Evening star., 1925-08-09
HARRIS LIKES HITTING
INSTEAD OF BUNTING

Bucky Harris evidently believes it
is much better to attempt to hit 'em
out than lay EN- down in most in
stances when his club is on the short
end of a score in a tight engagement.
Not that the Nationals manager does
not believe in the sacrifice. but he be-
lieves more in employing the full :orve
of his batting order.
THE sacrifice is a good play when
properly used" Bucky remarked yes
terday, 'but l think it can be used
too often in close games. Under most
circumstances, l am of the opinion
that the Washington Club can get
more from q hit-and-run attack than
1t can from the sacrifice"
And that's probably why in several
recent games Bucky elected to try for
runs by the macing method rather
than take chance with a style of
play considered by many base ball
pilots more orthodox and safer.
The most recent example of avoid
ance of the sacrificial game are to
be found in the contests lost to the
Tigers and the Browns, in both of
which Stanley Coveleskie started on
the slab for the Champs.
Twice in the game with the Tigers
the Nationals found themselves just a
run shy of tie. yet neither time was
sacrifice attempted after a batter
opened an inning with a safety.
In the game with the Browns, the
Champs were a run back when their
first man up in the third inning got
to first base, but the hit-and-run and
not the sacrifice was tried with no
beneficial result.
The Nationals have used the sacri
flee at times this season and used
it effectively. They are apt to use it
again, too, at any time according to
Bucky, but he has his own ideas as
to when it should be employed and
they do not agree with the ideas of
many other club pilots.
Well, that's for Bucky to think
about. He's guiding the club and so
far there's no one CAM say he has not
made good job of it.
Champions has not functioned we'll
at times during the past few weeks,
the failure of men who could reason
ably be expected to swat with vigor
to do so has checked the onward rush
of the club more than anything else.
Although Goslin has been banging
the ball at a rate that many players
would like to be able to follow, he has
not been hitting at a pace expected to
a batter in the cleanup position. Since
July 5, the Goose has walloped below
800 and his slump has noticeably af.
fected the clubs progress.
Judge, also, has had several spells
of low visibility at bat and they have
made a marked difference in the at
tack of a team that early in the sea-
son gained much with it's sharp often
sive.
The batting order has been decided
ly unbalanced for practically a month
with Bucky Harris and Sam Rice
hitting frequently only to have no
one to get them around, and Ossie
Bluege pounding the ball savagely
with none on the paths to profit by
his hammering.
Harris thinks well of the Champs
latest pitching addition, Win Ballou,
and believes the young right-hander
may develop into highly useful mem
ber of the mound corps. The manager
likes the pitching motion of the pur-
chase from Chattanooga, holding that
it would not detract greatly from the
strength and stamina of the hurler.
He also likes the delivery of the re-
cruit, and may put him under fire the
next time the Nationals find them,
selves sailing along under comforta-
BILE lead.