Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-26

n NOO lON, MASS, AplA SOsE IA
- though the championship cam:
paign is less than two weeks old
IL Manager Walter johnson may
begin a deal of experimenting
with the material he has at hand,
Plainly disappointed with the showing
his club has made after it promised to
be really worth while aggregation, the
Washington pilot seems ready to at
tempt a thorough revision.
The benching of Red Barnes that put
Sam Rice back in right field and the
substitution of Spencer Harris for Sam
West, the latter move something john
son had intended making yesterday had
rain not prevented the Nationals tackl-
ing the Athletics in Philadelphia. may
be followed by shifting of players in
the inner Gordon.
While Johnson from the start has
maintained he is satisfied with the
progress made by Jack HayeS-and
Hayes has improved greatly over last
year-it is no secret that some of his
assistants in the building of the Ma
tionals feel the club has not had in
action the best inf1eld combination the
material available makes possible.
Cronin May Play Short.
These assistants, it seems, hold that
some place in the inner Gordon should
be found for Joe Cronin, the youngster
who played the shortf1eld for the club
the latter part of last season and they
opine. that the benching of Hayes, the
transfer of Ossie Bluege to second base
and the return of Cronin to short would
benefit the Nationals greatly.
Such change as this was considered
while the Nationals were in training in
Florida. Then it was feared Hayes
might not perform up to the class a
major league second sacker should fash
but once the exhibitions series got under
way the University of Alabama product
appeared to advantage around the mid
die base and while he did not hit
strongly he was impressive enough at
bat to make Manager johnson believe
ne would develop into really dangerous
hitter. Since the championship season
began, however, Hayes has not been the
brilliant player around second he was
IN the exhibitions and has still to reveal
batting strength.
In the six games the Nationals had
played up to today in the American
League campaigning, Hayes accepted
28 chances afleld. That is an average
of four and six-tenths chances per
game, not startling average for a
second baSeman. At bat, he made five
hits In "a efforts for an average of 2O8
All but one of the hits was single.
The extra base clout was a triple
Hayes has struck out four times, once
having the third strike called against
him. He did not score a run, but drove
two across.
Hit .255 Last Year.
Last year Hayes was at second base
in Al games and at shortstop In Is
games for the Nationals. He felded
.o74 at second and .955 at short and
hit American League pitching at 257
clip Finishing the year with Min
neapolis of the American Association he
played So games at second base for q
fielding average Of 1858 and batted for
1892.
But the American Association is not
the American League, some of those
assisting in the making of the WASH
ington club contend. They regard Hayes
a brilliant prospect, but maintain
Cronin now is more ready than Hayes
to handle big league job. Cronin now
is a more ready batter than Hayes in
the exhibition series, he undoubtedly is
much stronger physically and there
never has been any question about his
defensive ability in the shortf1eld.
AS to Bluege moving from the short
club seems to think the shift would i'm
pair his fielding worth. Bluege Is
"ball player" as those in the profession
call one who knows the game in all
departments and appears able to give
q good account of himself in each.
They declare that Bluege would shine
at second as he did during the seasons
he was one of the leagues finest third
baseman and as he has at shortstop this
year. The different throw Bluege
would have to employ at second would
not handicap him, according TO those
who want to see him transferred to the
other side Of the middle base. They
maintain his well trained arm and his
ability to heave the ball with accuracy
from any position make him nicely at
ior the change.
Shift Means More Speed.
Proponents Of the revision of the In
field also assert there would be much
more speed in the Judge Bluege- Cronin-
Myer combination than in the Judge
Hayes Bluege-Myer quartet now in the
inner Gordon. They hold the center
line of defense would be greatly
strengthened by this increase in speed
and the club made much more power
full In attack.
Thus far they have not convinced
Manager johnson that this change
should prove helpful. The pilot has
said he is willing to carry on with Hayes
and chat II Jack continues to work
smoothly around second he would ask
nothing more than .270 batting aver
age from the recruit But johnson,
after declaring he was prepared to stand
pat on his opening lineup as late as
last Saturday, already has made two
changes. so another revision sprung
suddenly should occasion no surprise.