The Washington times., 1928-03-08
BY Louis A. Dougher

By Louis A. DOugher
TAMPA, Fla, March s.-Bucky
Harris gets his first peak az nis
1928 aggregation today z. Av .Dn
Park when he sends it. against the
Sc. Louis Cardinals. admittedly
contender In the National League
remnant race. It is q good pet
too. that he will miss not single
move on the part of anybody. there.
SAMMY west is booked to play
center field. Both Bobby Reeves
ana Grant ellis will perform in the
short field, with Judge and sister
MOVING around the initial corner.
West, undoubtedly. IL Deing
rroomed to replace iris speaker
III the garden. The youngster re-
ported here with the piscners
February 10, and has been under
the -, snecial care Of Sir Mique
Martin prince of trainers. He
has not been permitted to work
too hard and, az . result, mas
suffered not at all from the IN
iurv that ruined him q year ago.
Chasing fly balls West has looked
MI the doctor ordered. His throw
inc is better than the average
But at the bat. after the first day.
Fl,p has set no worlds ablaze. In
decd as the pitchers become
stronger West has looked weaker.
Tnm Zachary. Lloyd Brown,
fslare7lca Griffin. Garland Brax-
fOrl md Bob Burke, all south
f,ayvs. have ruined Vests bat
ting form. He has been forced
fO 70 up against them. too.
whether he liked it or not. They
have hooked him right out OF
the Iimelight. Unless he be-
gins hitting the ball more
sOIidIy and oftener, he viii
hardly be able to stave off the
Opposition Of Jack KlOza, Babe
CANCEL ar Mel EimOns. all OF
whom are hitting the bah right
on the nose.
Washington fans are undoubtedly
watching for the result OF the
Judge Sisler battle at first base.
Both veterans are doing well. Judge
cot in some preliminary work at
the Jewish Community Center on
Sixteenth Street before reporting
here and shows It by his easy
action In the field. He Is landing
on the hall, too.
for q has-been I'm doing right
well grins Judge.
Eisler did no preliminary work
1t his home in Lag1na Beach, CAL,
but he reported in fine physical
condition and il now able to set q
fast pace for all rivals. He is
singing the ball for keeps and In
the daily fielding drill moves around
like i piece Of well-oiled machinery.
1T won't be any easy thing to Gust
Sfsler from that first base berth,
though that doesn't seem to be
worrying Judge much.
Both Reeves and ellis have
been hitting the bah hard and
gathering up everything In the
field. In some ways Reeves
looks better than his rival, but
ellis has one distinct advan-
tace over Bobby. ellis works
better around the bag with
Bucky Harris. In other words,
there win be more double plays
with ellis at short than with
Reeves there.
Reeves has the better arm,
though GiIlis is not weak pegger.
Both seem fast and sure fielders.
covering plenty of ground. ellis
feeds the ball better to Harris,
though, making for twin-killings.
IT is possible that Harris may have
to withhold his decision between
them until the season gets under
way and he sees what they do
against big league pitching.
Ed Wells, Stubby Griffin and Lu.
fher Roy are due for q real test
on the hill today. Wells is in fine
shape and so Is Griffin. Roy, handi-
capped by excess weight, has tOiled
like a galley slave until now he -
almost at weight. Roy may need .
little more time, at that, but the
other two are ready now.
Nap Rucker, famous old time
sOuthpaw pitcher, now scouting
for the Brooklyn Robins. says
his club wanted Griffin but quit
trying for him when they found
he was going to Washington.
"He's q great little pitcher who
uses his head as well as his arm.
says Rucker. "I'd like to see him
In the big show. just to see. II
brains can't win over Drawn. He
isn't the biggest man In the game,
but he's one fine young pitcher II
you ask me-
When Bucky Harris was told
what Rucker said, he remarked that
he'd take a good look at the young.
ster himself and his first opportu-
nifty comes today at Avon Park.
The Washington squad left here
shortly after 8 o'clock this morning
for the three-hour ride over to Avon
Park. After dinner the boys will
ride back under the huge silvery
moon, being due here well before
midnight.
EVENLY MATCHED