Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-25
PITCHERS PINNED
FOR LAST EFFORT
Walt Confident of Runner-up
Spot-ThinkS Recruits
viii Help in '32.


N FEW YORK, September u.s.
M Walter Johnson was in an
l ' expansive mood yesterday.
Leading the Yankees for
second place by one and a half
games in what has turned out to
be the real race in the American
League, your ball clubs manager
thought the situation looked
pretty good"
OF course, Joe Mccarthy, pilot of the
by now slightly bewildered Yankees,
expressed the opinion the New Workers
were not licked yet, land we won't be
licked until they count us out" added
Babe Ruth. Which, according to
Speed-ballist johnson, was fine spirit,
but a tough job.
I'VE only have to win one more game
in our series with New York." drawled
johnson. "Of course, we'll have to win
Sundays game with the Boston Red
Sox, but believe that we can do that.
The boys showed plenty of fight and
hustle in Wednesdays first game and
with spirit like that they're liable to
beat anybody.
Our pitchers are all in fine shape"
he continued, land I don't see any
reason why the same fight and hustling
that marked the first game should be
absent today and tomorrow. AS said
before, the spirit the boys showed
Wednesday can beat any team, and I
have no doubt that we're going to come
r,sRt ~ &tai@ full
have to. do Is break even, you know"
JOHNSON declared that he was going
to start Gen. Alvin Crowder in the
box today. and 1t Is probable that
he will be opposed by Herb Pennock.
The General has been consistent
annoyer of the Yankees all season, and
from his present form. according to
johnson, he's not going to let up at this
stage Of the game.
In the first game of Saturdays
double-header johnson will start Irving
Hadley, and in the second game Fred
Marberry-that is, II he isn't used to-
day. Marberry pitched two perfect in
nings against the Yankees on Wednes-
day. Lloyd Brown win also be ready,
II necessary, but Johnson believes that
1t won't be.
And since 1t was evident that the
Nationals were almost in, IN their bat
tie for second place. the talk turned to
other things. johnson spoke OF the
present season ami the next,
The Nationals big problem IN 1891
and one which win have to be solved. at
least partially in 1932-was the lack OF
suitable reserves in the outfield and at
third base.
Rice is getting along In years" he
said, sbut don't miSunderStand me" he
interjected Rice is still a swell fSll
player, but we didn't have any one
available when he wanted to take a
rest. He played great ball all year,
but when the wear and tear began to
show, we couldn't afford 20 take MIN
out Of the lineup.
Next year, If we can get couple
of good utility men, we're going to put
I'D q much better fight than we did this
wear. It's the same thing at third base.
Bluege needs a rest occasionally ana
there's no one to fill in. But for next
year we have few promising prospects.
There's Andrus, from the South, VINO
looks like good hitter. He may oe
able to step in at third or in the out
field. There's also GILL; from Baltimore,
one of the outstanding players IN the
international League this year. He
may prove to be the solution OF our out.
field problem. We also have several
good pitching prospects.
s.rT-AKEN all in ali," walter continued,
at think we had very well
balanced club this year. There
&c really no one outstanding man. May
be Crowder, at the finish. The General
was in there all the time and pitched
great ball toward the close OF the sea-
son. He's won his last nine games and
has taken 10 in ALL But for poor
start. Crowder, I believe, would have
,nado q GREAT record
West, also, IL he gets that arm fixed,
"a going to be an outstanding ball play
er. even a great one.
"Of course, next year, like this one,
PHILADELPHIA will be the club to beat.
None OF us in the American League
have hitters like Simmons, Foxx or
Cochrane, or pitchers like Grove, Earn
shaw or walberg. Those fellows are
hard to beat. But really believe that
we could have given them plenty. OF
trouble this year If the old problem
Of wear and tear hadn't set IN"
YESTERDAY was a holiday for the en-
tire washington squad. but like the
proverbial sailor, even on day on
they went to see ball game. They
attended the intra-city double-header
at the Polo Grounds between the YAM
KEGS and the Robins and the Robins