Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-11-02
GR|FF VET TOPLAy
WHILE PROPSLAST
Array Of initial Sackers
Means Fight for Substitute
Berth Only.
ny JOHN D. KELLER.


/ young first basemen, but
that's nothing new. They've
been cunning for Joe'S job with
the Nationals more than 10 years
without getting anywhere. And
50 long as Joe's underpinning re-
mains In pretty good trim none
of the youngsters is apt to sup
plant the veteran initial sack
guardian who has served the
washington club faithfully since
he Joined it late in the season OF
1915.
However, President Clark Griffith
taking no chance and has on the WASH
tnpton roster more, many more nrst
basemen right now than any big league
c,uh needs. All told, there are with the
Nationals five first basemen and four
have had a deal Of experience. None
If the lot back of Judge, however
anuroaches him in class as pertormer
around the initial station.
TTniess Winter deals change the Ma
@,onals' roster. those who will strive 10
tronress Manager Walter johnson with
their worth as first-sackers and their
valve tn the club In event OF injury 70
fudge are Art Shires, Joe Kuhel. Baxter
Jordan and Richard Goldberg. IL may
be a merry battle among the iour IoI
the honor Of becoming unoerseuoy 70
the veteran Judge, but at present tnere
SHerns little likelihood Of much OF
scrap for the honor.
Goldberg From Semi-ProS.
Goldberg perhaps can be eliminated
now, He has had no professional ex-
Oerience, according 70 Presloent Sfiii
inc material for use in deal with
roinor club more than ANYTHING else
Tsoldherr was drawn from the semi pro
ranTs of YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio. where NICK
Aitrock and Al Schacht, Washingtons
coaches and comedians, saw MIN per-
form last Summer. Every major league
club picks up q Goldberg or we evsry
wear. So scarce Is material THESE days
That no bets are overlooked.
n NAV be something else, though,
,vIth Jordan This fellow has been
~ro,Ind the international League some
tiy,e and IL is thought the Nationals got
. cood one when they picked him from
Newark In the draft last month. Jor-
dan apparently IL Q versatile player, lot
he has been used I'm the outneld ana az
various positions In the inner oeiense.
His best work, though. was cone sns
1ast summer as 0 first baseman. And
those who saw him IN action declare
him q sharp hitter, TOO.
Now for Shires and Kuhel. Unless
Arr the Snowman figures IN WINTER
deal he'll have to be reckoned with
when the Nationals do their training
at Biloxi next Spring. Shires 10
much better ball player than many
have given him credit for being he
has natural ability and has benenteo
20 q great extent from his few wears
of service In the big show. WHAT'S
more. he has plenty Of spirit and u
willing worker 6hires 70 real ball
player.
Kuhel Impressive.
KuheI in his brief trial with the Ma
tionals after his purchase from Kansas
CITY In July made a favorable impress
sion. None other than Judge himself
declared the younger Joe the best-look-
ing first base aspirant to come up to the
club In the. many years recruits have
been trying 10 wrest the Job from him.
Kuhel Is shifty around the base. fields
smartly and can throw well. He also
swings a pretty good bat. Unfortu-
nately q leg injury put Kuhel out OF
commission shortly after he started
playing for the Nationals. but he already
had displayed suficient ability to show
ne would be a handy fellow to have
around.
According TO statistics-unoficia Of
course-Shires showed more punch than
Kuhel during the past season. Arthur
the Great socked for an average OF
.2o7. while the voungster from Kansas
City hit for .2e6. Fine figures. those
Of ShireS. considering that he was
used in few entire games and was often
called upon to bat in emergencies. AS
q rule pinch-hitters don't average 50
high. Shires' punch was productive,
too for he drove over SO runs.
Neither Ehires nor Kuhel, nor any
one else. for that matter, viii have q
Aook-in at first base, though, II Judges
leEs do not 90 back on him. As neld-
q the veteran Is Just about the sweet
81 In base ball and he Is q clever hit
-. Joes game around the first sack
was as good the past season as before
and he hit at fine clip. His unoficial
average for the 1880 campaign is .s2s.
Judge Nurses UNDERMINING.
The wise ones Of base ball have tried
30 count Judge out of the game often.
AS far back as his third season with
the Nationals, when he cracked leg In
Detroit during a game, the f1rst base
man was regarded as through with base
ball. But Joe fooled the wise ones
when he came back with a patched leg
and played q better brand of ball than
ever. Several times later o trick knee
threatened to put him out Of commits
sion, but despite the trouble he car
Red on.
Not so many years ago Judge took 2
terrific wallop on the head from ball
pitched by Earl Whitehill, a wallop
that kept him in Detroit hospital for
some time. That was the finish OF Joe
rs a batter, many declared, but again
Joe fooled them He was up among
The fine hitters when the season ended.
Judge shows a grand batting average
of .299 for his ma jor league career His
grand fielding average is impressive,
too. AS long as his legs have the old
kick no one will get his job from him.
And Joe has been taking pretty good
care Of the underpinning for some time.
They have become his life In base ball.
There's really no reason TO believe the
Legs will fall him for another year any
way. So all this assembling OF hrSt
sackers by President Grifhth probably
will bring about nothing more than q
scrap for the berth as Judges under
d. kfonalS' 1921 camDai0