Evening star., 1933-03-22
LAUDS ALL-AR0UND
CLASS OF HIS CLUB
Does Not Claim Flag, but AS
sertS Team That Beats
Griffmen Will Win It.
BY JOHN b. KELLER.

~ WIN tIle american League
IL championship chase only
three weeks away, Joe Gro
min isn't predicting any pennant
Tor his Nationals, but he's telling
the world that "the club beating
us will cop the flag"
AS the boy field boss figures it. the
washington club will have the pitching,
the power and the defense to make it
formidable force all the way and
should have no alibi to offer if it fails
to make gallant fight.
Talking pennant doesn't pay" said
Cronin this morning. Its playing
pennant base ball that tells. I'm not
saying were pennant club, but we're
capable of playing a game that will be
tough to beat. Any club that beats us
over the l54-game stretch should be
right at the top at the finish.
We looked great on paper after those
Winter trades were made to build up
hard-hitting outfield, give us a high
class veteran pitching staff and bolster
our catching department. AS we have
trained here, we promise to carry that
paper greatness on to the playing field
in the championship campaign.
I'm satisfied the Washington club
will be powerful and aggressive and capa-
BILE Of playing smart base ball Well 20
when that bell rings and We'll be going
strong after many of the others are out
Of the running"
WHILE Cronin has plenty Of respect
w for all opposition the Nationals
Will encounter in the American
League going this year. he naturally
looks to the Yankees. the Indians and
the Athletics to give his club the most
trouble. Comparatively. he rates these
outfits in the order mentioned. But
the boy field boss gives his club none
the worst of it in comparison with this
trio that, with the Nationals. made up
the first division of the circuit finish
last season.
I'll say not one of those clubs can
offer the class Of pitching all the way
that the Nationals will be able to
show" contended Cronin. THE Yanks,
Allen and Ruffing The Indians have
Ferrell, Brown and Hudlin. The AS
can put out Grove and Earnshaw. Well
show EN- Crowoer. Whitehill. Stewart
and Weaver And Al Thomas, too,
probably will surprise 'em.
Those three Yank pitchers rang up
So wins last year Great The three
Clevelanders totaled so. Pretty good.
Grove and Earnshaw turned in "A
wins for the AS. Fine going. But re-
call what Crowder and Weaver did. Be-
tween them they won 48 games. With
clubs not so good, Whitehill and Stew
art totaled 81 wins. And Thomas,
after coming to Washington from the
White SoX, scored wins in not so
many more starts. 1t certainly looks
to me the pitching edge is with us.
:. A s to punch in the outfeld figure
IA We measure up pretty we'll with
these three rivals. We're going
in with Manush and Goslin, who've hit
well above 800 for their big league
careers, and Schultz. who has hit right
close to 300. Goslin and Schultz are
one of the most dangerous in the
league with runners on. OF the YAM
kee lot Ruth, of course. always Is dan
gerous. But it isn't settled yet, wheth- !
er he'll be with them this time. Combs |
doesn't rate with Manush or Goslin, |
and Chapman with none of the Wash |
ington trio.
THE AS are going in with a new
outfield, Cramer. Coleman and Finney, !
OLA SOu1lSolCiS. oOLil VI dLlCl dIIO SOlC-
man have hit hard, but spasmodically. |
Finney is untried. I think we have
the edge on the AS so far as outfield
punch is concerned In Averill. Vosmik
and Porter the Indians have three right
consistent clouters. Yet Averills .314
was the best average among the three
last year. I've nothing to worry about
regarding the punch in our outfleld.
When it comes to defensive play, we
should set the pace for the league Our
outfield is fast and shifty, our infield
rate the best in the circuit, and our
pitchers and catchers are crack. That's
a great point about our pitchers. They're
all ball players. for they can field re-
markably WE'LL several are dangerous at
bat. and they know the tricks Of the
game.
Remember, We were outfielded only
by point by the AS last year when
they set record. And we beat the old
defensive record, too. Well the AS
won't have the same combination this |
time while we'll be in there with the
same infield and just as good an out
field defensively.
Mark my words" admonished Gro
min. We'll be tough to beat in every
way"