The Washington times., 1929-08-22
EX-YANkEE
PITCHER
IS HOT
BY Bob Thayer

Oy SV0 SA0yV@
DETROIT, Aug. 22.-Myles
Thomas has regained his
change of pace and seems to
have everything winning
pitcher needs. This is the
) opinion of Manager Walter
: johnson, who is singularly
pleased with the recent per-
: formances of the New York
Yankee cast-off.
2 When Thomas was brought to
: the Griffmen on waivers earlier in
1 the season there were many who
: doubted the advisability Of the
move. Thomas, they claimed, had
. been given his fling with a cham
I. pionship club and had failed.
Thomas remained close.mouthed
and answered with results. Since
donning a Washington Uniform he
has won four games and lost three.
Furthermore he has grabbed last
three in a row and all were nine.
inning ball games.
Though his recent triumph over
Cleveland found Bob Burke the
starting pitcher, Thomas relieved
Bobby with the bases full and
nobody out in the first inning. He
= then proceeded to retire 81 men
without allowing one run.
"Myles has been a pleasant sur.
prise to us ALL" Manager John.
son commented after the little
right.hander had turned In his
!. blue ribbon game against the
Tribe. He's got all the stuff any
j.. pitcher could want-al he needed
was a chance.
Thomas has looked like q
different pitcher since he's
= been worked regularly. He Is
getting that ball where he
wants It and he's making the
opposition behave. believe me-"
Much speculation has been
aroused in the Western half Of the
American League regarding the
sudden development of the ex.
Yankee. Why, scribes have asked,
can Thomas click with a second
division club after being discarded
: by a winner?
The answer is simple enough.
With a loser he has had to work.
With a championship club he either
had his spots picked or idled alto
gether. In other words no one was
willing to take a chance on him.
Y Myles was started in only two
> games during his last two seasons
= with the Yankees. And even when
worked as a relief man he was usu-
ally installed with the game hope
lessly lost
= President Clark Griffith took ali
these facts into consideration when
paying the $500 waiver price for
the little speed merchant. Now his
investment seems wise one.
Whereas the International League
graduate seemed to formerly de-
pend on his fast one altogether, he
Is now working in a change of
pace and hook. Also his control
Is 100 per cent.
I'm the beginning 1 want to
make 1t clear that was never
used finer by anybody than MIL
Ter Higgins and the Yankees
Thomas said while explaining his
side Of the question today.
''It just happened that / Joined
the Yankees when they were put
ting out one of their greatest clubs.
/ reported to Higgins in 1926 after
q great year with Toronto Of the
International League" =
InterrGpting Tommy for. the
minute, 1t might be added that two
Thomas were the sensations Of the
A. A. League that season. Myles
of Toronto, had a worthy rival in
al of Baltimore, who tied him for
the earned run supremacy with
2.25. Al is now a headliner with
the White Sox.
: Myles, however, led his league in
percentages with % games won and
only eight lost and was touted as
q one of the greatest young pitchers
ever turned out by that circuit.
- II got away to great start with
1.-THE Yankees" Myles explained.
II knocked off six straight wins
and was steaming along in great
shape, but then when the race got
hot I dropped a couple.
With pitchers such as Hoyt,
Shocker Pennock, Shawkey and
Jones to work with Hug. who was
III the Lnlck OF pennanL CHASE
couldn't afford to experiment any
more. And naturally l fell back to
relief work"
This marked the turning point in
Thomas career with the Yankees.
g With pennants at stake. Huggins
naturally was reluctant to take
sochances and the International
League wizard consequently saw
his chances glimmering.
'"rhere was nothing for me to
squawk about though" the lit.
tie pitcher added. 4 II cut my
self full slice in three straight
world series, and was well paid
for whatever work did.
Even so couldn't help but long
for a chance to be used regularly
again. For one thing / learned in
my infrequent relief appearances
that I was over.working my fast
ball and also that my control was
suffering"
Things rocked along thus until
early this year. Then 1t was an.
nounced that the former minor
league sensation had been trans
ferred to Washington.
The unbeunded lQT Of honie-owneF-
shIR CAN he NamFS See t0day'a zeal