The Washington times., 1932-04-08
GEN.CROWDER
MAY PITCH
OPENER
By GARRETT WATERS

The Griffmen face three more
exhibition games before making
their American League debut next
Monday against the Boston Red
Sox at Griffith Stadium.
Today the Baltimore Orioles
are scheduled over at Baltimore.
Tomorrow these same Orioles will
be the opponents at Griffith Sta.
dium while Sunday the Buffalo
BisonS are "doWn" as the GriffS'
foes in contest at Griffith Sta
dium which will close the grape
fruit encounters until next spring.
The final chance to become
completely set for their best
showing in the campaign in the
offing confronts the Griffs in
these contests.
There will be no let down from
the players, Manager Johnson
stated today. With the season
so near every man on the roster
has been given the orders to per-
form in these final exhibitions
as if a championship was at
stake. Thus, all fans who travel
out to see the Griffs in the next
few days will find a collection of
ball players on their toes from
the start to the finish of every
contest.
Figuring Pitching System
incidentally, johnson is figur.
ing out a plan whereby he will
rotate his pitchers this year. 1t
no doubt will go in this order:
Crowder, Marberry, Fischer,
Weaver and Brown. providing of
course the later gets over the
notion that his arm is sore.
1t appears more and more
every day as if General Alvin
Crowder will get the opening
days pitching assignment next
Monday. The North Carolinan
has surely shown the best work
of any of Manager Johnson's
hurlers this spring and has been
the only one who has worked a
full game.
In the 10 grapefruit games
played to date, Crowder has
worked in four His first appear
ance was against the Baltimore
Orioles at Biloxi where he toiled
three innings to excellent ad-
vantage. His next was against
the Louisville Colonies at Mobile
where again he pitched three
innings without any trouble. His
last Gurn was against the Chat
tanooga LookoutS at Chattanooga
Monday, and it was here that
he went nine rounds with ease.
What made Crowder's work even
more impressive in this game
was the fact that he stepped in
there and pitched excellently de-
spite a lay-off of about a week,
this because of his call to home
to be at the bedside of his i'll
wife. Yesterday the General was
his same impressive self after
relieving Marberry.
Weaver HurlS Today
Monte Weaver was to get the
assignment today against the
Baltimore Orioles at Baltimore.
Manager johnson probably will
allow the youngSter to go the full
route, which stage of his train
ing he is about ready for. Monte
went five rounds against the
Knoxville Smokes day before yes
terday and although socked pretty
hard, looked as if he was ready
to work longer if only given the
opportunity.
Manager Johnson has not de-
cided completely who his pitch
ers would be for tomorrow and
Sundays games. Carl Fischer is
to get the call tomorrow, accord
ing to his plans, while Bob Fried
rich and Frank Ragland will
pitch Sunday if Lefty Lloyd
Browns arm is not in good shape
after his arrival by then.
Joe Cronin, who was removed
to Georgetown Hospital on &C
count of his light case of sinus,
is expected to be back in uni
form Sunday. The peppery short
stop may take his place today
providing he is fit. johnson. how
ever, will no doubt insist on his
inactivity at the present moment,
because of the Anxiousness to
have his star punch" in absolute
readiness by the hour of the
opening gong next Monday. In
this event, little Johnny Kerr
will continue at the short stop
post.