Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-08-01
YANK THREAT ADDS
MUCH zEST TO SET.
Johnson Band Must Speed
to Balk New York That
Tackles Red Sox.
BY JOHN b. KELLER.

" vOT times for the Nationals
IL are at hand-and not be-
cause of the weather. For
three days, they are to
tussle with the league-leading
Athletics, which means the re-
newsl of a rivalry as tense as any
existing in organized base ball, and
to add zeSt to the string OF four
games the Nationals will have to
cast their all into the struggle in
their effort to cling to second place
in the American League chase.
The AS are dozen games ahead
now, quite comfortably settled in first
place. But the Yanks are only three
games back OF the Nationals. and while
Johnsons charges are scrapping with
the AS, the New Workers will be play
ing the Red Sox that they have licked
nine times in a dozen games this season.
That's putting it strictly up the the
Nationals There should be plenty of
action in this series with the House Of
Mack.
TWO of the games with the AS are
l. to be played here and two in
Philadelphia. The tussling today
and tomorrow will be in Griffith Sta
dunn. Monday there will be a regularly
scheduled double-header put on in Shibe
Park. Not SO long ago the Nationals
took part in a bargain bill in the
Philadelphia stronghold and got an
even break.
That double-header attracted the
greatest throng that ever saw a ball
game in the Quaker city. The gates
TO the park were closed an hour before
the first game got under way and thou
sands eager to see the contests were
kept outside. There may not be such
a storming of the gates this time, but
games between the AS and the Nation
ais always are attractive, SO Shlbe Park
will have it's crowd again Monday.
For the series opener here this after
noon Manager johnson plans to send
to the hill Fred Marberry, who pitched
to victory over the AS in their last
series here and held them to tie be-
fore he was withdrawn in one of the
Philadelphia doubleheader games that
was lost by his successor.
Manager Mack has his lefthanders,
Bob Grove end George Walberg, ready
for action and may call on one of
them, although the right-handed
George Earnshaw also Is ready for
service this afternoon.
TT may be the new dead" ball that
i has reduced Washington batting
averages from those Of last year.
If so the reductions are much heavier
in the Nationals case than the average
reckoned for batters throughout the
7 hoe
figured that the reduction in batting
marks for the regulars of the eight clubs
collectively would amount to approx
imately 9 points per regular. The
average drop for the Washington
regulars. though, is a bit more than
IA points per regular.
A comparison Of last years averages
with those of this years, to date, is
given. Three Nationals have gained,
They are Spencer, hitting .292 now
against .255 for 1880; Bluege, with .304
against 1930's 800. and West, who hit
1928 last year, batting 1888. That's q
gross pickup Of 81 points.
Now for the losers. Rice, who hit .349
last year, has an average of .295;
Manush. a $50 hitter in 1890, is a 1901
batter today; Cronin batted. .346 last
year and now bats .3l3: Myer. a 1903
batter in the last campaign, is a PIT
batter in this. That's a gross loss OF
1852 points.
A difference of 90 points on the
wrong side.
Judge and Kuhel are not figured in
this, as it would not be fair COM
parison. The difference on the wrong
side would be greater ii the batting
average of the regular first baseman
entered into the calculation, as Judge
batted 1926 last year, while Kuhel has
q mark of .288 in the current campaign.