Evening star., 1933-03-24
HAVE .333 AVERAGE
FOR SIX CONTESTS
GosIin and Cronin, Proved
Hitters, Only Regulars
Not in Stride.
BY JOHN 3. KELLER.

washing UOll Will have d CluL
IL with a punch in the Amer.
lean League race if the bat
ting done in the six exhibition
games played up today means
anything. Toting into the cham
pionship struggle a Wallop any
thing like that revealed at Camp
Griff, the Nationals would crush
their opponents under an ava
1anche of base hits.
Facts and figures show<the Cronir
crew To have socked for a shining
average Of 1893 in the half-dozen trs.
sleS to date. That's solid socking. even
when the games don't count in a flag
chase.
A pleasing feature of this hitting is
the work the regulars from the top OF
the list down to. but not including
the batterymcn have done with their
war clubs to round out the impressive
record. Myer, Manush. Goslin, Cronin
Schultz, kuhel and Bluege collectively
can show an average Of .339. That
with Goslin. slugger of note when in
fue form, and Cronin. the boy boss
y get into slamming stride.
OF course. the Nationals thus far
Save done their batting mainly against
minor league pitching so therell be
q shrinkage in statistics when they en-
counter the wise pitching in the pen
nart pursuit But Clark Griffiths hire
lings with few exceptions have their
eyes on the leather and may reasonably
be expected to bang bingles right regu-
larly when banging bingles will have
plenty to do with the standing Of the
clubs.
nSSIE BLUEGE, who couldn't make
~ the .260 mark ss batter last
year. is leading the regulars as a
darruper at present with his record OF
AIT. Only as averages are figured
though The real top notcher of those
who will be everyday workers after
the bell rings on April II is Fred
Schultz. the big boy from Belvidere.
Ill. At bat 81 times in six games, the
ex-Brownie who is taking over the CEN
ter field job formerly held by Sammy
West has helped himself to 8 hits. All
good, solid smacks, too. Nothing f1uky
about them.
Schultz is stepping out as though
he means this to be healthy batting
cut at the ball and getting everything
he has into his swing. In fact. Fred
is the best looking batter among the
Nationals right now.
AS he has batted since coming up
to the American League from Mil
waukee Schultz appears in line fer a
fine season. He hit in the 300 class
in 1927-his first year in big time-and
has been in the select group Of slappers
every other year since He hit 294
for the Browns in the last campaign.
On past performances, this should be
for Fred year Of plenty.
Buddy Myer, Heinie Manush and Joe
Kuhel are other regulars who have hit
fer flashy figures down here. Buddy
and Heinie are carrying averages of
has been backward at bat and has a
rating of only $50 Not until the
game with the Atlanta Crackers this
week did the Nationals field marshal
swing in his accustomed form. Goslin
to date shows only .222 average, but
that's worrying nobody at camp. His
proves in attack IS a matter of record.
NIIRTUALLY all the batting that has
" come from members of the CATCH
ing department has been done
by Cliff Bolton, the sturdy little back
stopper at last ready for serious work
an the big show OF the eight hits that
thave ratified eff the bats of the Wash
3ington catchers in the six games, all
but one have been belted by Bolton.
He has slammed everything from a
single to a homer. and the Tarheel lad
who swings from the left side, has
slammed the southpaws as readily as
y, l,oc a nr-th
Ino particular style to Bottoms batting
He doesn't prance and paw about in
getting a stance Cliff simply spreads
himself alongside the plate. gets toe
hold, then lets fly at anything coming
up that looks good. It's system that
made Bolton mighty mauler in the
minors for several years. and those In
charge of the Nationals are confident it
will stand him in good stead in the
maj jor melee.
Luke Sewell has clouted safely only
once, and as he has been at bat eight
times, his average reads only .l25. He
needs much more practice. he admits
and isn't nettled by his lack of success
thus far Moe Berg has done little
swinging and has yet to get his hit
Chunky Ed Linke and stalwart Bud
Thomas, the prize rocks. have done all
the hitting for the pitchers. Linke is
leading the entire squad at camp with
an average of .750. He got most of it
with his pair of hits made in tilt with
the Crackers last week. Thomas has a
rating of 1888, but he has cracked only
one hit.
TOWER plus. That's what the Wash
T ington reserve force has uncorked
at bat Dave Harris. pinch-hitter
extraordinary, has damned the leather
for the handsome mark Of .429. But
that irresponsible timer, Sam Rice,
has done even better. Sam has been
shooting at the sphere so sharply he
has an average of .444.
There's nothing skimpy about the
averages hung up by two Of the Ma
tionals extra inflelders. Johnny Kerr
has been banging away at 1886 clip
and Bob Boken, the pickup from
Kansas City, has hit for .375.
Only Cecil Travis, slated to be op-
toned to a high class minor outfit
It is believed, has failed to make the
high grade reached by his fellow re-
serves. Tie rang recruit has batted
for Just 267. But it has required some
snappy fielding by the opposition to
hold him back
All along the line the Nationals ap-
pear to be developing an offensive force
that will prove telling in the more
serious base ball to come. They GER
tainly have flashed enough to date to
make those at the helm smile brightly
whenever mention Is made OF the clubs
batting prospects.
| RICKS BEAT LAKELAND.