Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-06
. BIRMINGHAM Ala, April S.
K After milling with minor league
/ clubs for several weeks, the Ma

~ BIRMINGHAM Ala, April S.
K After milling with minor league
clubs for several weeks, the Ma
tionals at last are to get taste
of big league opposition. Tomorrow in
Chattanooga they are to open a series
of five games with the Braves of Boston
and this series, 1t is hoped by those in
charge of the conditioning Of the Wash
ington base ball athletes, will prove just
the tonic needed to make the club ready
for the big business not so far ahead
the American League championship
race.
The Braves are to be encountered FIVE
days in as many different towns. Fol-
lowing the Chattanooga tilt, the teams
a scrap Monday. Tuesday they are
slated to clash In Winston Salem and on
Wednesday and Thursday the battling
will be on Virginia soil, first at Norfolk,
then at Richmond.
The series with the Braves ended, the
Nationals will resume fitting with minor
leagues. They will invade Baltimore
Friday for a game with the Orioles, then
play hosts to the same club in Wash
ington Saturday. On Sunday, April IS,
the day before the nag chase is sched-
uled to begin, the nationals will face
the Rochester club Of the international
League in Grifhth Stadium.
AS they now are, Manager Walter
Johnson's charges seemingly are well
prepared for the championship season.
There may be a few rough edges remain
ing, however, and these the games with
the Braves should wear away. When
the brushes with the Boston club are
finished the Nationals ought to be In
tip-top shape and r'arin' to 60.
Brown to Get Route Test.
EIRST Of the Washington pitchers
l. to face the big leaguers will be
Lloyd Brown, according to Manager
johnson. This young southpaw, who
has been struggling for a place In the
pitchers sun for several seasons as a
National, Is in splendid trim and the
pilot plans to send him q full route
against the Braves at Chattanooga to-
morrow.
Brown has had but IL innings on the
hill thus far in the training campaign
but those were II good innings. His
turns have been of one, three, five and
two innings duration in the order men
toned. In the IL innings Al batters
1dceQ MIN. lie yleloeo no runs, Lnree
hits, struck out five and walked four.
In past seasons with the Nationals
Brown has started games only occa-
stonally and with Indifferent success.
At times he has looked a world beater
and at other times he has almost had
his ear knocked of. AS q relief hurler
he has been none too good, but then
the Southpaw always has been picked
for rescue work, 1t seems, with the oppo-
sition ready to tear into any pitcher
facing 1t. It certainly is not fair to
Judge Brown on what he has done for
the Nationals In past seasons.
This Spring he looks another kind
of pitcher entirely. He has worked with
smoothness and assurance. He appar-
emily knows what he wants to do, and
he has such improved control that he
generally can put the ball where he
wants 1t to 60. Brown always has had
a deal of speed and a baffling curve.
Now he shows good change Of pace
In addition to other requisites Of a
clever slabman.
Manager johnson regards Brown the
most promising of the younger lot of
hurlers and expects him to go far this