Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-11
GOOCH'S HIT BEATS
TAMPA TEAM, s.
Weaver FaIters in Box, but
Hopkins and CantreII Make
Good Showing.
Special Dispatch to The Star.


planned to use this mornings
Il drill to correct the faults shown
in yesterdays game with the
Tampa Smokers, which the Nationals
won, to S, but the shortcomings dis
played in the 1929 exhibition season
opener were mostly those which only
time will cure, so the regular procedure
was followed. with Outielder Goose Cos
lin and First Baseman Joe Judge. who
arrived yesterday, and Pitcher Sam
Jones' who came in last night, as added
starters.
Except for poor pegs by Big Jim
Weaver and Elmer Voter, allowing for
the youngness of the training season,
complain.
Weaver's peg, which cost him two
runs, was due to the fact that. when
he was set to throw to one base, one
of his mates yelled for him to shoot
the ball to another, while Voter, in
stead Of heaving the sphere as he has
been doing in practice, tried to use
too much power and on both occasions
almost tore off Gooch's feet. Natural
development will cure these faults.
The pitchers Of the Krewe, which
from now will be known as the
Smokers, due to q change in name
.
game, have been rushed along at
fast pace and had more than Johnson's
batters had seen In their own stick
drills. Despite this, the Mats outhit
their foes, IL to 8, one Of their bingles
being an honeSt-to-goodness homer OF
the bat of Catcher AL Bool.
Although charged with two errors
and not being charged with two ques-
tionable ones, Voter came back near
the end Of the game with two nice
plays, on one of which he displayed
considerable headwork by trapping q
runner between second and third on o
fake throw with none down at the
time.
Rice made several good catches In
center, although he missed one which
came near proving costly and which he
would snag easily during the regular
season. Making allowances for the
heavy wind which blew, out Of good
ness Of heart, the ofilcial scorer listed
the topper as hit instead OF an error.
Rice served warning that he has not
lost his batting eye by getting two hits,
as did Barnes and Gooch, the latter's
blow scoring the tying and winning |
markers with the bases full and two
out.
Bluege had no chances afield, but |
Cronin, who succeeded him, was kept
busy, three of his four assists being off, |
hcult ones. His final effort. q nice stop
over In front of second, followed by q |
Nfotting the count with two out In the |
ninth.
Hopkins Pitches Wen.
Paul Hopkins looked particularly
good IN the box, Manager johnson
showing that he intends to yank In
effective hurlers quickly by rushing |
Paul to the hill to relieve Weaver In
the third. There was none out and the
sacks were full and Hopkins contrived
TO kill the rally. Guy cantrell's work
granted three hits during his three
inning shift, but frightened up In the
pinches and famed four.
Flrst-Baseman Harley Boss left for
his home In Jonesboro, La, last night, |
where he win recuperate from the after |
effects OF the "flu" In this connec. |
ton, it may be mentioned that Presi-
dent Clark Grifith is having his trou-
bles lining up first-base talent Last |
year he paid $4,000 for George Sisler |
and he failed to make the grade. He |
had his eye on Ernest Shirley for five |
years and was counting on him for the |
coming season when this youngster sud. |
denly developed some bad faults and |
was turned loose.
With Boss practically assigned to the |
Job as understudy to Judge, illness put |
him out OF the running and now john |
son Is forced to depend upon Charlie |
Gooch to become good enough to hold |
down the berth in case Joe Judge has |
some hard luck.
In addition to these named, in the
recent past, Joe Harris and Eddie On |
slow have been carried, making this |
first-base job quite an expensive one.
The Nationals journey to st. Peters,
Braves. Ad Liska, Lloyd Brown and
Bob Burke are expected to do the
hurting. Only three out-of- Tampa trips
are planned and the second comes on
Thursday and Friday when the Cardi-
mails viii entertain at Avon Park. The
final jaunt is listed for March 81, when
the Mats meet the Brooklyn Dodgers in
Clearwater.