Evening star., 1933-08-22
MATS HAVE MOUND
EDGE OVER TIGERS
Bridges and Rowe AiIhg.
Griffith to Settle Gray Case,
Then Rejoin Team.
BY JOHN B. KELLER.

AAA<-A@A<Aks
~ ETROIT, August 22.-En-
joying a lay-off by virtue
- Of the schedule yesterday,
the Nationals considered
the day nothing more than a
holiday in their pursuit of the
pennant.
With an 8l2game lead over the
Yankees, who were held to an
extra-long tie with the White Sox,
which may have to be played
off next month in New York, the
Capital clubmen have no worries
as to the outcome of the chase
for the American League cham
pionShip.
Now that the Tigers have delayed .he
| playing Of the double header of the
series here until tomorrow, Joe Cronin
and his crew are able to present a
better front against the opposition in
the first two days Of the pastiming on
Navin Field They will have ready for
pitching duty against the Harris horde
none other than Al Crowder, premier
| pitcher of the circuit; Monte Weaver
and Walter Stewart.
Cronin figures that Stewart can
come back after two days since
his last start, because the left
handler hurled but five innings
against the Browns in St Louis
on Sunday.
With this sterling trio lined I'D for
1 SQrIjno hn Nati
| chance to make the going in the fight
| for the flag tougher than ever for their
most menacing rivals, the New Yorks.
Tigers Are Scrapping.
| NF course, the Nationals will not find
~ the battling particularly easy in
this city. The Tigers are driv-
ing for a first-division finish. 1t IS
understood that Bucky Harris reten-
| ton Of the managership Of the Tigers
| depends upon their landing of berth
In the select group this year. Which
means that the man who piloted the
Nationals to their league titles back
in "a and '25 will throw all his re-
sources into action against the Cronin
crew during the latter's stay here.
According to the gossip around this
| way, however, the Nationals will have
| 4AlI4C W OOIlICI 81 1dI DIS IT1elE
greatest Detroit nemesis, Tom Bridges,
| is concerned
This right-hdnd hurler uho
has been so particularly efectiue
against the Washington club for
tho years is suffering NTH an ab-
domiHdl affection that has checked
him sharply And Schoolboy
Roue, the lanky chucker &C
counted Devastating parsonage
heretofore, is cursed 1Dith sore
arm
His mound material so reduced.
Manager Harris may find it difficult
to send to the slab fingers with sufi-
cient fnesSe to harass the league
leaders. He will be able to pick such
| sterling performers rs Fred Marberry,
ever a corking good pitcher when he
wore the Washington uniform: Vic
Sorrell and Vic Frasier. But Bucky
| will have to depend upon Carl Fischer,
! erratic portsider who never scintillated
/ as a Washington slabman, and Elon
| Hogsett for considerable bulk of his
| pitching proves.
Anyway one regards the pitching
/ situation, the Nationals seem to have
| the better of it.
Gray Case Occupies Griff.
| CLARK GRIFFITH, president of
u the Washington club. seems to
think the pitching situation, so
far as his club goes, is settled for the
remainder of the season. He has gone
to Chicago to battle with officials Of
the st. Louis Browns before Kenesaw
! Mountain Lands, high commissioner
of base bull, over the Sam Gray case
Griffith only last Thursday
bought the right-hand pitcher
from the Browns, figuring Sam
would be handy boy to have
around as the Nationals drove
toward the championship.
| But a few minutes after the pur-
chase was supposedly completed, Griffith
learned Gray had sore arm and
Immediately telephoned the St. Louis
club the deal was off
Officials of the Browns could not see
1t that way, so today the parties are
threshing out the argument before
Lands.
As soon as the difficulty oper
the Gray case is adjusted the
Washington prery ,UiH rejoin his
/ club in Detroit. Griffith has no
idea OF abandoning his glorious
Nationals as they continue their
drive for the championship.
He feels he is a fine mascot for his
club which has carried on to an IL
game winning streak since he joined it.