Evening star., 1932-06-20
PITCHING COLLAPSE |
NCPROSPECTS|
Burke Easy in Final at De.
troit - CroWder Opens
Against Indians Today.
BY JOHN b. KELLER.

last week the Nationals
" were fighting to hold on
to second place in the
American League race. Now in
their tusSling with the Indians
here they'll be battling desperate
ly to keep out of the second
division of the loop, and with the
odds against them, too.
The Tribe, to be met in League
Park in four games in as many days,
for some time has been making war
medicine. Enthused by their rise to
the third position by virtue of a double
win over the Red SoX yesterday while
the Nationals were getting an 8to-5
licking from the Tigers in Detroit,
Chief PeckS Braves are out for blood.
Unfortunately, the johnson band at
present is in anything but fighting
mood and, to make matters worse for
it, as the warfare is conducted here
these fifth-place Tigers, just squeak
behind the Nationals, will be playing
the lOWly Red SoX on Navin Field
Even under their new manager, Marty
McManuS, they should remain the
lowly Red Sex.
IIUSptCtS INOt bTiSHt.
1t can't be said that the Nationals
prospects are any too bright.
To get an even break in their first
swing around the West this season,
the Nationals must score three vic
tories In the four engagements here.
Should they be so successful, they
would return to their own lot late
this week with record of eight wins
and eight losses for this Western in
yaSion.
That's a big order for the Nationals.
though, as their pitchers have been
performing recently, Although by
trading playing talent and giving up
bundles of cash President Griffith sup
posedly brought his clubs pitching
staff up to big league proportions, the
bolsterlng of the staff has not helped
thus far. Dick Coffman. hurler picked
up from the Browns twice has taken
beatlngs in less time than it takes to
tell of them. Al Thomas, the portly
pitcher purchased from the White SoX,
has yet to start game and While at
times impressive in relief roles. has not
even been moderately successful in
them.
As for the remainder of the Wash
ingtOn curving corps, there's little OF
praise to be mentioned. Fred Marberry,
MISPLACED his fast ball. and without
that fast one Fred doesn't fool the bat
terS. Al CroWder and Monte Weaver
blow hot and cold, great in one game,
then-WeL, not so great in the next.
There's nothing consistent about their
toiling.
Only LLOYD Brown. the ft-hander,
has been going along we'll out this way.
He scoEed the only Victories that came
his clubs way in St. Louis and Detroit,
and he did so in a high1class way.
Browns left-handed pal, Bobby
Burke, has been a disappointment this
trip, and Frank Ragland. the emer-
gency slabman. has been unable to
make so of it in emergencies.
Manager JOhnSonS pitching staff isn't
doing its share of the work needed to
keep the Nationals up, and it hasn't
been doing it for some time. Until its
fingers get down to business in a
smooth way. little good may be ex-
pccted of the Washington ball club.
Thomas, the Nationals newest pitcher.
at last is to start a game. according to
Manager Johnson. The pilot and Trainer
Mike Martin have had Alphonse shag-
ging flies. doing extra bullpen toll and
troting about the ball yards out this
way during the hot spell in an effort to
take off some of the weight the hurler
carried around his middle when he
came up from the White Sox. Thomas
still is far from trim. but he has re-
duced sufficiently johnson believes, to
be able to give good account of him
self.
So Thomas will get crack at the
Indians in the third game of the series
here. That's on Wednesday. That's
what Johnson saws now. subject to
change. of course. Thomas. it seems.
was effective against the Tribe when
he sported a Chicago uniform and. if
not too heavy, he might still be tough
hcmbre in tilt with Peck's band.
Crowder was to take a fling at the
Tribe today, while tomorrow Brown is
to climb the pitching hill for the Ma
tionals. Brown upset the Indians right
regularly last season. For the wind-up
Of the set johnson will save Weaver.
Burke Easy for Tigers.
Three of the four games played with
the Tigers in Detroit were lost by the
Nationals, the third dropped yesterday
when Johnson's charges lacked good
hurting and showed little Extensively
Bob Burke went to the firing line
against the Harrismen and though his
mates staked him to a two-run lead at
WhitloW Wyatt's expense right off the
reel, the left-hander was so unsteady
at the outset that the home side off,
set that Washington advantage and
went it two better Later the Nation
ais nicked Wyatt for a tie, but Burke
took another peppering and Johnson's
outfit could do nothing worth while to
the pitching of Tommy Bridges, who
hurled after the third round
The Nationals got eight hits. but the
Tigers got IA. All but one of the
enemy's hits were cleaned off Burke.
For three innings Weaver filled a re-
lief role and did so well Johnson's men
got three of their hits off Wyatt be-
fore the heat drove him to cover.
Jack Stone was the big noise Of the
Tiger attack. In five trips to the plate
he collected four safeties. One was a
homer lifted into the bleachers, one was
a double and two were singles
But for Joe Cronin the Nationals
wouldn't have done much in a scoring
way. With a double, a single and a
hard infield drive that resulted in his
erasure. Joe drove across four of his
clubs five tallieS. He did more than
his share. but outside of Heinie Man.
ush, who smote three singles in four
times at bat and was on each time
Cronin did the n-producing bludgeon-
ing, the other Nationals were quite