Evening star., 1933-04-11
FAST NEW DEAL
CLUB TO MEET AS
Fine Spirit and Harmony in
Best-Looking Washington
Team in Years.
BY JOHN b. KELLER.

wv OCdl Id ICdOy W NC 1ilp-
Y ped from the base ball
shuttle. Weather per-
mitting, the 1888 hand will be re-
vealed tomorrow when a reorgan-
ICED lot of Nationals, rich in
promise, will be led by Joe Cronin,
the "boy manager" into the
thirty-t third struggle for the
American League championship.
It will be a well-primed Wash
ington outfit that faces Connie
Mack's Athletics at 3 o'clock in
the season opener in Griffith Sta
dium, one generally admitted to
be among the three strongest in
ME junior major circuit and in
Its own territory held likely to
light to the last ditch for league
9aureis.
Cronin, youngest of big league pilots
today and one Of the two youngest ever
70 guide clubs in the majors, will hurl
At the Philadelphia phalanx the finely
conditioned club that in its training
campaign played to an impressive
record.
He will have on the firing line Alvin
Crowder, veteran right-hand pitcher
who last season scored 26 victories,
more victories than were turned in by
any other pitcher In the two major
organizations. Behind the bat will be
Luke Sewell, catcher with a dozen
seasons Of big-league experience. all
gained with the Cleveland club, from
which the Nationals got him in trade
made the past Winter.
The Washington hosts probably will
be called upon to face the pitching of
the left-handed master, Robert Moses
Grove. Supporting Bob behind the
plate, Connie Mack will have Mickey
Cochrane, rated the best Of today's
major catchers.
WASHINGTON will present the same
w infield that it used the greater
part Of last season. At first base
will be Joe Kuhel, greatly improved
player. At second base will be Buddy
Myer, better than ever-and he was
viii be the old reliable OSsie Bluege.
AT shortstop viii be Cronin, now shoul-
derinR the extra burden Of the man
agership, but still carrying on splen-
didly as . player.
It win be q well revised outfield that
Washington win send into the pennant
pursuit. however. Heinie Manush still
will be holding forth in left, but Fred
schultz IN center and Goose Goslin in
right will supplant Sam West and Carl
REYNOLDS, who were In the gardens at
the outset Of the last campaign.
It d to this revised outfield and also
70 pitching staff bolstered by trades
made In the Winter market that those
In charge Of the Nationals and Capital
1andom. too. look for an increase IN
power and box cleverness that should
make the club much more OF factor
IN this years pennant race than 1t was
In the last
On record, the trio Of regular out
1lelders possess great batting strength.
In practice this Spring, Manush, Schultz
and Goslin have performed up to their
records and done so in q manner 1nO-
eating they may reasonably be expected
to carry their punch into the cham
pionship going.
THE pitching staff assembled by Presi-
i dent Clark Griffith for his new
deal" club looks the best he ever
has brought together. Shrewd trading
got the club Walter Stewart from the
St. Louis Browns and Earl Whitehill
from the Detroit Tigers, left-handers
Of the type it had sorely needed for
some time. Held over are Crowder and
Monte Weaver, the latter last years re-
cruit sensation, who has rounded into
4lne form again this Spring.
And another holdover Is Alphonse
Thomas, apparently in trim for far bet
ter work than he has done in seasons
after an operation on his pitching arm
This first-string lot has been backed
by q capable-looking flock OF reserves
Washington appears as finely fortified in
. pitching way as any club in the Amer
tcan League.
While the Nationals are an assem-
blage of high-class stars, many OF them
tndividualists in other seasons, they are
today a well welded club. The person.
able Cronin not only appears to possess
the base ball cleverness to make him
capable director of his club but he also
Is warmly admired by the players he
directs.
The Nationals will enter the campaign
IN harmony and with spirit finer than
they have displayed since the pennant-
winning days Of "a and '25.
A s to their pennant chances, it might
"A best be written that they make an
outfit better looking than any
Washington has put forth since the
early years Of the Bucky Harris regime
here when two flags were won.
OF course, the Yankees. who swept
through to the championship and then
bowled over the National League-leading
Cubs in four straight games in the world
series last year, are logical choices to re-
peat But the Nationals certainly loom
strong enough to give the New York
club great fight, strong enough to ship
through and win should the Yanks falter
ever so little.
BEAT the Yanks and win the pen
nant" still must be the Nationals wal
cry. Well, they're starting in fine fettle
and with great POSSIBILITIES. Luck to 'em
Won, Is; Lost, S; Tied, l