The Washington times., 1931-08-24
BITTER FIGHT
FOR SECOND
PLACESEEN
BY GARRETT WATERS
Times Staff Correspondent

DETROIT, Aug. 24.-The Grift.
men are faced with another one
Of those trying situations at this
time, which has been their lot on
so many other occasions this
season.
It is in this instance the task
of keeping ahead of the New
York Yankees for the second
place position in the race. The
YankS won both ends of a double
header against the Chicago White
Sox yesterday at Chicago, to
reach within dangerous striking
distance.
Will the Griffmen be able to
hold their own in this new fight
for position. Or will they fail as
they did in their battle with the
AS for first place.
The games for the remainder
Of the season will tell. Both the
Griffs and Yanks want the Sec
ond place berth like nobodyS
business at this time.
Bigger Cut
They want it because of the
money involved at the end of the
season when the world series devi.
dends are split. The team finish
ing second gets a much bigger cut
Of the spoils than the team who
finishes third.
This promises plenty of
battling baseball for the fast
fading season. The Griffs
can be said to be on their
mettle right now in view Of
their slim hold on second
place. The question is-will
they be able to win out in this
new fight for supremacy.
In order to continue in second
place the GriffS must do some real
playing in this series with the De-
troit Tigers, if the manner in
which the Yankees are winning
against the Chicago White Sox
means anything.
The GriffS took the opener
from the Tigers yesterday by O
6-to-5 score. A home run off the
bat of Friscoe Joe Cronin in the
seventh turned the trick, but the
pitching of Bobby Burke, john
sons starter on the mound, was
of no help. General Alvin Crow
der was the relief man and got
credit for his eleventh triumph
of the season.
The Griffs play the second Of
the series with the Tigers today.
Manager johnson has nominated
Sad Sam Jones for mound duty.
He's in hopes that Sam will turn
in a much better effort than in
his last against the Cleveland In.
dians. Any manner in which
Jones pitches will be better than
the fizzle he made against the
Peckmen.
Outhit GriffS
The Tigers outhit the Griffs
terday, although defeated.
They collected II hits off Of
Burke and Crowder while White
hill and Bridges gave up eight.
The fact that WhitehilI was
far from himself explains the
GriffS' victory in plain black
and white. But for CrOnin'S
home run, said GriffS were
helpless against Bridges.
Myers single in the fourth was
the only other blow gathered off
of the Tiger relief man. in the six
and one-third innings he worked.
Against Whitehill, the Griffs
spotted Burke to a five-run lead,
only to see him give it up as the
to see him give it up as the
Tigers pecked away until they
got him out of the box in the
fifth. The Griffs counted two in
the first on Myers double,
Cronin's double and Harris triple.
Three more were added in the
third on singles by Myer, Manush
and Bluege, and Cronin'S second
double. Bridges took the mound
for the Tigers in this frame.
Runs in the second, third and
fourth, and two in the fifth kept
the Tigers in the game. Gerald
Walkers triple with two on,
showered Burke and brought
Crowder into the picture, in this
fifth. The swat also tied the
score at SIS.
The general held things in tow,
although he staggered several
times after Cronin's homer put
it up to him to win after the
seventh.
Whatever your wants may be, there
is always a possibility that they can