Evening star., 1932-12-11
HUNT IN NEW YORK
BEGINS TOMORROW
Apt to Pay High for Good
| HurIer-Nat Manager to
| Remain East Week.
BY JOHN B. KELLER.
~LARK GRIFFITH, big boss
of the Nationals, and Joe
" Cronin, their new man

lind a pitcher thaG mlgnt I1ahe
vigorous pennant contender OF
the Washington base ball club in
the 1888 season.
They'll start cunning for the
addition to their curving corps
the first thing tomorrow morning
and confidently expect to bring
him down before the Winter meet
ings Of the major leagues eno
Thursday.
Brown as q berry and looking in mid
beason trim, Cronin arrived Snortly pc
fore noon Yesterday from his San
Francisco home and lost no time getting
into conference with Griffith. the
washington owner quickly informed his
field general of the lines put out for
pitcher while the big boss was at the
meetings of the minors In Columbus
last week and Joe expressed hlmsei1
as satisfied with the hurlers unoer
consideration.
We'll get a good one while we are in
New York" Cronin opined. They're 10
be had and with Harley Boss to offer
In exchange we'll have 'em jumping at
the chance. Boss is a flrst-rate f1rst
baseman and hitter and lots OF clubs
could use him. He'll not go begging.
MIETTHER Griffith nor Cronin would
IN state which of several likely avail
able pitchers attached to American
League clubs would be preferable. How
ever, of those with the Cleveland club,
which already has announced II Is
willing to do business with the WASH
angton club, 1t seems the Nationals will
have to give more than Boss Tor the
pne particularly wanted.
From reliable sources, 1t Is under
ktood Mel Harder, the sturdy right
handler, is the pitcher desired. Harders
record the past season was not so I'M
pressive-he won IA games and lost
l3-but he Is regarded much better
pitcher than those figures indicate. He
now has had several years Of big league
experience to enhance his natural
ability and is believed about ready to
step out and flash his true worth.
Cleveland, though, figures that way,
too, so grabbing Harder would be no
easy task for the Washington ball club.
Jack Russell probably could be
plucked from the Indians more easily,
but while Russell has had exceptional
success in competition with the Wash
ington club as a server for the Red
Eox and Cleveland, he isn't rated much
more than a run-of-the-ni pitcher.
Still, even a pitcher OF Russell's type
might prove useful to the Nationals.
The White Sox, it's said, also revealed
Willingness to talk turkey with the Ma
tionals concerning the exchange of a
pitcher for Boss. It appears, though,
that the Chicago club has little to offer
that might prove acceptable to Wash
ington. Vic Frasier, of course, would
look pretty good in a National uniform,
but parting with Frasier seems about
the last thing the White Sox would be
Likely to do.
However, despite the many difficulties,
Grifdth and Cronin do not expect to
return from New York without pitcher
9or the Nationals Christmas stocking
even though they have to go to the
minors for the curver.
6IJHuE at the American League
wv meetings Tuesday and Wednesday
Grifhth viii battle for two propo-
kitions he believes would benefit the cir
Fuit, but yesterday he was not so opti-
kaistic regarding his chances of success.
Washington's big boss wants the club
player limit cut from % to %. ANY
club ought to be able to get along with
AZ players" he contended. Washing
ton really did so the past season and
there's no reason why the others
shouldn't. However, some of the owners
would like to go back to the Is limit
we reduced last Winter which means a
great fight if further cut is to come
this time"
Griffith also would have rescinded the
rule that prevents preseason meetings
between clubs of the American League.
with this rule out. his Nationals could
schedule exhibition games with other
Amertcan League clubs and thereby ar
Range more entertaining and profit
Abae Spring training program than now
y possible.
i IT have carried the fight for this
khange to the floor of American League
meetings for several years, but always
with little support" Griffith declared.
TT may not be successful this time, but
4 believe I'll have with me more clubs
than ever before. It's not a Just rule
with the National League clubs playing
one another in Spring training and with
exhibition game business difficult to
drum up unless you have worthwhile
proposition to offer the public"
MANAGER CRONIN arrived at the
1v1 ball park yesterday just in time
for luncheon with President Grif-
nth and the Washington clubs Office
force. While Joe was visitin the big
boss, Trainer Mike Martin and Joe
Judge, the veteran first-sacker, dropped
in and the youthful pilot got plenty
bf news.
He learned that Johnny Kerr, his
Fellow townsman and utility infielder
with the Nationals, had only last week
married the former Olive Tongier,
niece OF Walter Johnsons, and intended
making their home here ;. that Bob
Burke. stringbean southpaw who left
the Nationals under voluntary retire
ment last Summer when bothered by
stomach ailment, had applied for re-
anstatement and will rejoin the Ma
tionals that Trainer Martin thinks
highly of Bud Thomas, the yougster
recalled from Youngstown, as a pitch
ing prospect mike was ready to bet
real dough Bud would make good =.
4hat all hands in the Office felt that
bought by the Nationals, would come
Through that there is third Man
nsh youngster (another girD out in
Detroit with Papa Heinie and mamma
= that Buddy Myer Is taking cross
kountry hikes down in Mississippi SO
his legs may be stronger than ever
when he reports at Biloxi in the
Spring that Sam West is doing
plenty of hunting in Texas and reports
his arm in great trim T.. that Trainer
Martin has finished work on Pitcher
Alphonse Thomas arm, from which a
growth was cut by Chicago surgeon,
Mith the result that the hurting wing
bnce more is straight and strong .. d.
,Hnd that everybody was glad to see the
koung manager in town again.
y Cronin will return with Griffith from
. HE New York confabs and stick around
Washington until the end Of the week.
| MOHAWKS FINISH TODAY
Meet Irvington Eleven in Balti-