The Washington times., 1928-06-15
BO B H I s
IN C0NLEGE
ST LE:
BY Louis A. Dougher

Icy AAOS4A@ 49,
DETROIT, June 15.-GoOse
Goslin and Bob Reeves are the
two big siege guns OF the
Griffs as they batter down op.
position that would keep them
out of the first division.
Goslin. despite his handicap Of q
dead throwing arm, is playing bril-
lfantIy and is showing this way to
the batsn1en of the American
League.
Bob Reeves, hitting in the form
he showed at Georgia Tech, Is up
among the league leaders. WhacK-
ing the ball like q Ty Cobb or
George SisIer OF other years. He
has supplanted Lovely" Barnes as
Z batsnnan.
GOsIin's sluggimg has had much
to DO with the success OF the
team in emerging from the
cellar, He has driven m II
runs since the team ended Its
first long home stay amd scored
m others. His average has
maintained steady progress mp
ward.
when the Griffs left home on
this tour of the league GOslin was
resting because OF his lame arm.
sam West and later George Sister
essayed to till his shoes, but un-
successfully. He had to come back
to the races. Nevertheless. hitting
for Hayes in Philadelphia on May
%. he banged a home run OF How.
ara Ehmke and so he was back IN
the lineup in Boston.
Beginning with the game at
shfbe Park, May 81, and closing
with the last game in New York on
Nav 81. GosIfn hit for $50 in eight
games. He went to bat twenty-One
times. scored four runs. hit safely
eight times for q total OF twelve
bases and drove in four runs.
Coming out West he increased his
hitting tremendously and when ne
finished the series in Cleveland ne
was hitting at q rate Of .444 tor
the last sixteen games. He had
gone to bat fifty-four times, scored
ten runs, hit safely tWenty.foar
times for q total of thirty-seyen
bases and had accounted for ten
runs.
Yesterday he bagged couple
OF tw0baggers, one each oil
WhifeaIIF and Smith, boosting
his average for the trip to .448,
and was stiE G0ing. strong. he
h going to be . hard gay 70
stop.
And there lie nothing backward
about Bob Reeves, the kid short
fielder. He got back into the game
after being bruised severely by Leu
sehrig on May Is. Rain halted
that game in the fourth but ne
had already singled off Hudlin.
Beginning the next day Reeves has
played every game since. yesteday' =
being the twenty-second in success
sion.
Reeves, like GosIin, has been Inn
proving steadily at bat. For KID
whose form at the plate was con-
Sidered wretched a year ago. 1t il a.
marvel how he slaahes all sorts OF
pitching today. In his first six games
AT short he hit for 800. going to bat
Is times, scoring . runs, hitting
safely times for 10 bases, and driV-
ing in runs.
In his first IL games, winding
Ing up the series i'm New York on
NAV 81. Reeves was hitting for
.3A6. having gone to bat So times,
acOring s runs, hitting safely IS
times, for . total of 20 basos,
and driving I'm 8 runs.
Coming out West he added games
10 his string, closing with the last
game in Cleveland, and held his
own. In that list OF 81 games
Reeves was hitting for .3A5. He had
zone to bat "a times, scored 10 runs.
nit safely 20 times for q total OF OIL
ba ses and had driven in IL runs.
Yesterday the best he could do m
four trips to the plate was 10
grab a single and his average
dropped five points. His record
raow since he went to the short
field on May 10. il $40. He is
charged with sS times at bat, scor-
ing IL runs. hitting safely 80 times
for q total of SO bases and driving
in IL runs.
They have quit trying to
change Reeves batting style. A
year ago iris Speaker, with all
the hest intentions in the world,
thought to make him checked
up hitter. The plan failed. 1t
wan unnatural for the former
Georgia Tech star.
You go on and try to hit the
way you did ct college" Bucky
Harris told Reeves this spring.
IF you find yourself, it'n be great
But nobody's going to try and
change your natural style.
The result is Reeves liz today one
Of tho leagues five best batsmsn.
He goes to the plate with all the
confidence of q veteran and is get.
ting his fair share of extra base
slams. He has already bagged
three circuit clouts and his triples
and doubles are becoming monoton'
Gus. Goslin and Reeves, the Griffs'
siege guns, are making batting his
rory and 1t is Up to the team 10
follow their lead IL it would climb
10 the heights.
i