The Washington times., 1928-04-23
LET S|NKER
GO BY, IS
SCHEME
4 BY Louis "A. Dougher


NEW YORK, April 2s.-"If
the boys can lay off that
ssinker' and swing from the
heels on the other, Cy Moore
won't be anywhere near as
effective this year as he was
last. =
There. you have a Washington
clubs explanation for its belief in
9 possible pennant victory for the
Griffmen, despite eevrything the
experts have written, said or
even thought. This statement is
not credited to any one player. In.
deed, it Is the general opinion Of
ali the regulars without exception.
Moore certainly was the goods
last season. Give him AL the credit
In the world for that" viii say any
Griffnan. ssE1e was poison to US
more than once. That 'sinker
was q tough thing to 20 up against.
But--and get this right-the more
you bat against Moore, the more
you can begin to let that 'sinker
80 by.
"a this ssinker.s q quick breaking
ban that the catcher drags up
out OF the dirt. Moore has fine
control Of this and sometimes
will pitch five and six Of them
In q row.
'sNow. here's the fine point of
the argument. That sinker. IS
almost always a ball, seldom
strike. The percentage is Tor the
batter who lets the 'sinker' go and
waits for the other. He either
walks or gets good ball to hit at.
"Last year was Moore's first in
this league. Few pitchers meet
with his success in their first year.
He simply walked all over US. But.
now that he has been around once
and the batsmen have been able to
40 some figuring, he's likely to
bump into plenty Of trouble. NO,
don't think he will be anywhere
near a. successful this season as
he was last"
The washington players are in
clined to believe George Pipgras one
Of the toughest foes they meet on
the hill anywhere. They laud nls
control rather than his speed or MS
benders They say Pipgras, q DIG
1aQ WITH pteALy Va StAItASNA.'
loses his head but keeps right on
shooting uD that fast ball just
where the batter doesn't ike 1t.
The more serious Griffmen,
like Bucky Harris, Joe Judge,
Muddy Ruel and Sam Rice,
believe that the Yankee pitch
ing staff win be the chief grief
Of Miller Higgins life this
gummer. They don't give much
thought 10 Joe Dugan's trick
knees and possible injuries 10
the stars. IL il always the
tWirling corps that engages
their attention.
.srhe Yankees were mighty lucky
the way the veteran Griffs phrase
It. "I Just can't imagine them
running through another season
without having some Of their hurl'
ers break down."
Yes. the Griffmen have on their
fighting toys. Make no mistake
about that. They haven't come up
here from the Capital expecting to
take three socks on the jaw. They
may have to do that but they don't
expect it.
Before going to the Yankee
Stadium today Bucky Harris and
Zeb Milan held a conference and
the conclusions they reached will
be given to the players in a meet.
ing at the clubhouse before tCday's
game gets under way. Manager
Harris plans similar meetinSE on
the first day of each series this
spring, discussing ways and means
Of upsetting the enemy.
Its q good way to settle
whatever doubts some of the
boys may have in their minds
about the opposing team" says
Manager Harris. For instance,
Sam Jones must have some
ideas of real value for Lisenbee
regarding the Yankee batsnen.
Sam knows how to pitch and
also knows the Yankees inside
and out. Things will come up
I'm the meeting that may nip
Ilsenbee. Sam will be there
with his stuff"
The Washington squad arrived
here this morning. After several
years at the Alamac. the Griffs
have returned to the Ansonia. two
blocks farther north on Broadway.
This will be their headquarters for
the season, If all goes well ami
the grub's good. The grub mus
be good. positively, or the bowls
from the athletes will be heard
back in Washington. Oy, oy. how
they can howl!
For three days the Griffs must
face the powerful Yankee phalanx.
Then they will return home to re-
main for three weeks and a half.
Iisenbee, Jones. and Fred Marberry
or Milton CASTOR seem likely to
start here. If fortunate, they will
also finish.
Everybody's pulling for season
anathema to ballplayers and war
correspondents though nobody wor-
rjes much about the latter biokes.