Evening star., 1933-02-27
LEG STRAIN FEAR
HAS PILOT ON EDGE
Cautious With Griffmen as
They Speed DriIIs-Boken
Accepts Terms.
BY TOM DOERER.

x Will d uey, lOIlllle, 1lOIl-
ME and a hot-cha-cha"
Uncle Clark Griffith saun-
tered out to the prepping field
this morning as happy as an
Irishman on st. Patricks day.
Many things caused the gray
pilots cigar to be tilted at a rak-
ish angle, his ruddy cheeks to
glow and his black eyes to sparkle.
For instance, there isn't holdout
ON his club. Young Bob Boken's con-
tract-duly signed-is here; Heinie
Manush, champ hitter, is packing his
trunk in Detroit for trip to camp,
his parchment having arrived two days
ago; Moe Berg is wlnging III this di-
rection; the pitchers and catchers are
showing up well; everybody is in good
health and Al Thomas arm is hum
ming tunes of victory.
Then there was yesterdays rest from
arduous duties, unless the trade back
home wishes to call golf work, which II
&Sll uOhA 4ASAC WIN lAlS b4OSb SblA to
tWltterlng, the palm, SWlShlng and a
Mississippi sun playing crooney lula
byeS of the backs OF the boys necks.
Doffing their tall hats and their
frock coats, which they go in Tor down
here on a Sunday afternoon, the hired
hands went out to work today with bats
on their shoulders and mean mten-
tionS, the intentions being to wallop
the ball over the fences and far out
into the chilling belt OF Biloxi.
DUT there will be no betting of the
- pineapple around the works for a
few days. Manager Cronin, his
boss and Mike Martin are watching
these young men as though they were
batch of priceless colts prepping for
the Derby And that's why Martin
insists that Cronin take the youngsters
along carefully, checking them when
they show too much ambition, yet en-
couraging them to be active.
"A ball players legs are much like
a colts in the Spring" says DR.. Mar
tin, spy-glass in one hand and liniment
in the other. The underpinning of
player is unsteady at that time. unused
TO quick starts and stops and mana
ger cannot be too careful with both
vets and kids. A twist of ligament
now means trouble later on. That Is
why a manager closes his eyes when
he sees his stars come tearing in for
fly at this time of the year"
In the workout on Saturday, Mike
Martin had to check General CroWder,
who with sore thumb and all, was try
ing to put something besides the seam
on the leather onion. And Earl White
hill, the heavy boy who has crop of
hair resembling Louie the Barber, was
persistent in his efforts to curve his
Initials with the ball.
SO the task at this time is not to
get the boys to tearing in their toll,
but, strangely to discourage them from
scorching. But with the arrival of the
second crowd here next Monday legs
will have become strong enough to
enable the players to chase around for
fly balls which Cronin insists will I'LL
the Biloxi air.
WITH Bob Boken's parchment safe
w In uncles big safe here, Joe
Cronin last night leaned back to
contemplate and speculate on his IN
field situation.
We'll carry two utility infielders
this year." said joe I'VE have Johnny
Kerr, who proved his worth last year;
Cecil Travis, the Riverdale, Ga, boy
who made good at Chattanooga last
season, and this new fellow, Boken,
who ought to give both of them fight
for chance to horn in on our lineup"
Griffith and Cronin are eagerly
looking forward to a glimpse Of Boken.
They have had varying reports of the
youngster, but Cronin insists that a
young man who only clouts the leather
for 28o-which is anemic for the
American association-yet belts in lib
runs certainly is a timely hitter, or has
the goddess of luck perched on his
shoulder. Joe likes those lib runs, no
matter how Boken did it.
Bob is a right-hand batter, who has
played all over the infield, but shining
at short, where he will get chance
to show how well he is qualified to hold
down an auxiliary position with the
Nationals.
Kerr, getting real competition for the
first time since he has worn the livery
of the Griffs, is tipping up his drilling,
playing golf and generally preparing
himself for the war which is to come
when the team begins its trek north.
In 81 games last year at short and
second base, Johnny batted for .273 and
scored IA runs. Travis the other entry
in the three-man scrap, led the Look
outs in willow welding with 1862 in
152 games.
WIFI all Llle pidllIltu el1OItS W
sharpen Travis and Boken for infleld
roles, it is believed Ossie Bluege's un-
derpinning will be given considerable
rest next year. However, all will de-
pend on what Travis and Boken show
on this prepping trip. Both will get all
the leeWay possible to make good.
DRESSED as to just how many games
L he may have to step out of during
the coming season due to the pres
sure Of managerial duties and how much
the arduous duties of manager might
affect his playing. Cronin said:
Il shall not stay out of one game on
account of managerial duties, for will
be playing at an important position.
I'll have to watch and encourage Bolton,
a young catcher. too. Bound to signal
and advise by signals the team, I ex-
pect to be more alert than ever out at
short"
So there you are. Yet the feeling
persists among the experts that the kid
manager is going to have a tremendous
task on his hands trying to do two jobs.