Evening star., 1932-10-11
PITCHER, CATCHER
WANTED FOR MATS
Cronin Requests Battery Ad'
ditions-StahI, Not Joe,
Youngest Pilot.
BY JOHN b. KELLER.

~ new manager, Joe Cronln,
n that the Nationals need
increased battery strength
more than anything else, Pres
ident Clark Griffith already has
put out to major and minor
league club owners "feelers" re-
garding possible trades and pur-
chaseS.
THE Nationals are in the mar
ket from now until the season
begins next April" the Washing
ton club executive declared this
morning. II am rather confident
they'll get something worth while,
too
A canny dealer always, Griffith would
give no intimation as to which partlcu-
lar clubs he is sounding out or what
pitchers and catchers he has in mind.
Time will take care of all that" he
said. I'm negotiating with the other
clubs on this occasion, I'm revealing
nothing definite until a deal Is actually
put through"
The decision to angle for battery
talent particularly was made after q
conference between Griffith and his
new manager yesterday shortly before
Cronin's departure for his San Fran
cisco home II agreed with Joe that
one more top-notch pitcher would make
the club a real power on the NIL ana
also that a good, steady catcher sturdy
enough to keep in the game most OF the
time is needed" Griffith stated.
"Of course, should l learn that /
might better the club in other spots l
wouldn't hesitate to attempt a deal.
Right now, though, I'm after that
pitcher and catcher"
CRIFTITH has at hand some talent
~ that might be advantageously used
for trading purposes. Prominent
among this extra material Is Harley
Boss. who has been first basing bril-
liantly for Chattanooga. With young
Joe Kuhel and the veteran Joe Judge
available for initial sack work, Grlftth
could we'll dispose Of Boss and being an
able batter as we'll as clever fielder
the youngster should prove attractive
bait.
The Nationals also are bringing up
from their Chattanooga farm Cliff Boil
ton, stocky catcher When tried be-
fore by the Washington cub Bolton
was unimpressive. However, Griffith
says the catcher has improved consid-
erably He throws more accurately and
generally handles himself behind the
bat better than ever And Bolton
always has been a sturdy batter.
f,,I inc tho WASHING.
ton prexy thinks Cliff nigh. be Of great
help to the Nationals next year.
LIERE we've been hailing Cronin as
i ! the youngest ever to be appointed
manager of big league ball club,
only to discover we're all wrong The
honor that was thought Cronin's really
was grabbed by James Garland Stahl
back in 1904.
At the end Of the season that year
Jake was made manager Of the Wash
inston club and he was not many
months past his twenty-fourth birthday
That, OF course, takes the palm from
CrerAn, for Joe is nearly 26-tomorrow
will be his birthday anniversary-so
Jake beat him to it by amost two years.
Which is nothing to annoy young Mr..
Cronin, however. He's still right youth
full and should prove sprightly enough
to take care of his new jon.
Stahl. by the way, was the flrst
Washington manager in the American
League to get his club going well
enough to key up the Capitals fandom
to high pitch. Early in the 1905
campaign-the first in which he han
dled the club on the fleld-the Nationals
stepped out TO get themselves first place.
Unaccustomed to anything other than
cellar outfit, this rise Of their club set
the fans here wild.
THIS leap to the heights had been
i accomplished while the Nationals
were on the road, so the jubilant
followers of the club hastily organized
a celebration to be put on when their
favorites got home the night Of May 4.
The Nationals steamed into the old
Baltimore &. Potomac depot that used
to stand at Sixth and B streets quite
late at night, but faithful throng es-
timated at $4,000 was at hand to greet
them.
There was a big red automobile to
convey the players and a band to lead
the procession up Pennsylvania avenue:
Fans holding aloft red flares marcheo
on both sides of the car bearing the
Nationals and following were hundreds
of enthusiastic Capital base ball bugs
we'll equipped with RED nre Inside as
we'll as outside.
At the head of his club in shining
car rode Stahl He stood most of the
way from the depot to his hotel in order
to acknowledge more graciously the
generous salute given him by the crowds
that lined both sides of the avenue. The
club was banqueted and eulcgized Fan
dom was out for big night and it
made the most of it.
It was we'll the folks celebrated then
for it wasn't long before the Nationals
were showed out of the leadership and
the last of that season found them just