Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-12

n $4,000 President Clark Grifiith
IA is supposed to have given the
1 Minneapolis club of the Amer
lean Association to get this
young pitcher for the Nationals. Each
time out in the exhibition series this
Spring he has performed more impress
sively, concluding his work in the pre-
season engagements yesterday by hold
ing the powerful Giants to one hit and
one run in six innings of toll.
Liska came to the Nationals heralded
as splendid prospect With the Mill
ers last year he pitched to record
of 20 wins and defeats, fine record
for hurler In any league, but eSpe-
cially fine for youngSter in a circuit
of the class of the association. Since
he has been with the Nationals Ad has
demonstrated that his 1928 effort was
no f1uke. He has pitching ability in
plenty, and his knowledge of the mound
apparently increases with each game.
President Griffith saw Liska in action
last year before closing a deal with the
Minneapolis outfit. According to Grit
fifth. the pitcher then showed a great
amount of natural hurting ability. but
was not so long on hurting sense. That
is, he was able to throw ball hard to
hit, but was not pitching in a way to
get a maximum of result with min
irnum of effort. Liska was making the
mistake of throwing all he had all the
time.
In the little more than six weeks he
has been with the Nationals in training
this year Liska has improved wonder
fully under. the tutelage of Manager
Walter johnson. No one knows better
than johnson how necessary it is for
a pitcher to conserve his strength. AL
ways save something for the pinch" is
the Washington pilots slogan. He learn
ed this during his more than two dec
AIDES of successful slabbing for the Ma
tionals. And it seems Johnson has made
Liska realize how important is this con-
Servation of strength.
Liska Now Mixes Them.
The first few times he hurled for the
Nationals in the Spring exhibitions
Liska employed almost continually his
underhand fast ball. 1t was baffing at
first to the batter, but after looking it
over for two or three innings the OPP
position managed to sock it savagely.
Then Liska began mixing an underhand
curve with his fast one. He did not have
much Of curve at the start, but II
was enough to make the batter realize
he might expect anything from this
young hurler In his last five appear
anceS on the hill Liska has flashed a
better curve and also a good change
of pace. and with these and his excel
lent fast ball, has bowled over the foe
in startling manner.
This assortment he has employed
against the Tampa club of the South
eastern League. the Birmingham club of
the Southern Association and the Giants
of the National League, and in ala
innings of pitching against these outfits
has yielded but three runs and six
hits. That's marvellous piece OF pitch
ing for a young man up for trial in the
big show for the first time.
In fact, Liska's full Spring training
record is fine, despite the pressing he
did in his early efforts in Florida. He
now can show q 2.62 earned run aver
age per nine innings in the exhibitions.
All told, he has been in 34h innings in
nine tits. OF his pitching the opposi-
ton has, cleaned IS runs with but 10
earned. 20 hits and 10 bases on balls.
He has hit one batter.
Has Poise Of Veteran.
Twice Liska has acted as relief hurler
and each time done well. When Wash
ington played ST. Louis at Avon Park
the National League champions went
on rampage in the latter part OF
the fray and threatened to overhaul
.Tohnson's charges. Liska went into the
battle in the eighth with a runner on
and one out and stopped the Cardinals
cold the remainder of the way. AT
Augusta last Tuesday the young fellow
was rushed into action when the Giants
began Smelling Arch Campbell In the
eighth. Two were on and one was out
when Ad stepped to the hill. The nrst
batter facing him hit to fill the bases.
Then came a double play and In the
ninth the Giants went down in order.
In both emergencies Liska had the poiSe
of a veteran.
Liska gave a smooth performance
yesterday when the Nationals, playing
on their home lot for the hrst time
this season, scored their third victory
in four starts against the Giants, win
ming 2 to /. But 10 batters faced him
in the six innings he was on the mound
and only one hit him safely, yet that
hit meant run. It was a triple socked
bv ANDY Reese, second Giant to step
to the plate in the opening inning.
Reese counted as Jack Hayes threw
ont Freddy LindStrom, the next batter.
Thereafter the Giants drove but six
balls beyond the infield.
LLOYD Brown followed Liska for three
innings, and he, too, pitched well, albeit
he was somewhat wild in his first IN
ming. Then the left-hander walked the
first two men to face him, but a oouDie
play got him out Of truble, and ne threw
q third strike by Giant Tor the last
out of the round. He stopped the Glants
in one-two-three fashion in the eightn
and in the ninth was nicked for sin
gle only. Again Reese was the success
full batter.
A Spirited Contest.
The contest was q spirited one
throughout for the Nationals, despite
the six hits made of the veteran un-
der-hander, Carl Mays, In the hrst nve
innings and the three Safettes CLEANED
from the offerings OF Joe Genewicn IN
the last three frames. found reaching
The plate difficult. Two were out in the
ninth when the big run crossed. Not
until the fourth did the Washington
club match the run made by the Giants
in the first session, and then three sim
giles were needed to turn the trick.
With one gone, Goose Goslin singled,
and went to third when Sam Rice
poked a one-baser to short right. Lind
strom took Ossie Bluege'S bounder and
the Goose was caught at the plate, but
Rice. who checked in at the middle sack
on this play, tailed when Joe Judge
looped a single to left.
In the fifth washington had runners
at first and third bases with but one
out, only to have Buddy Myer drill into
a douple play. There were two Nation
ais on at one time again In the eighth.
for Genewicf passed Goslin intention
ally after Myer had doubled, but there