigned to
this fate. 1t was Pilot Bucky'S inten-
ton to send George Mogridge to the
mound this afternoon. while T. Ray
ruond Cobb was expected to choose
between Bert Cole and Earl White
hill, which would give the contest a
thoroughly left-handed aspect White
hill is youngSter who was Dur-
chased from the Birmingham club of
the Southern Association and he has
proved one of the pitching sensations
of the circuit to date.
Carr Smith. the Raleigh boy who
has been recalled from Chattanooga,
where he has been Furnishing South
ern League hurlers. is not expected
TO arrive until tomorrow, but is slated
for use against southpaw pitchers
when he does show up, the plan being
to alternate him with Memo Leibold
in right field
The arrival of Smith will not in
crease the roster of the Nationals, as
Fred Wingtield, the curve-ball ex-
pert obtained from Chattanooga. has
been shifted back to that club. Wing
field displayed fine assortment of
hooks, but didn't have enough on his
fast ball to make the grade in fast
company. The chances are Wing
field will not again be seen here, as
he goes with no strings attached.
1t Is considered doubtful that Goose
Goslin, whose work has been severely
handicapped by logginess due to in
fected tonsilS, will submit to an oper-
alton before the end of the season,
the club physician having advised
against it, following a thorough ex-
animation yesterday.
CANnT nT NnTvEc