Evening star., 1933-04-18

IL According TO sOur pest
dictionaries, that is pre-
cisely what "bat" means. If prac-
tice will help them, the Nationals
will come to a proper understand
ing of the term as applied to a
base ball.
Morning batting practice and
more morning batting practice
has been ordered by Manager Joe
Cronin and he'll be in the thick
Of it, too. The boy field boss of
the Washington outfit hasn't ex-
perienced the pleasure swinging
a bat truly against the leather
covered sphere since his opening
DAY rampage and he's burning up.
The skipper has plenty of company
though. In their last three games
two Of which went on the wrong side
Of the book for them-the Nationals
have sticked for the amazing average Of
lit. Amazing for a collection of sturdy
swatters on longtime record and one
that piled up a set Of high and hand
some figures for Slamming in its string
OF training tuSsleS.
I'VE have the power. That I know"
Joe claimed right on top Of yesterdays
defeat in which a four-hit attack was
the best his club could muster against
the Red SoX Then "the fans needn't
think we're weaklings up there at the
plate. It's just little slump. All clubs
have 'em every once in while. Maybe
it's just as well we're getting an early
one. When we snap out of 1t we ought
to go good for long time.
Il really don't regard it anything to
work. over greatly right now" went on
the boy manager. I'VE showed in those
training games we could do a lot of
free-swinging and get results. The
boys are just trifle frightened at bat
practices will get those kinks out"
CRONIN'S optimism is shared by the
~ members Of his band. To a man,
the Nationals are confident they'll
soon step out in better and truer bat
ting stride. None among them is fret
ting about the poor offensive of the past
few days.
Too bad, though, that they haven't
much time left to devote to morning
practice before embarking upon their
first tour. At best they'll get but two
days of it before invading Philadelphia
for a trio of tilts with the Athletics.
And on the road, a club is limited to 20
minutes Of batting practice before
game.
The drills will be resumed, Cronin
says, when the Nationals come back
next week for their brief stay, how
ever. He hopes to have his charges
also himself-swinging in the sweetest
of style before the club makes its first
trek westward.
In fact, morning practice may become
a daily routine for the Nationals at
home this season, excepting, OF course,
those extremely torrid Summer periods
when such extra effort would be likely
to sap the athletes SO much that they
couldn't come back" properly for the
game later in the day.
TRONIN is a great believer in morn
~ ing practice. So was Clark Griffith
when he was actively managing
the Nationals Under Griffith the ath-
letes not only had their forenoon bat
ting work regularly while at home, but
they also had spells of schooling. The
old boss always contended that even
the big Lacquer still had plenty to learn
about base ball and he saw that they
picked up the knowledge before going
into the game, where ignorance of the
finer points of the pastime might prove
ruinous So far as batting is concerned,
Joe is swiping page from the big
chiefs book.
That several of the managers he put
on the job after assuming the presi-
of ba oil fn q
importance of forenoon drills irked
Griffith no little. He gave them free
rein, however. during their terms. But
when the time came to pass out a new
managerial contract the paper was
handed another man.
Looks as though young Cronin doesn't
intend to overlook this phase of man
agement ever particularly pleasing to
the big boss of the works.