Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1928-03-05
10 PITCHERS
SEEK TO FILL
JOHNSON GAP
Bucky Harris Has Big
Crew Of Hurlers In
Daily Battle; Other
Places Fought For
By BRIAN BELL

ASSOCIATED Press Sports Writerl
TAMPA, Fla. March 5.-Althougn
the baseball ghost Of Walter John
son stalks through the training camp
Of the Washington club, there are
Is pitchers on hand, all willing TO be
another Johnson"
By common consent Of the powers
that be on the club, where Johnson
Is more OF an institution than q
pitcher. no one will be elected 70 fill
the place Barney left permanently
vacant when he went away to man
age Newark.
Az the work proceeds at the first
Washington training camp in twen-
ty years in which the great Johnson
has had no active part the club s
preparing to pin its hopes on pitck-
ing despite the absence of the big
fellow with the terrific "fast one"
Ten Of the double octette Of piscl-
ers will start the season and Mana
ger Harris and President Griffith
hope to work out a combination in
which supple, young arms will get
support from heads wise in BASEBALL.
Only two of the pitchers have passed
their thirtieth birthday and one is
just that old.
Marberry Sees Chance
Sam Jones Is IS, Milton CASTOR
has turned 81 and Tom Zachary is
80. The board of strategy suffered
its first blow when Irving Hadley,
sensational young pitcher Of last sea-
son, was sent to the hospital. lie VIII
emerge In a few weeks without his
appendix but the season will be well
advanced before he can pitch. Hor-
c Lisenbee, almost as young and
even more sensational than Hadiey.
is in perfect health and will be able
TO start.
Fred Marberry, veteran Of the
staff at "a, in point Of consecutive
service, although Tom Zachary e
away and came back, is confident
that he will be graduated from a re-
lief role TO a starting status. Gar
land Braxton will continue to dash
in from the bull pen in times Of
stress. Ed Wells, late Of Detroit and
Birmingham, may stage a comeback
and Van Alstyne, Boosting a great
ball. has q chance TO return
from his exile TO Birmingham OF last
season. Clarence Griffin, a little
southpaw, will not be discrimina.ed
against on account Of his size. Pres
ident Griffith likes the little fellows
on the mound. He was once a little
pitcher and a good one.
There is no chance Of a shortage Of
left hand pitching talent. In addi-
tion to Braxton. Zachary, Wells and
Griffin. Bob Burke, has been brought
over from last year and Lloyd Brown
is VI from Memphis.
Players Compete
Manager Bucky Harris thinks one
way 20 make the Senator'S a fighting
club is to start a fight at the outset
so In addition TO the battle 10. pitch
ing places, he has declared firss base,
shortstop and c~enterfield wide open
TO competition.
With George Sisler and Joe Judge.
aged but still active first base per-
formers, available, there seems TO
be a conviction that a trade may yet
cause a distribution of the ever
supply. Neither seems ready TO Sc
on the bench. Sisler is apparently
slated to start the season
Bobby Reeves has the inside track
90 sho-tstop. II the former Georgia
Tech star had turned TO 5oxing IN
stead Of baseball he would have
made q reputation as being able 10
take it. When he is knocked down
he gets up. Two other c~olleg:ans,
Grant ellis and Jack Hayes. botn
former wearers of the crimson Of
Alabama. will be reserve insiel6ers.
A battle for centerfield may con-
tinue right through the season be-
tween Sam West and Foster Camel,
with Barnes, a third Alabama on
tribution in reserye West has shown
more speed than CAMEL but Wash
ington's Babe" who comes frorn a
baseball family. is a terrific hitter.
Two Southeastern league recruits,
Kloza and Simons, have impressive
batting averages and II they fail to
stick will be promoted in the minors.
Muddy Ruel and Benny Ta-e will
do most OF the catching with The
third place going TO Pete Cooper,
from Birmingham or Hugh McMul-
len. with Louisville last year, but
formerly q major Lacquer.