Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1933-04-27
HOLDS WH|TEH|[[
GU|LTLESS IN ROW
Brands Walker and Gomez
Deserving of Punishment
for Actions in Riot.
BY JOHN b. KELLER.


X that merry melee between
IL Nationals and Yankees in
Griffith Stadium Tuesday
likely will be heard today in an
nouncement by President William
Harridge of the American League
OF the full extent of punishment
to be melted out to the partici-
pants, who already have been in
definitely suspended.
Washington Club officials here are of
the opinion that the circuit executive
promptly will determine the duration
OF suspensions and the amount of
INES In order to impress upon the out
hts involved in the Capital conflict that
they must confine their physical efforts
strictly to base ball in their two-game
series opening tomorrow in New York
The Nationals have been told that
special precautions will be taken by the
business management of the New York
Club to prevent another flare-up during
the week end set in the Bronx ball yard
and they anticipate nothing more dis
turbing than the raucous razzing and
bolsterous booing from the flght-loving
4dllS VIII Will lllTOIlR The STANDS ever
hopeful of a battle royal.
While his players are through bat
tling-for the time being, anyway
Clark Griffith, president of the Wash
tngton Club, is up in arms. Incensed
by highly colored accounts of the
washington warfare reputedly given by
Yankee players and straying far from
fact, the Nationals prexy is preparing
to make vigorous defense of his men
If called upon the carpet by Harridge.
Griffith expected to hear today from
Harridge, who only this morning
reached Philadelphia for a conference
umpires OF the brawl-interrupted game.
The Washington chieftain not only was
ready to tell Harridge all about the
incident over the telephone, but also to
take Buddy Myer and Earl Whitehill.
combatant Nationals, to Philadelphia
that they might directly give the league
leader their versions of the battle.
GRIFFITH can't understand why
" Fred Walker, Yankee outfielder, who
crashed the melee around the
Washington dugout and was banished
from the field by Umpire Moriarty, did
not draw a suspension, while WhItehlll,
who, after defending himself against
the flying fists of Ben Chapman Of the
Yankees and who was not ousted by
the game officials, is temporarily re-
tired. And it inks him that Vernon
Gomez, Yankee pitcher. who grabbed
up bat and sailed into the frccas,
drew no punishment
Il don't think Whitehill deserves any
punishment. He was standing at the
head of the steps leading from the
Washington dugout and had his hands
in his pockets when Chapman, on his
way out, jumped on him." said Grifhth.
'Whitehill did simply what any man
would do-defend himself as best he
could. Moriarty saw all Of that and he
didn't see fit to rule out Whitehill.
las to Walker, he was where he had
no business to be. He deliberately
stepped into trouble, swinging away at
every one near him. Moriarty saw that,
too, and he wasted no time chasing
Walker as soon as the player was
yanked out of the crowd. Walker
courted trouble, and got it."
ct THINK Chapman really is to be
i censured for all that trouble
around the Washington dugout,'
declared Griffith. Had he left the
field quietly when ordered of after his
fight with Myer at second base-left
lust as Myer did-that mess in front
of the stands wouldn't have happened.
Chapman started all the real trouble
when he piled on Whitehill."
Those fans who swarmed on the
field weren't out there to fight. They
had seen Chapman make that leap and
they swarmed out to get better view
of the fight. 1t was just curiosity with
them at first. but it was something
else when Walker piled in with his
arms swinging and Gomez came up
with that bat The fans naturally
fought back when those two Yanks
rushed them.
Gomez certainly should be punished
for running out there swinging that
bat. That was waving a red flag in
bulls face. But it seems he is being
overlooked"
BELIEVING all this, Griffith is ready
ID to fly to the defense Of his sus-
pended players. He was when first
notified that Whitehill as well as Myer
drew punishment. He was more so
after reading that Col. Jake Rupert.
owner of the Yankees. had said "Myer
should be kicked out of base ball" for
his part in the original scrap. The
suspended players, though, had little to
say They were beginning to realize
that fighting on the field was branded
a most serious offense by President
temptation Of a long layout with
stable pay cut brought no smiles.
However justified they might have
been in retaliation may not carry much
weight in consideration of their cases
by the man who has come out so
strongly against brawling in base ball.