Evening star., 1926-05-04


The new set. if il does not excel,
brio IN the circuit in defensive quality
More than anything else. the return
t. the game of Earl McNeely has Dol
stored the outer wall of the Wash
;ngtor club Although this young
Californian is not regarded as dan
gerous hitter. he is accounted one of
fhe best fiyhaWks in the business. And
backing his native ability as a Judge
of the lofty ones is his feetness of
foot and a fine fighting spirit makes
him 90 after everything within his
range, regardless of the danger Of
collisions with stand barriers or out
field fences.
McNeely also seems to exercise
splendid judgment in getting the ball
back to the infield. once he has
caught or retrieved it He does not
apparently count the stitches on the
sphere before getting rid of it, as some
of the National outflelders seemed to
do early this season, and he does not
fling haphaZardly TO any infelder. as
was done SO often by the original 1925
garden combination
EErl is alert, senses the situation
quickly and acts accordingly. and he
appears to have plenty of power in
his throwing, too.
Rice Better Placed Now.
With McNeely back in center field
sam Rice now is patrolling the right
meadow where Harris believes he be-
longs. Several times Rice has been
tried as a middle gardener and each
time he has failed to appear to ad-
vantage. But Rice can take care of
the right pasture in great style. II
his territory and he knows what TO do
there
Then. too. with McNeely in center.
Goose, Goslin is apt to 20 about his
duties in left field in more certain
way than formerly. The Goose
ranges far better to his right than to
his left and now ought to be able TO
pay more attention to the field be
tween himself and the foul line
McNeely probably will not hit with
some of those who have preceded
him in the outfleld this season. but past
records show him to be no slouch al
bat at that. and the Nationals needed
defensive bolstering. Earis entrance
into the game gives the club three
good fielders, where before It had only
one fair one-Gosln.
The new outf1eld had plenty TO DO
yesterday in the opening game of the
series here, for Curly Ogden, although
SoX. was we'll tapped. The Fohlmen
got eight safeties off the big right
handler, starting A game for the second
time this season and met the ball
forciblv enough TO cause the National
gardeners to account for more than
half their clubs putouts.
Sox Thrice Cluster Blows.
Three times the Red SoX clustered
pair of blows in an inning and twice
this punching Of hits netted tallies.
But the Nationals also did deal of
healthy hitting and were helped by
flock of passes.
They sent Charley Ruffine Red Sox
starter, TO the showers in the third
round after two were out. Rufing
left behind him five runs. the result
of seven hits and four passes. and
filled bases. Joe kiefer checked the
tallying temporarily. But he was
nicked by Goslin for a homer in the
fourth.
Another hit was cleaned off kiefer
before he gave way 10 a pinch batter
in the sixth. Harold Wiltse. south
paw. finished the game and all the
Nationals got off him were two
vallops.
Stanley Harris led his clubs attack
getting three safetes He nicked Ruf
7ng for single in the first inning
got double off kiefer in the sixth
and another two haEger off Wiltse in
the eighth. McNeely. Muddy Ruel
and Ogden helped themselves TO two
hits each.
Both clubs drew markers in the
first inning. Singles by McNeely
and Harris and the retirements of
Rice and Goslin accounted for the
National tally. Flagsteads double
Harris tumble of Carlyle's tap and
Todt's one-baser made a run for the
Red Sox.
Griffmen Busy In Second.
Fuffing gave two bases on balls and
three hits in the second when the
champs got three scores. With Bluege
out of the way, Peck walked and took
third as Ruel singled to right. Ogden
slammed a one -baser to left tallying
Peck while Muddy stopped at second.
Rigney could not get a firm hold on
McNeely's looper and It dropped for
a single. filing the bases. Harris
walk forced Ruel across the plate and
as Rice's grounder to Rigney resulted
in Bucky's demise at the middle sta
ton, Ogden counted,
Judge had been retired when Rluege
singled in the third. Pecks inield
erasure advanced Ossie a peg and
second scored Bluege and sent Muddy
to the far corner. McNeely walked
70 first and Ruffing to the clubhouse.
Harris best off Relief Hurler Kiefer
was a foul to CASTOR.
After Goslin drove 2 homer into
the right field stand in the fourth
frame. the Nationals called # A day.
but the Red SoX came back for
tally in the fifth. Kiefer rolled to
Bucky Harris, but Flagstead singled
to center and made second as Rigney
was thrown out. Carlyle's one-baser
put Ira home. Thereafter the F'ohl-
men got but one hit and two passes
off Ogden.