Evening star., 1932-05-25
F|GURESSLAbMEN
BETTERED BY REST
CroWder Is Pilots Pick to
Open Set-Griffmen Must
Bolster Attack.
BY JOHN b. KELLER,

NLENTY of work for the
r. Nationals today, for the
i Yankees are comm. To-
morrow afternoon the Clan
Mccarthy will be here to open a
series of four games with Walter
Johnson's charges, and four games
with the league leaders means the
biggest business the Washington
club can plunge into these days.
That drill scheduled in Griffith Sta
dium this forenoon was expected to get
the Nationals in good trim for the i'm
portant series in a pitching way as
well as in fipe condition to launch an
effective offensive. While JohnSon's out
fit could stand improvement in attack,
its greatest need is betterment OF its
slender hurting corps.
Whipped in eight of their last IL en-
gagements, the Nationals aren't par
ticularly well equipped SO far as pitch
ing is concerned for these tilts with the
earnest hitting Yanks it might seem,
but Manager Johnson Is rather conf
dent his mound staff will be ready to
Withstand the onslaught OF the Amer1-
can League pace-setters.
Johnson feels that the two-day lay
off from competition on the diamond
will benefit his meager lot Of slabmen
considerably and that they likely will
give a much better account Of them
selves in the four games against the
Yanks here than they did in the five
game set in New York last week when
only the first two of the tussels came
the Nationals way.
The Washington pilot already has
decided that the ace of his staff. Al
Crowder, will open fire against the New
Workers in the first of the games here.
So far as the tits after tomorrow go,
though, Johnson has only tentative
plans.
He is apt to follow the Crowder start
with Carl Fischer, however, for Fischer
has had nothing to do since his in
effective relief role in New York last
Saturday. And after Fischer, Capital
fandom may expect to see on the pitch
ing hill as starters for the home side
Lloyd Brown and Monte Weaver.
EVEN though there should be a no
IL ticeable improvement in the Ma
tionals' slabbing, however, getting
the edge on the Yankees in the i'm
pending series probably will not occur
unless Johnson's charges manage to
sting the ball sharper and more often
than they have in their recent games
on the home lot.
With only Joe Cronin hitting well
enough to make the classy 800 group
in the last dozen contests there is little
likelihood Of turning the tables on the
New Ycrkers unless other washington
batters undergo a startling form re-
versal. Manager McCarthy's club has
q lot of power even though those great
hitters of last year. Babe Ruth and
Lou Gehrig, aren't batting up to snuff
these days. Tony Lazzeri and Earl
Coombs are filling in for these slump
ing fence-busters in no mean manndr.
1t will take a forceful offensive. un-
doubtedly, to overcome the Yankee
drive
Fans here have commented freely on
Managers Johnson's reluctance to sup
plant temporarily some of his slumping
hitters with second-stringers at hand.
Particularly many have wondered why
the pilot has net lifted Reynolds and
Manush and substituted Rice and Har-
ris in the outfleld.
1t is questionable, though, whether
these changes would strengthen the
Nationals attack. Normally Reynolds
and Manush would outhit the utility
players on the Washington roster and
johnson believes that his regular out
fielders in continuous service will shortly
get themselves out of their troubles at
bat.
It's up to the batter to work himself
out of difficulty, johnson figures, and
he contends the batter can do so more
quickly in the game than on the bench.
DURING this Yankee series the Ma
- tionals are not to have the services
of Roy Spencer, their first-string
catcher, according to Trainer Mike
Martin Spencer's left leg, which has
been troubling him ever since he first
injured it in an exhibition game at
Chattanooga early in April, apparently
is worse than ever and at least a weeks
rest will be needed to get the limb re-
stored to normal condition.
In the meanwhile Nice Berg will do
the receiving for the Nationals and
should he do 1t In the manner he has,
$ba joh will bo uye11 cared for