Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-04-01

morrow HlSEIl lHS ANhShohAo'''
will quit this city that has been
4 their training base for nearly
seven weeks and right glad
they will be to get out or Tampa TINS
time. This is no reflection on Tampa.
for the big town of the Florida west
Coast is an ideal training site for
base ball club, but fate has been none
too kind to Bucky Harris and his
charges here this year.
- Illness and injury have taken heavy
toll of the big squad of athletes assem-
hled here by President Clark Griffith.
Since March the Nationals have suf-
fered misfortune. From the time that
a drive from Joe Judges bat put Wal
ter Johnson out of commission until
Yesterday afternoon when OSsie Bluege
had his right hand slightly spiked by
the sliding frankie Frisch, calls for
the doctor have been plentiful.
Perhaps it is just as we'll that the
Nationals have three days without
scheduled competition after their 5-to-4
victory over the Cardinals at Plant
Field yesterday. The lay-off until Mon
day afternoon will give some of the
minor casuals a chance to get into
playing form for the resumption of
The annual Spring exhibition series
with the Giants on the grounds at Bir.
mingham.
Hardest Hit of All Clubs.
With accidents occurring so fire.
uuently, Manager Harris is rather for
tunate to take out of Florida enough
sound athletes to muster team. Nine
players all but two of them regulars,
are on the ailing list at present. The
Nationals certainly have suffered in
this respect more than any other big
league club in training this year.
So reduced are his forces that Har
ris has to call into action his casuals
when members of the first line of de-
Tense are stricken. In yesterdays
engagement, Buddy Myer, not yet
recovered from the indisposition that
forced him to forego the extra drills
needed to round him into condition,
had to be rushed to shortstop after
Bluege was injured. Bobby Reeves
j already severely battered finger sus-
Ntained more bruising. but he stuck
gamely to his task at third base. Nick
Cullop's strained arm ia far from
well, yet he was pressed into service
rs pinch-runner and first sacker Even
Sam Rice had to forget his Charley
horsed leg and take a turn at the
plate.
Despite all of these accidents. the
Nationals continued to make a pretty
good record for themselves in the
10 exhibition games played in Florida
this Spring. OF this lot they won 10.
lost and tied in ]. Almost all of
the games were tough battles, too, to
the end. For a time, there was a
noticeable lack of enthusiasm i'm the
engagements displayed by the club,
out after the second-stringers replaced
the injured regulars play was more
speedy all along the line. Given the
opportunity. the reserves more than
made good.
Three i'm q Row Over Cards.
Particularly pleasing to Manager
Harris was the showing his charges
made in trimming the world champion
Cardinals three times in a row, AT
Avon Park last week the Nationals
performed pitifully against Bob O'Far-
refs cocky champs. but the tables
were turned with a vengeance, here.
In each of the trio of tits on Plant
Held the Washington warriors had "a
overcome st. Louise advantages and
IN two OF them they triun1phed i'm
ninth-inning rallies
The Nationals put on stirring
ninth-inning finish yesterday to bag
the five-game series with the leaders
OF the base ball world. After inn
mediately offsetting a lead gained by
the Cards In the opening session, the
Nationals found themselves in the
rGck at the conclusion of the seventh
n ling. But they kept at their task
doggedfy to even affairs i'm the eighth
and siam Their way to triumph in the
last round. 1t was a fine exhibition
Of fighting spirit that il carried into
the American League championship
campaign ought to work wonders for
them.
Pitching duties for the Nationals
yesterday We're shared by George
Murray and Horace Lisenbee. Murray
started poorly, suffering four-hit
drubbing that Melted the Cards a
brace of markers i'm the first frame.
In the seventh. he was reached for a
homer that deadlocked the game, a
fwo-bagger and pass with no one
out and gave way to Lisenbee. The
D Cards managed to get to Horace suffi.
GENTLY to tally one of the men Murray
had left on base, then he stopped them
cold.
Murray Proving UndependabIe.
Murray seems to be like the little
girl that had the scurl. When he is
good, he is very good. But when he
Is bad--wow. And yesterday he was
bad in a pitching sense. During his
term he yielded eight safeties and six
passes and virtually all of the batters
as Wv oTt mo- paSoea went 10 a uik
count before swinging at the ball. In
fve of the seven frames he started
the first batter got on the runway.
Double plays got him out of hot water
In three innings and in another a
force play at the plate helped him
considerably.
Ljsenbee, though. made fine show.
ing as relief worker. But for an
error back OF lin at the outset of his
Performance, he probably would not
have been scored against. lie did not
nllow bingie. and in the inning he
replaced Murray he pitched third
strikes by two batters. He franked
two men 70 first base. but one of the
passes was issued In an inning after
two were out.
Bill Sherdcl. a southpaw. and VIC
Keen. who used to fling for the Uni
versity of Maryland nine, were the