Evening star., 1932-04-14

ufQ The NdGlOtldlS VIII D. BIcdI
IL ball game again yesterday,
but in taking the season
opener here, 7 to 6, they also dis
posed of one of their pet jinxeS
of 1881. Perhaps beating Jack
Russell, pitcher who went the
route for the Red Sox, may SO
hearten Walter Johnson's band
that it will upset many Of the
other hurlers who so delighted In
taking its measure last year.
Russell. in the last campaign, had 30
do little more than step to the slab to
make the Nationals a beaten lot. He
licked them five times and lost to them
only twice, and his record with the Red
Sox for 1881 included but 10 wins
against 18 losses The Nationals surely
were his cousins
HAVING head start on Russell the
i i Washington club now must shoot
at some other moundsmen who had
its goat nicely tucked away in 1881.
There's Bob Grove of the Athletics. He
beat the Nationals six times and lost to
them only once. And Sam Gray of the
Browns equaled RusSell's record in COM
petition with the Washington outfit.
WESLEY FERRELL was another jinx.
w He licked the johnson crowd four
times and lost to it twice The
Yanks had staff that was poison to
Washington. Charles Rufing, Henry
johnson, Vernon Gomez and Herb Pen
mock each scored three victories over
the Nationals, who failed to beat Ruff
fing, licked johnson but once and
Gomez and Pennock only twice each.
The season is in its infancy, of course
but overpowering jinx pitcher so early
may portend a highly successful year
for the Nationals against these pitch
ing pests.
IF his spirit and success to date mean
i anything at all, Heinie Manush is IN
for one of those big batting years of
his. In both championship games the
Nationals have played the big Dutch
man has slammed them to victory at
the last minute, and once with double
and once with homer, and his every
action at the plate has indicated he Is
IN superb trim for a great season Of
argument with the opposing pitchers.
Feeling that he Is at proper playing
weight-a condition he declares he |
never reached in 1g31-and supremeIy !
confident of his ability to solve any |
kind of hurting, Heinie and his fellow |
players believe he will swing to his best |
major record in the current campaign |
That's something to believe, for Heinie |,
batted at a .378 clip in 1928, the sea-
son that Goose Goslin, then with the
Nationals, won the league championship
with an average Of .379.
With Heinie In the mood, however,
and IN fine physical trim as well, he Is
quite apt TO soar to great batting
heights
HEINIE certainly was the minute
i L man yesterday IN the Beantown
season opener. The Red Sox had
Taked Fred MarberTy for a three-rum
lead, and with Russell going great guns
after an unsteady second inning, 1t
seemed that the johnson band had no
hope of victory.
Even that first run put across in the
ninth did not loom so large, for 1t took
the second out of the round to get 1t
over. Bluege had opened the inning
by fouling out and Kerrs single did
not arouse much enthusiasm on the
Nationals bench. The boys did pep
fooled grounder to give Spencer q
life and move Kerr to third, but there
was no undue excitement among them
when Harris picked up Browns bat
and sk1ed to Oliver to get Kerr home.
It was figured Russell was slipping,
though, when he walked Myer to put
two on. Only one strike was pitched
to Buddy. Then Manush took q strike,
watched two wide ones go by and
swung on the fourth pitch to drive
the ball into the right-f1eld bleachers.
That was enough, for Carl Fischer
came on to limit the Red Sox to one
single in the ninth, and that after
two were out.
I LLOYD Brown got credit for the
- Washington victory, for he hurled
two innings before his team rallied
10 cop. He gave up just one single,
made with two out in the eighth, and
IN toiling Brownie gave no indication
of having any arm trouble. He and
Fischer appear ready to go at any
time.
Marberry took a good lacing in his
six innings on the hill He was nicked
for seven hits and five were doubles.
Three were clustered with a pass In
the fourth inning, when the Red Sox
tailed three times, and the other blows
were punched in the sixth for the re-
mainder of the Red Sox scoring.
Marberry pitched exactly as he did
IN Washington last Thursday when he
faced the Braves in an exhibition. He
seemed to grow careless lust when he
apparently was in full control of a bat
ting situation. In that sixth inning
McManIls Wahh opd OIiver uyh0 sn,o+a