Evening star., 1932-05-21

~ YEW YORK, May Zl.-StrlV-
M ing to get the most out OF
v his slender slab staff, Man
ager Walter Johnson is
swapping up likely starting sling
ers these days. Latest of his sec
ond-String slabmen to impress
him is Frank Ragland, the right
hand rookie brought up from the
Chattanooga farm. Johnson liked
Raglands three innings OF toll
against the Yankees in one OF
Thursdays games here so much
that the rookie may be sent to
the firing line as a starter during
the short series with the Red SoX.
Ragland's record for his three rounds
here doesn't read so well. In his prleI
term Frank yielded five hits, three
passes-one intentionally-and a run
Nevertheless, Manager johnson THINKS
Ragland hurled shrewdly despite Ihe
punishment he took, and the pitcher S
GOODNESS in combating lineup OF such
renowned sluggers pleased the pilot
plenty.
kDAGLAND has much more pitching
X ability now than he showed me
during training" johnson said
TODAY. "and after he relieved Fischer
here he convinced me he has great
heart, too. He looks every bit hghter
out there on the hill.
'I need all the starters can find
and 1 am confident Ragland would f1ll
the bill. OF course, he still needs
grooming, but there are two or three
clubs in the league he could face just
as he is and give them a great battle.
Frank may get chance to start while
we are playing the Red Sox in Wash
ington. I believe he could go all the
way and give them licking"
s'IXE can't win 'em ALL" remarked
w Clark Griffith yesterday after
seeing his Nationals take a g.
to-3 beating from the league-leading
Yankees, trounced by his young men
only the day before in both ends Of
double header Never was a ball club
could do that, but, believe me-" he
added, I'VE are going to take our season
series with the Yanks and that with
the Athletics, too"
I'm not predicting any pennant for
the Nationals. I gave up forecasting
flags for my club long ago. However"
continued Griflth, with much waggling
of the forefnger, "the club that beats
us will get the championship"
Right now it's only three-club race
in the American League. The West
has strengthened, but the Yanks, AS
and Nationals have the class. And the
Yanks and AS haven't so much as we
have when they are playing us. It's
those Western clubs that give us SO
much trouble.
ssrTTHESE Yankees are strong. Much
J. better than last year. They have
a greatly improved pitching staff.
But we seem to have the kind of pitch
ing they don't care for. They may lick
us every once in a while, but we'll
take 'em over the long run. The AS
haven't looked nearly so good as the
Yankees. Probably they are not, for
Mack has only a two-man pitching
staff, and he hasn't been able to get
gerous though, but we'll take them also.
Don't know but what might go
back to pennant- predicting for our club
If We had just one more high-class
pitcher" Griffith admitted Then we'd
always have something fresh to throw
at the other clubs after all but ex-
hausting ourselves in series with the
Yankees and the AS. Such series take
a lot out of small pitching staff. But
where are we to get this extra pitcher?
There seems to be no good one avail
able now
A GAIN yesterday the Nationals were
IA in a hitting mood. They outSWat-
ted the Yankees, nine safeties to
eight, but their offensive was scat
tered, while the New Workers concen-
trated their attack in one inning and
put across enough to bag the battle.
Monte Weaver started on the hill for
the Nationals, and as usual he got away
poorly. The Yanks converted a pass
he gave to Combs first up in the first
frame into run, and after Johnson'S
charges had nicked Vernon Gomez's
left-handed hurling for two tallies In
the third the home club came right
back to chalk up four markers. In that
third inning Weaver couldn't tempt the
Yanks with his curves. They set them
selves for his fast ball instead, and
when 1t came up, they sent 1t back
faster. Combs singled, and Weaver
couldn't find the plate for Larry. Ruth
then poked a long single to right TO
count Combs and move Larry to third
base Gehrig was easy, but Chapman's
one-baser scored Larry and sent the
Babe to the far corner. Ruth Tailed as
Dickey forced out Chapman. A balk
by Weaver put Dickey on second, from
where he registered when LazZeri hit
for base.
That convinced johnson it wasn't
weaver's day, so Bob Burke was sent
in to pitch five innings, and Bob made
a good job of it. But three hits were
made of him, two of them doubles
banged successfully in the sixth to net
the New Workers their last run. Burke
was far better than he was against the
Browns in Washington last Tuesday.
In their third batting round the Ma
tionals had Gomez shaky, Weaver, who
had opened the round with single was
forced out by Myer. but double by
Manush scored Buddy and single by
West sent Heinie over the plate. An
other blow and Gomez probably would
have been out of there. But Cronln
watched a third strike go by and Rey-
nolds skied out.
After that Gomez, though twice hav-
ing two hits punched against him in an
inning, went along unrufned until the
ninth and then the tally made by the
Nationals was virtually gift affair.
nUMORS reached President Griffith
X during yesterdays game that
deal between Nationals and Red
Sox in which Burke and Kuhel would
be given in exchange for Danny Mac
Fayden, pitcher, was in the making.
Never heard Of such deal" de-
clared the Washington prexy.
Ruth is wearing bandage on his left
hand. Il.
Just a bat blister" explains the big
fellow, who for some time has been IN
a hitting slump.
The Yanks have new mascot tempo
rarily. Eddie Bennett, who has served
them in that capacity for years, was run
dnur,, hv an automobile while crossing a