Evening star., 1931-06-27
CUT IN PERSONNEL
PLANNED BY CLUB
Waivers Claimed Granted on
Useful 0utfieIder-White
Sox Opener Lost.
BY JOHN B. KELLER.


this year the Washington ball
club ownership desires to reduce
its playing personnel at once.
This information comes of a semi
official source out in this sector
of the American League.
First of the players dropped
from the Nationals roster, &C
cording to the information deemed
quite reliable, will be Harry Rice,
extra outf1elder.
Waivers on Rice recently were asked
by the Washington club and granted
by the other clubs of both big leagues,
it Is claimed. The Washington club
then endeavored to dispose of Rice to
Kansas City of the American Associa-
ticn, but could not effect deal, 1t
seems.
Harry Rice has not been in action
much recently and his batting average
to date is not particularly impressive.
He has stung the ball at only .244
clip. But cutting the outf1eld squad
from five to four members, especially
with Sam Rice and Dave Harris alter
mating in right field according to the
side the opposing hurler throws from,
appears risky for club now hopeful of
carrying on to the flag.
Harry will not hit in a class with
Harris, sturdy right-hand batter, but
he is apt to prove as useful at bat as
Sam Rice, another left-hand Swinger,
who has not been so successful in at
tack this season. Harry, too, is an eX-
cellent fielder, better defensively than
either of those now alternating in right
field.
1t was Harry Rices hitting while
subbing for West, who was nursing a
sore arm early in the campaign, that
away in the race. So well did Harry
club then that even after West got back
into center field he moved over into
right to handle for a time the position
Sam Rice had occupied
Then came a slump and Harry was
removed from the lineup, never to get
back regularly. He is a streak hitter, as
they call those batterS who flare for a
time then burn out but at that he is
a handy extra to have around. One
never can tell when a streak hitter
given a chance, might flare again for a
good stretch of games.
An outfield squad of four might be
in order for club without any pen
nant hopes, but reducing to four the
group of paSturement with real pen
nant contender would seem taking a
great chance. Outflelders are more
subject to accident than other players
The Yanks discovered that early in the
season when three of their five garden
ers were put out of commission.
So long as the Nationals are up there
battling for the championship it might
be well to keep Harry Rice on the
roster unless a more capable outhelder
could be acquired.
WITH splendid opportunity to pick
Wv up ground on the Athletics
idling because of rain in Detroit,
the Nationals were unable to seize t
when they bumped into the left-handed
Pat Caraway on one of his good days
AS result they suffered defeat in the
opener of the White SoX series yeSter
day, 4 to 3, and dropped to one and
one-haf games back of the pace-setting
White Elephants.
It was Caraway's fourth start against
the Nationals this season and the first
victory over them for this southpaw
who took licking in his initial argu-
ment with them, even though he then
yielded only three safeties.
In breaking the Washington winning
spell over the White Sox this year that
had extended to six games Caraway yes
terday gave up only five hits, the first a
single by Buddy Myer off the games
opening pitch. The others were spread
over the last three rounds, two being
homerS socked into the lower right
field stand by the left-hand-Swinging
Joe Kuhel Caraway was particularly
poisonous to the Nationals right-hand
batters, not one driving the ball to
safety.
Al Crowder opened fire for the john
son band and pitched the kind of ball
he has pitched the greater part of the
season. 1t looked as though he in
vited the batter to hit every time he
ckucked. Eight hits in four clusters
of Two were made off him, and three of
the clusters counted all the White Sox
runs before Al was replaced by Bump
Hadley in the fifth with one on and
one out. Of Hadley but one hit was
made.
IT was pass to Kerr that opened the
i way to a White SoX marker in round
l.. Reynolds singled Johnny to third
after Blue was struck out, but was
caught stealing. However, a scratchy
single by Fonseca got Kerr home. In
the third with one out Blue doubled
and Reynolds tripled. Reynolds crossed
with a third Chicago tally when Fon-,
SEGA flied out.
While Caraway was stingy with hits,
he handed the Nationals run. Ma
nush and Cronin walked, and the sacks
were loaded when Harris was pinked
in the back by one of Pats pitches.
West popped feebly to the third base
man, but Bluege hoisted to Fcnseca
and Manush scored after the catch.
Then Kuhel drew a pass to fill the
bases once more, but Spencer'S best
was a pop to the third sacker.
Caravans triDle the second of three
hits he made for a perfect day, and
Blues single accounted for White SoX
run in the fifth and chased Crowder
from the hill.
Kuhel hit his first homer in the
seventh and his second in the ninth
and this last would have knotted the
game had Brick Owen, umpiring at first
base. not been so hasty in making
decision.
West opened the ninth with single
only to be forced out by Bluege, who
rolled to the third baseman. Bluege
hustled to first ahead of Kerr's relay to
Blue, but Owen, after waving West out,
swung toward first with the tout" sign
still on and. it went That left no one
on to be helped by Kuhels fine wallop.
1t must have been the heat that af
fected owens vision as well as that of
the Washington batters.
r AIDES day brought a crowd of
~ $4,000 to Comiskey Park, more
than 1000 of the fair sex
Among the paid customers was Ensign
Blimp Bowstrom, last Fall captain Of
the Navy eleven b.. He likes his base
ball as well as foot ball Fred Eich-
rodt no longer is with the White Sox
They sent the outfielder back to
New Orleans, from which club he was
drafted Only two umpires, Geisel
and Owens, worked in the series opener
MacGowan, teamed with them,
was put out of commission by Thurs