Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-03-14

Furnishing pitchers 1eaFLuily III thc
Spring exhibition contests SO lar
played by Bucky Harris gang Oh
athletes.
Figures for the five games played
with other big league outfits by the
Nationals show Speaker the leader
of the seven regulars Of the team,
with Goslin pressing him for the
honor. iris has socked the apple
ar a .53S clip. while the Goose has
been banging the ball for an average
OF 800. .,--
Speaker has been at bat 10 times
TO make seven hits, of which four
have been doubles a variety OF swat
in which the Gray Eagle speciailzes'
Goslin in 20 times at bat has
registered 10 bingles, three of them
doubles. Spoke has walked once and
has vet to fan. The Goose has been
handed three free tickets to the
initial sack, but he has whitfield twice.
Oss and Buddy Hitting, Too.
Two others of the regular force
also have been meeting the ball IN
fine style. Bluege can show a
batting average of All for his
swinging in exhibition engagements,
while Myer boasts a swatting mark
of $50. Myer. incidentally, is the
only one of the regulars to nave
pounded a homer or a triple. lie mas
n hit Of each of these classes to his
credit. Buddy also is the clubs lead
ing run getter, having crossed Inc
counting block five times.
Next to Goslin, Bluege has made
more hits than any other of the. seven
PLAYERS of the regular order. lie has
conbed opposing pitchers for safe
ties in II times at bat. Ossie mas
walked three times and struck out
only once.
Joe Judge has been going along
at a .250 clip, with a hits in 16 times
up. All of Joes blows have been
singles. He has strolled to first base
on three occasions and has made two
sacrifices.
Sam Rice and Bucky Harris are be-
low the $50 class in batting. Rice
has an average Of 100 and Harris
figures are .176. Bucl1y has struck
out more often than any other regu-
lar, having split the air three times.
Berger Has an Even 800.
John Berger heads Benny Tate in
the battle for batting honors in the
catching staff. The New Haven
draftee has made 3 hits in 10 times
at bat, for an even 800 average. One
of Berger's slams was a triple. Tate
has hit for $50. OF Benny's three
safeties, two were doubles.
Little can be said of the batting
prowess OF the Nationals pitching
corps SO far. The aggregation of
hurlers has been charged with IA
times at bat and has produced only 2
hits. Gen. Al Crowder knocked two
Dagger and Admiral Decatur Jones
got a single.
The reserves have done nothing to
brag about In a hitting line. They
have been at bat 20 times for 3 hits.
giving them a low average Of .140
Sam West has done more than any
other of the reserve force. He has
clouted a triple and a single in seven
times at bat. for a rating of .2S6.
But the four hard-hitting regulars
have kept the team batting average
fairly high to date. The club can
show rating of .295 for its club
swinging in the five games, and when
It is considered that the pitchers,
working as they do in short relays,
are apt to have something on the
batters at this stage of the training
season. that seems a good mark.
Unfortunately this attack has re-
suited in no decently comparative win
ming record in the Spring battles.
Three of the five games have gone
against the Nationals. However, a
continuation of such batting is bound
to bring better results. Manager Har-
ris hopes the Improvement viii be
seen in the four games to be played
this week with clubs Of the senior
major league.
Pitchers Are Main Concern.
Harris, though, is not worrying so
much about attacks at present as he
is about the most important element
of a clubs defense-pitching. With
less than month to go before the
American League season starts, the
preparation of hurlers will be hurried
more than heretofore, as at least six
slabmen must be fully fit for service
as starters when the gong rings on
April IL.
1t now appears that the six de.
pendable must be Stanley Coveleskie,
Hollis Thurston, Garland Braxton,
George Murray, AL Crowder and De.
catur Jones. Had Walter Johnson not
been incapacitated Jones probably
would not have been accounted a reg
ular starting hurler With the vet
cram mound ace likely to be out of
commission until around May /, how.
ever, Harris seems forced TO call upon
this young pitcher, bought from the
Chattanooga club late last season.
OF the six slabmen mentioned, al
have been under fire in Spring eXhi
billions except Coveleskie. The ageC
spitballer is training slowly and prob
ably will not be sent to the hill before
next week. OF the five who have per
formed, the most impressive by fal
was Thurston. Against the Giants a
Sarasota last Saturday the formei
White Sox moundsman went along IL
almost midseason form through hi
three innings. He pitched to only II
batters, and two of the innings not {
Giant got on the runway.
But One Giant SCOT On"
It was an error by Joe Judge tina
let the first Giant up in the fifth
frame reach first base. A pair of easy
force plays followed and Hollis did MOI
find it difficult to get the third out o
the round. Sanford Handy was thu
only Giant to send one Of Thurston'
pitches beyond the infield. With on
gone in the sixth session the Clan
catcher sent a low fly TO Rice in right
Braxton seems TO be In better form
than CroWder, Murray or Jones. TIL
southpaw pitched well against tn
Phillies at Bradenton, almost as wei
as Thurston did against the Giants
Crowdcr appears to be about a weel
of form, but both Murray and Jone
have been in-and-outers. After pitch
ing strongly against the Braves at 81
Petersburg, Murray came back fou
days later with mediocre perform
ance against the Giants. Jones! mai
trouble has been lack OF control. II
has not passed many batters, but h
has had TO pitch himself out to praC
tically all the men he has faced.
with the exception OF Clayton Va
AIstyne, all of the players turned owe
]hA T2fPyaInpI9pa cliIh left Tamp
Yesterday apparently satisfied wit
their transfer Van Aistyne, however
did not like the change any too we
nd q aked nArnissinn 10 go TO hi