Evening star., 1933-07-08
LEADERS UNAWED
BY HURL|NG STARS
Have Fine Faith in Ability to
Bowl Over Foe in Set of
Four Games.
BY JOHN B. KELLER.

"HREE games ahead OF the
runner-up Yankees, the
i league-leading Nationals as
they went into the week
end double-head with the In
dians fully expected their margin
as pace-makerS to be at least that
good after their three days of bat
ting with Walter Johnson's
aggregation.
When here in May the Indians
and Nationals were tied up in a
bitter struggle for second posi-
ton. Since, however, the Tribe
has become a loWly second-divi-
sion outfit and Joe Cronin and
his stalwarts anticipated no great
difficulty in disposing of the
broken band in the four game
series.
This did not indicate ovenconfidence
In the Nationals. Instead, 1t signified
a fine faith in their ability to bowl
over any opposition they encounter
these days The wearers of the Wash
ington uniform believe themselves to
be Of championship caliber and feel
certain they will play up to such
standard.
They are not daunted by any sixth
place club like the Indians and are
confident they will lose no ground In
the pennant pursuit while battling
with them. That's the spirit the Ma
tionals carried into the series, their
first at home since they scared to the
heights.
0UR dashing league leaders are like
~ ly to find a deal of fight in the
Indians. though. The Cleveland
club has not been hitting all season
and its fielding has been nothing to
boast about, but it lugs along lot OF
pitching wherever it goes. And the
base ball wise claim that nowadays
pitching is just about 70 per cent OF
the game.
Really good moundsmen are with this
Cleveland club, even though they have
not been very successful in their recent
efforts In Ferrell, Hildebrand, Harder
and Hudlin the Tribe has a quartet
that no batters yearn to face. The
Nationals took the measures OF Ferrell
and Hildebrand the last time they en-
countered them. Ferrell they beat
rather easily, for his arm was bother
ing him, but Hildebrand gave them
splendid fight before suffering defeat.
A slight break in his favor in that
game in Cleveland last month and he
would have been the victor. He was
SO good in that game the Nationals
decided Hildy is about the best right
hand hurler in the league.
There is no questioning the conf
dence of the Nationals in themselves.
On their recent record they should have
it. But so long as johnson can send his
string of star pitchers into action, it
will be no picnic for Cronin and his
charges.
COMETHING new in Cleveland line
- ups probably will be seen during
the series. Shortly after he took
over the management of the Indians
last month, johnson decided that some
who had been regarded major league
players were not quite that good and
he set about revising his organization.
He had not done SO well, though, by
the time the Nationals encountered his
men in Cleveland. Then the Indians
were defeated in four of five games
Since, they have dropped five of eight
games. But Walter is still trying.
With Harley Boss mixed up in a
lawsuit, Johnson has had on first base
Milton Galatzer. originally assigned to
right field after he was brought up
from Toledo. And he has been using
Bad News Hale instead of Bill Cissell
at second base recently. Johnson thinks
Hale coming star and plans to have
him in there regularly soon. But with
Galatzer at first, the Indians must use
in right field a still-crippled Dick
Porter. And Johnny Burnett, who was
the Tribes best hitter before he hurt
a leg, still suffers from the injury and
can't get into the infield regularly.
That means the uncertain Bill Knick-
erbocker must be at short much of
the time.
johnson has changed his lineup fire.
ouently of late and is likely to do more
changing here. That should not hurt
the Nationals at all.