The Washington times., 1933-06-30
RAW VERD|CTS
BY ARB|TERS
PUZZLE CLUB
BY GARRETT WATERS
Times Staff Correspondent

Times StaLL correspondent
DETROIT, June 30.-It is said
that lightning doesn't strike
twice in the same place. But
with the Griffmen it's different
story.
This latest bit Of lightning tore
off a big slice of the Griffs' peace
Of mind yesterday in the form of
a decision rendered by Roy van
Graflan, umpiring behind the
plate in the Griff-Tiger ball game
which the Tigers won, to 4. On
top of that another decision by
Umpire Red Ormsby, later in the
game, just about put the Griffs
under" as the saying goes.
Both decisions had a great deal
to do with the final outcome of
the game. The first came in the
fifth inning amid Tige1 rally,
which finally resulted in three
runs.
One was out, one run already
across the pan, two on base
when Gerald Walker, Tiger left
fielder, lifted fly ball to left,
which, from all appearances, hit
the left field screen in foul ter
ritory.
But Umpire Van Graflan was
of the opinion that the ball hit
fair and called the play such,
much to the chagrin of the Griffs
and the surprise of the Tiger
players.
Base Umpire Summers ap-
parently agreed with Van Graf
lan's decision.
Credited With TwO-Bagger
As to be expected the decision
was not reversed and Walker was
given credit for a tWo-base hit
and two runs were across the
plate, thereby tying the score, 3-3,
at that stage.
Later in the contest, the ninth
inning in fact, the Griffs had just
tied the score at "A when Kuhel
hit a slow grounder to Gehringer
at second with two on base.
Gehringer scooped up the ball
and threw, but too late apparent
to get Kuhel at first. On this
play Umpire Ormsby ruled Kuhel
"out."
Had Kuhel been called safe,
which most everybody agrees
should have been the case, the
Griffs might have continued their
rally and scored more runs.
The Griffs, naturally, are all
up in arms today over the two
decisions. They're even more in
censed when they realize Umpire
Van Graflan's "foul ball'' de-
cision on Walkers fly is the Sec
ond which has gone against them
in a little over a month. 1t will
be remembered the Griffs lost
3-to-2 game to the New York
Yankees on May 80 when Umpire
("Brick'O Owens called Gehrig's
homer over the rightfield wall
''fair" when it descended over
the wall at least five feet foul.
Although the Griffs realize they
can't gain anything by arguing
on the umpiring against them
so far this year, they're wonder
ing, however, just what they must
do to get away from being in
volved in "breaks" of this sort.
Surely they're trying their best
to keep in the good graces Of the
league and umpires.
"Things like that take all the
9aeart out of a ball club" the
Griffmen complained.
Earl Whitehill was on the
mound when Umpire Van Graflan
made his weird decision
Whitehill Withdrawn
Manager Cronin withdrew the
southpaw after the hit and sub
stituted Jack Russell to retire
the side. He did, but gave up a
run in the sixth when Stone and
White singled and Greenberg
rifted a grounder off Russel's
shins which Cronin got in time
to throw the numbering Tiger out
at first, Stone scoring.
Bob Burke followed Russell to
the mound after the latter had
been taken out for a pinchhitter
in the eighth, and Burke re-
tired in favor of McAfee before
the Tiger ninth was over,