The Washington times., 1927-03-24
GRIF NJ [ n
COUNTING
ON HIM
By Louis A. Dougher

= . ~ a55 fls3 .
TAMPA, Fla., March "a. General
Alvin Crowder, who is expected to
be q winner pitcher for. the Wash.
ington Griffnen this season, is fac
ing an examination FOR an internal
injury suffered last spring white
training with the Pittsburgh Pirates
IN California. This is one more
cause Of worry for Manager Harris.
who is himself carrying around an
aching digit on bis throwing hand.
In practice skirnish last spring
In the Pirates camp Crowder went
after an inffeld fly. He is rather
q nifty fielder, by the way, and
hates to give way to his infielders
ali the time. "Pi's Tray1or, the big
third sacker. also went after the ball
CrOwder called for the bail.
30 did TrayIlUr, who is much
bigger than the pitcher. They
came together, TraynOr's shout.
der striking Cr0wder's chest and
libsetting him. For several
days he suffered pain, but when
Il passed he forgot all about it.
Later in the summer, while Itch.
Ing in Birmingham. CroWder SUI.
fered more pain from the same In
jury and had to take brief rest.
The strain of pitching seemed to
tear something loose in his chest
and stomach.
Reporting to Washington the
pitcher was able to finish the sea.
son without any recurrence OF the
fr0tlie. but down here H. week or
so ago It came back on him. Be-
cause OF this he did not accompany
the team to Avon Park to oppose
the st. Louis Cardinals, although his
name was on the original list.
Crowder is close mouthed chap
who keeps his troubles pretty much
10 himself and would never have
mentioned this but for the agony he
experienced when delivering ball
from the mound. If he gets no bet.
ter with rest, x-ray pictures will
he taken to ascertain just what
TROUBLES him, and he may be unable
to open the campaign as q regular
starting pitcher.
Despite his disability, Crowder's
performance. ct Clearwater yester-
day was bright indeed. He faced
the Robins for four innings and did
not yield a hit. Those five bases
on balls, however, were not so good.
and only great support kept his
record clean.
CrOWder IL on = diet sug-
Reated by Trainer Martin to cor
rect any digestive complaint but
the pitcher believes his trouble
more deep9seated than mere in
h digestion, and will have an ex- 81
animation unless there is dis.
tinCt Improvement BY the time b
the season opens.
& In the third inning Jacobson
walked as a beginner and Carey got
q pass with one gone. Buddy Myer
then ran out into center field for
Hendricks pop fly and Crowder
tossed out Herman himself after
knocking down hot bounder. In
the next session fuckers great run.
ming catch of Deberry's foul fly
took the general out of a hole.
Garland Braxton and Bob Burke,
like Crowder, pitched most effec-
lively, though they were unsteady.
The trio gave ten free passes, Brax-
ton donating three in the seventh
inning alone. Even then only
Myers bad relay peg from Tucker
permitted the Robins to score. In
sf the eighth Burke's own bad peg
to Cullop put Herman on third
with none out and so Barrett's
timely single to left scored him.
Thereafter Burke frightened and
stopped the fun.
The Griffs were dotted with
rockies as they administered defeat
to tho Robins, 4 to 2. Cullop was
at first, Mccain at second. West
in center and Tucker in right field.
All four looked good with premier
praise going to the smiling Tucker
& from Radiant. Va.
In the fourth inning Tucker
trotted far beyond the foul line
and nailed Deberry's foul fly. That
drew applause but in the seventh
came his truly brilliant effort, rob.
bling Arnold Statz of at least a two
Dagger.
Braxton had passed the first two
batsmen but got Gus Felix on
Z