Evening star., 1932-06-08
POOR BASERUNN|NG
|RKS BOSS OF MATS
Slow Work Afoot Necessi-
tateS II Innings to Beat
White Sox in Opener.
BY JOHN b. KELLER.

~ is TO De QemanQeQ OF lIle
Nationals by their mana
ger, Walter Johnson.
Although his club yesterday got
away to good start on its first
swing around the West this sea-
son by beating the White Sox,
8 to S, in an thinning encounter,
the Washington pilot was far
from being pleased with the per-
formances of his charges on the
runway.
From now on, however, Johnson's
men must step-"or else
It's positively ridiculous how this
club moves on the base paths" said
Walter in reviewing yesterdays con-
flict. Here we are with more speed
afoot than any other club in the Amer
can League, yet I believe we are the
slowest first-to-third outfit there is"
BY first-to-third Johnson meant the
advance of a runner from first base to
the far corner on a single. The speed
of ball club usually is gauged by the
ability of its runners to accomplish
this feat.
Ridiculous. I say" johnson went on.
''Why. here We have fast runners like
Myer, Bluege, West, Reynolds and Rice,
who more often than not leave first
oily to pull up at second in front of
single. This club is entirely too timid
on the base paths. And there's no
reason for it to be so.
Believe me. they'll have to show me
more speed and intelligence in the run
ming of bases from now on. I don't
mean that they must be reckless in
their movement around the runway.
But there must be more ''headS-up"
base running.
Several games the Nationals have
lost lately could have been won by them
had they taken full advantage of base
running opportunities. This must stop.
The club has the natural speed" john
son added, "and it must make the most
of it,
JOHNSON felt keenly Vests failure
yesterday to advance from first to
third base when Judge singled in the
third inning Had Sam done so he
would have been in position to cross
with a tying run when Kerr hit
long fly to the right-flelder and the
game would not have gone into over
time.
From the crack of the bat. Judges
hit looked like a long single, but West
pulled up as he turned second and the
time lost in doing SO resulted IN hi5src-
tirement as he slid into third base just
behind Funk's throw That made the
second out of the inning. so Judges
fine safety was wholly wasted.
In the tenth inning, with Kerr on
second and Bluege on first, with one
out. Spencer looped the ball over Sec
ond base. Appling went back for a
catch and Kerr, rushing madly from
looking at what was going on. became
an easy double-play victim. When he
did discover catch had been made
Kerr did attempt to scramble back to
second. He might just as we'll have
gone on toward third, though, on the
chance that Appling would heave wild
ly past Kress, covering the second sack
And in the eleventh, when Myer
crashed double against the right field
stand wall, Crowder, on first by virtue
OF a pass. acted just as he did under
similar circumstances in Boston last
Saturday. Evidently fearing catch by
Rothrock the General roamed just a
short distance off first base. instead
of moving down to second and waiting
for the play. if any. 1t was plain that
the ball had been hit so deep that if
caught Crowder could easily have made
his way from second to first again.
Consequently with his late start. Crow
der only made third instead of scoring
and Myer had to be content with a
double
No wonder the ways of the Nationals
on the base paths have Johnson "all
het up"
u try,f1 - r%o To-