The Washington times., 1932-06-08
GR|FFS SCORE
5RUNS OFF
SLIM ACE
ByAuh;nG By

stamp of pitching greatness is the
ability to take a turn on tht
mound regularly and go through
game after game with only an oc
casional bad inning. And this defin
ition seems to fit perfectly in thu
case of Vernon Gomez, the slen
der left-hander of the Yankees
Up to date Gomez has started II
ball games and has finished eigh'
of them, with only one bad inning
in this long stretch of play.
When Gomez won 81 game!
for us last season we all figured
that real high-class pitcher hac
come to the fore. But it is ar
old rule in baseball to go slowly
on passing judgment on pitchers
They frequently flash for one
brilliant season and then dror
back to win only occasionally
and to flash no more among the
top notchers. Pitchers had wor
more games in a season thar
Lefty won last year and ther
never came back with another
good year.
Fans Marvel
But there seems now little
doubt as to the rating of Gomez
You marvel when you look at
him that he can get so much
stuff on the ball, that he can
buzz his fast one by those trained
hitterS who like speed. Men
much bigger and Stronger are
unable to get the power into a
pitch that Gomez, who is well
under normal weight, can get
I guess it must be like hitting a
golf ball. Very often the little
slender fellow can drive far be-
yond the hitting range of a big
powerful man.
Gomez is. pitcher who does
not need soft spots as he goes
along in order to build up list
OF victories. So far this year
Lefty has been sent against the
Athletics four times and he
turned in victory for every
start. What is more important,
he did not have real bad IN.
ming against a team with such
powerful right hand hitters as
FoXX and Simmons swinging
against him.
Two runs were the most the
AS could get off Lefty in any
inning and they did that only
twice in what amounted to four
full games. He finished three
and was taken out of the other
with two out in the ninth. That
was the opening game of the
season and he seemed 20 be
tiring little.
Noteworthy
In these days of long-distance
hitting and high scoring, such
pitching is particularly note
worthy. The one bad inning ]
referred to was in game at
Washington early in May. The
Senators scored five runs in the
fourth inning and chased Lefty
from the box, the only expert
ence of the kind he has had
all season. In a recent game at
Washington the Senators scored
four runs in the ninth, but Go
mez had eaSed up with a seven
run lead. When this much dam
age had been done he put on
the pressure again and stopped
them.
Last season, his first as big
league regular, Gomez ranked sec
ond to Lefty Grove among Amer
ican League pitchers in keeping
down the earned runs of his op
ponents. wouldn't rate Gomez
right now as the equal of Grove
because the star of the AS is now
serving his eighth season as a big
league regular, and that added
experience is worth a lot. But
think anybody will agree with me
that Gomez is a better pitcher to
day than Grove was in his second
or third season with the AS.
mention this fact not to criticize
Grove. for he has been plenty
good ever since he joined the AS
I wish to emphasize the granC
start which Gomez has made. with
30 victories to his credit in less
than a season and a half of ser
vice as major league regular.
Had to Go Out
For years it has been said that
the Yankees had to go out tt
other big league clubs for theil
pitchers. 1 know that for several
years the pitchers who played the
big part in the success of the club
were purchased or obtained By
trade after they had gained the
necessary experience in other
cities.
But Lefty is one who never
pitched a ball for any other major
league club. He was playing out
in the Far West when one OF the
Yankee scouts noticed him. Anc
! guess you'll agree with me hal
this scout did grand days work
When he persuaded the Yankees
to buy Gomez.
Lefty is one of the youngest
pitchers in the majors. He wa;
81 last November. He should bt
a star for another IN wars