Evening star., 1932-03-11
VETERAN PEPPERY,
] WHILE KUHEL A|LS
Eye Trouble Handicapping
! Noungster-Extra Weight
PIeases Manush.
BY TOM DOERER.


- fancy - well, fancy that
diminutive veteran initial
sack custodian, Joe Judge, burn
ing with such speed and desire
this morning that he is in the
top position in his race with Joe
Kuhel, the Kansas City kid, for
the Washington clubs f1rSt-base
job.
This is Spring and you can never tell
what a boy in love and man in base
ball is going to do from one day to an
other Joe stands out for the first base
job today like the lighthouse before
my window does at night to those lug
gers coming up the gulf with their
shrimp cargoes.
In the main, little Joe has won the
grip he has on first base. But some
of his success is due. too, to the physical
condition of Kuhel, who reported to
camp with a bad sty upon his eye.
The optic has become worse, and yes
terday afternoon I met Joe and the
missuS treking off to an eye specialist
down in Biloxi.
1t may not be a serious situation. The
tall. very swell kid from K. c. ought
to have enough snap to come through
and go get that veteran before he hauls
out too far in front. But the situation
now is that Judge is burning up with
Spring speed. And that speed is being
backed up by the best physical condition
the oldster has been in, in years.
I'm telling you the truth. The little
fellow is hot. And the young man does
not appear to be in any real shape at
all That's too bad. But a fights
fight, and this one may be very sweet
Go ;N,A1 4I1n 16Y1d dor
than is good for either one of them.
But it will be good for your cen
tented uncle, Clark Griffith. The small
gray man will not lose in the struggle,
Tor scrap at one corner always causes
q battle at another and that keeps the
whole club at high pitch.
THAT big boy, Heinie Manush, is
l. weighing-well what do you think?
Exactly 208 pounds. That's %
pounds more than he weighed last
year when the boil wevils and the
moths and what-nots just ate them
selves silly into his batting.
But here's a fellow screeching hap
PLY because Of excess weight when the
rest Of the camp has had me goggle-eyed
writing about loss of weight, until
felt I was working In grocery store
o. a beauty parlor. And I've dug a
hunk of news, too. I'll tell you why he
did not want to report to Biloxi on
time.
1t wasn't dear old Biloxi's air nor its
sea food nor anything of the sort. 1t
was because Heinie felt that he was
burned out last Spring by too much,
and too constant training. Upon last
Springs workouts he blames the shrink
age in his batting percentage.
CO k~4i1 ~
1t wasn't the heat. And it wasn't any
of those things the experts were telling
you about at all. Take that from Heinie
himself. 1t wasn't that he was so
peeved at Uncle Clark's whack at his
pay envelope that kept him baking, but
just because he did not want to quit
his loafing down there in Florida.
Overweight" says Heinie. mo, 200
pounds belongs to me to feel right.
Imagine me around 164 and 185 last
Summer"
You know that Heinie spent six weeks
at Hot Springs before coming down
here last year. And do you know that
he just piled on beef and power down
there in West Palm Beach all Winter?
Wen see what this is all about when
the cows are in the meadow and lilacs
bloom on the porch next door.
TT Is a beautiful morning down here,
i and 1t was very elegant afternoon
yesterday. Too nice to sit indoors
and write yarns and draw pictures while
other guys loaf out on the sand. Maybe
they saved their money.
And when the boys get OF the beach
Ill go and pry into their business to
learn about that aunt back in Topeka,
worry Walter johnson and annoy Uncle
Clark with a lot Of silly questions.
But Uncle Clark did tell me that
this is swell spot here because he
has not missed days training IN
three years. With ball clubs all around
ears and calling off practice, this Ma
tional outfit goes through its daily mo-
tions as smoothly as well oiled car.
Maybe that will tell during the early
part Of the season. Griffith believes
It will and he also believes that his
hurting Is going to function.
(WHICH reminds me that Walter
w johnson says that Carl Fischer
may shoot at 20 games this year
maybe more. That's hot news. Carl
pulled in Is last year. Remember when
he had nine and could not get that
tenth without the help of the Hyatts-
vile Fire Department and the Chevy
Chase Band?
Listen to Walter: Fischer was n
rather hard pupil for a while. 90
not believe 1t helped him-that is his
attitude toward instruction. But this
young man is blazing now, he has
picked up a nice change of pace and
has developed pretty slow ball. 1t Is
not too far fetched to say that he will
get 20 games this year, with the atti-
tude he has assumed"
That's facts, too. Carl mixed them
up this morning like a fancy cake
baker. He Just came In here to the
room to fan and he is not at all
peeved at what Walter said. Hes
right" he grins. But I was tired last
season. They worked me too hard in
the early games. 1t was not any ones
fault. Just circumstances. Watch me
60 now
And there you have the news of the
camp this morning You know as far
as I know. I could kid you, but that
would be nonsense.
Fistic Battles