Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-11
injury TO BARNES
MAY KEEP HIM OUT
Sam Rice Also on Casualty
List-Griffs Tie Giants in
Rain CurtaiIed Game.
BY JOHN B. KELLER.

~ AM JONES or GarlanQ bTaACoA
will hurl the season opener for
# the Nationals here next Tuesday
~ afternoon, Manager Walter john
H son has intimated. The pilot Is
! making no definite statement. But he
ii considers Jones and Braxton his best
4 pitching bets at present and seems
i rather certain one of these veterans VIII
start against the Athletics.
Both on these hurlers are in prime
trim at present. The left-handed Brax-
ton has been in fivc exhibition games
and performed impressively. He seems
to have better change of pace this
year than last and it was his change OF
pace as much as anything else that
made the lean Tarheel such an effective
hurler in 1928.
Jones in three engagements up to to-
day participated in is innings and
Welded but six safeties. He is strong
enough to go the route, according to
johnson, although to date Sam has not
pitched more than six innings in a
stretch.
In all likelihood, Muddy Ruel will be
back of the bat in the season inaugural.
Muddy right now is just about in the
form he did not reach last year until,
we'll in July. OF course, both Benny
Tate and Roy Spencer are very capable
backstoppers, but Ruel seems slated for
duty next Tuesday.
johnson hopes to start back OF his
veteran battery the same lineup that
has been so successful in the exhibition
series, but an injury to Red Barnes
may blast this hope. The young right
fielder pulled up at Charlotte yesterday
with case of water on the knee and
may have to remain out of action for
some time.
Barnes has no idea how he got the
hurt that resulted in the accumulation
of fluid about the joint but his knee
was badly swollen yesterday morning
and Trainer Mike Martin ordered the
player to rest. Red, however, took part
in the batting drill preceding the clash
with the Giants and may be in uniform
for these wand practices daily. Barnes
has been big factor in the Nationals
attack and the manager does not want
him to lose his batting eye.
Sam Rice Ailing, Too.
Up to yesterday the Nationals had
escaped serious injury, the plague of
the training season. but Charlotte
proved ink town, for Sam Rice as
well as Barnes went on the casualty
list. Rice, starting IN the outf1eld for
the first time since the opening game
at Tampa on March TO- suffered spike
wound when he went up from second
to third base on sacrifice fly in the
second inning and had to retire. Sam
was forced to, make desperate slide to
complete the advance and Freddy Lind
stron1, Giant third Sacker, inadvertently
stepped on the Washington players left
foot.
Three gashes we're inflicted, one of
them rather deep, but Trainer Martin
says Rice ought to be able to resume
play within two or three days. In the
meantime, Spencer Harris will take
care of the Nationals right field. This
Harris may not be as fast as Barnes or
Rice, but he has g. keen knowledge of
the game and is good gardener. He
can hit, too, so the clubs offensive
power ought not to fall of to any
alarming extent.
Rice may not be in the squad that
leaves Immediately after the tilt with !
the Giants here tomorrow for New
York, where John McGraw's team will
be tackled at the Polo Grounds on Sat-
urday and Sunday.
Manager johnson also may leave
some of his pitchers at home. He has
said there Is no need to take his entire
mound corps to the big town for the
final Spring set. The pitchers re-
naming here would work out daily at
Griff1th Stadium, however, for the pilot
does not want any of his players TO
lose the fine edge acquired in their |
more than six weeks of training. 4
Play Draw With Giants.
Rain and hail, falling in great guam
titles while a brilliant sun beamed on |
the field at Charlotte, yesterday COM |
bined to end the pastiming between |
Nationals and Giants after five innings |
were completed. No decision was
last batting turn put over two runs to !
match the scores made by the Wash |
ington outfit in the second and third |
innings.
Fred Marberry and Dutch Henry, a |
veteran left-hander, went the route for |
their clubs. Marberry was touched for |
seven safeties and yielded one pass. |
Henry was found for four hits and a |
walk. Three of the blows off Marberry
were punched IN the fifth which he
started still gasping from trying to
stretch a surprising double into a |
triple in the early part of the inning.
One Of the Washington runs was a
homer Socked by Sammy West in the
third inning. 1t was fine loft over
the righ-field fence. One was out when
the hit came.
The washington run in the second
session was the result of Rice's two |
Dagger, Joe Cronin's sacrifice fly and
single by Jack Hayes, following Joe
Judges stroll to the initial sack.
The Giants run-making was started
by Bob O'Farrell's double that opened
the fifth inning. Henry lofted to the |
outfeld and Frank Welsh fouled to
Spencer, but Andy Reese cracked a
double and O'Farrel counted. Then |
Freddy Lindstrom rammed the ball over
second base and seemed assured of a
hit. but Cronin, in the game because !
Ossie Bluege had been excused for the
day that he might transport his family
from Raleigh to Washington, leaped
over to the rear of the midway sack for |
a marvellous one-hand pickup. Joe
threw while off balance and the ball
hit the dirt so far in front of first
base that Judge could not get hold OF
it to flag the batter. 4
This caused an error to be charged
against Cronin, although the blow
might well have been scored hit, and
Reese moved to third on the play. Along
came Melvin OFT with his third sue
cessive hit, single, and the score was
tied. As soon as Bill Terry became
the third out the skies opened and the
umpires called it a day.
SHORT AND DAMP