Evening star., 1933-04-08

Y Y can League champion
ship campaign they
should be there swinging. In
recent exhibition engagements
they have developed most pleas
ing habit of going after every
ball pitched that looks good COM
ing up to them and are more
than likely to carry that habit
into the really important battles
to start next Wednesday.
In their last six training
tuSsleS Cronin'S charges have
belted the opposing pitchers for
the grand total of "a hits. An
average of IA per tussle. Which
indicates that the athletes were
not letting many good ones get by.
Despite that most of this slamming
was done at the expense Of minor
league pitchers, the remarkable total of
hits amassed reveals that the Nation
ais possess keen batting eyes and a lot
of power extensively. The fact re-
mains that the Washington club has a
natural punch. one likely to upset the
hurlers of rival clubs more often than
not.
This batting rampage began just
week ago today when the Cronin crew
rose in its might and ranmed is hits
to all corners of Ponce de Leon Park
to beat the Crackers in overtime at
at Chattanooga, then the Nationals
packed 19-hit punch into Tuesdays
clash at Knoxville.
Facing major league pitching at
home. the Washington club has cracked
10 hits in each of its two engagements.
And this withering fire has accounted
for six successive training-tilt victories
CCORING the sixth straight win yes
~ terday when they took the measure
of the Brooklyn Dodgers in 4-to-
game in Griffith Stadium. the Ma
tionals not only continued their over
best pitching of the conditioning
period. Alvin Crowder, dean Of their
hill corps. was picked to be the first
to go full route this Spring and the
veteran breezed through the nine in
nings in superb style.
Crowder limited the Dodgers to seven
safeties and a lone pass. The Safeties
were spread over six rounds and in only
two of the rounds did the visitors have
as many as two runners on at one
time. The first two batters up in the
fifth singled and later in the inning
the Brooklyn bunch got its solitary run
when an infield erasure was accom-
plished In the sixth Crowder was
found for a hit and pass The hit
came after the first out and the pass
after the second. Then Crowder threw
a third strike by Glenn Wright to end
the inning.
The General pitched three other
Washington's former first sacker, to
wind up the second session; struck out
Danny Taylor, who once wore the Ma
tionals' uniform. to finish the fifth
frame. and famed Judge again to make
the second out of the ninth inning.
In every way, Crowder performed in
q manner to make him worthy of the
opening game pitching assignment that
probably will be his.
PROVIDERS fine hurting was backed
~ by satisfying exhibition of long
distance hitting by the Nationals.
OF their 10 safeties, were good for
extra bases. Four triples and three
doubles were cleaned off the pitching
done by Ray Benge and Van Munzo,
The Brooklyn right handlers.
Benge started and went through four
rounds. Five Of the hits were made at
bis expense and proved enough to make
him the loser.
ice Kuhel and Luke Sewell were the
5pearheads of the Washington offensive,
Joe collecting two three-baggers and
a single from his first three trips to
the plate, while Luke cracked two
oaggers the first two times up.
Fred Schultz and Crowder We're the
only Nationals to go hitleSs, but Fred
with his sensational fielding and Al
with his splendid mound effort con-
tributed sufficiently to the home clubs
success.
UHEL'S triple and Manush's retire.
N ment got the Nationals a first
frame tally and Manush's triple
and Cronin's one-bsser meant another
marker in the fourth. After the Dodgers
found the plate in the fifth, Cronin's
charges came right back to wind up
The days scoring. Sewell doubled,
Xuhel singled, then Buddy Myer
'ammed a two-bagger down the right
field line to chase in two tallies.
Thereafter, the Nationals did no
hitting until the ninth. when they
wasted a single and a three-bagger,
he long hit springing from Blueges
,at. But with Crowder bowling ever the
Dodgers so handily. the home side
>ould afford to rest on its laurels.