Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-06-04
PITCHERS KEPT FIT
BY TOLL, SAYS BOSS
Mats Staff Regarded Fine
ExampIe-Burke Gets Fl
Win Over Tigers.
BY JOHN B. KELLER.


OLARK GRIFFITH, president
Of the Nationals, declares
~ himself strongly opposed
to the large pitching staff
for a ball club, and the SHGcess of
the rather small Slabbing depart
ment his club has this season
makes his argument sound right.
"A big pitching staff is all
wrong" contends Griffith. 1.-The
pitchers don't get enough work.
Give me staff with four starters
and two or three more who can be
used either as starters or relief
pitchers Then the pitchers are
called upon to do their share of
the work regularly and that keeps
them in good trim.
Better to have small staff, the
pitchers of which know they must pro-
duce in turn, rather than big staff
that is likely to result in the develop
rnent of a lot of prima donnas always
eager to pass the buck to the other
fellow" is the way Griffith sees it.
The Nationals are getting much good
out of their slender mound corps at
present For club figured strong
~pennant contender seven pitchers are
not so many ordinarily, and that's the
size of the Washington staff. That,
with one OF its memberS-Fred Mar
berry-Still useless because OF leg in
jury.
A slender staff, but it is keeping the
club up in the race and doing that
without appearing to be unduly over
worked.
MANAGER JOHNSON was to send
4V1 another left-hander at the Tigers
this afternoon in the third game
of the series, his choice to oppose the
right-handed visiting finger, Tom
Bridges, being Lloyd Brown. If Brown
chucks anything like Bob Burke, only
recently made starting hurler, did
yesterday, the Nationals should make
it three in a row over the Detroit crew.
Making his second start of the sea-
son, Burke showed almost everything
needed to make capable pitcher. His
control was fine, his fast ball quite good
enough to get by the batters and his
curve exceptionally deceptive. Burke
was wonderfully poised on the hill and
pitched with splendid judgment.
About the only thing that might i'm
prove the string-bean southpaw would
be a better change of pace than he now
employs. Given that, he should go far
in his profession.
Not hit was registered of the
young left-hander for six innings, and
but three were made all told by the
Tigers, those being spread evenly over
the last three rounds. Just eight IT,
gers got on the runway, Bob issuing
four passes in addition to being nicked
for the three safeties, while helder's
choice put one man on.
It was an excellent demonstration OF
the capabilities of Burke. and just
about means his establishment as a
regular member of the starting staff Of
pitchers.
WHY the Tigers, who have lost Is
w of their last IT games and had
their current losing streak ex-
tended to games, are in the base ball
doldrums is easy to figure. In their
string of games starting May (which
was the day this slump got under way
they have batted at only PAL clip,
and in their last games, IN which
they suffered defeat, they tapped the
ball for an average of only .2l0.
In only one of these last 7 games did
they manage to hit in double figures.
That was in the opener of the series
here Tuesday. The Tigers have had
much good pitching in a number OF
the ENGAGEMENTS since hitting the
Skids, but they have not hit the ball
hard enough to make any impression
on the opposition
Getting but three hits in a game, as
they did yesterday off Burke, seems
something to be expected of the Tigers
these days. They have been timing
their swings poorly, and in meeting the
ball rarely have done so with any
power behind the blow.
Victor Sorrell, right-hander, yester-
day hurled a game ordinarily good
enough to win. He yielded but six
hits and gave no passes. Half the hits,
clustered in the first inning, meant vic
tory for the home side. After that
Sorrell spread three singles over as
many innings. So much wasted effort.
The Nationals won. 2 to l.
MYERS single, Sam Rice's double
wi both hits to left field by left-hand
battcrs-a sacrifice by Manush and
a fluky two-bagger By Cronln Eetted
the Nationals two runs right of the
reel Rices lire hit counted Myer, while
Sam. after seeing Akers barely miss
catch of Cronin'S looper following a
hard run into short center, got home
from third. where he had tarried until
the Tiger shortflelder had failed to grab
the ball
The Tigers nad a runner on III eacn
of the first two innings, Akers drawing
a pass In the first and McManus an
other in the second. Bluege opened the
Washington second with single, but
never passed first base. Then for three
innings both sides were retired in order.
Manush got single off Sorrell in
the sixth, only to be caught in double
play. while after one was out in the
seventh AkerS got the first hit of Burke,
a line single to center. Kuhel's one-
bas2r was wasted by the Nationals in
the seventh, end so w-rc Koenigs sin
gle and Sorrell's walk by the Tigers in
the eighth.
The Tigers averted a shutout after
Doljack opened their ninth with a
triple, driven to the right-field corner.
Akers popped out. but Uhle, batting for
stone, drew a pass. After Walker went
in to run for Uhle. a long fly by Nc
Manus got Doljack over the plate. Then
Ouey, Grounded weakly tn Burke for the