Evening star., 1933-06-10
SHINES AS PILOT;
STARS AS PLAYER
Scoring Punch of Team and
Work AfieId BriIIiant-Red
Sox Beaten, 7-2.
BY JOHN B. KELLER.

IL the-neck pessimists who in
sisted his managerial duties
would ruin him as a ball player
eat their words.
The young leader of the Ma
tionalS not only is handling his
club well, but also is playing a
brilliant game at shortstop and is
one of the greatest offensive forces
of the major leagues.
Spearhead of the Washington attack
the past three seasons, Cronin, despite
the burden imposed by the managerial
post once more is giving the Nationals
their most powerful scoring punch.
Slow to get under way, Cronin has
come along with a rush as an offensive
power the past two weeks. Over this
stretch he has picked up in his batting
remarkably and with his improved
clouting has been responsible for the
checking in of 10 Washington runs.
THOSE are as many as he had batted
- across 1TOIH Jiit SIdlb Ol tAiS SdAt-
paign to the beginning of his streak.
with the season about one-third gone,
Cronfn has sent across the plate 80
counters and the best major marks for
the current campaign are little above
40. It has taken such great long hit
tiers as Jimmy Foxx of the Athletics,
Lou Gehrig of the Yankees and Chuch
KLEIN of the Phillies to set those.
The past three seasons Joe has been
In the 100 class in the business OF
showing over scores. Last year he drove
in 116 runs and tied with Helnie Ma
nush for sixth place among the Amerl-
can Leagues best in this respect. Only
three in the National League drove over
more runs. Klein and Mel OFT and Bill
Terry of the Giants old so ana Terry
batted in but 1T.
The fiery pilot of the Nationals is in
rreat batting stride now and he is at
his best these days when hitting means
scoring. Far from being hampered by
his work as manager, Cronin is likely
to excel his scoring punch RECORDS OF
other years in this campaign.
AS the Nationals scored their 7-to-2
victory over the Red Sox yesterday
Cronin who first sent runner to the
counting block in each of the first two
or three scoring bees staged by his club.
And he came through with the hit each
time after two were out.
He came up in the opening inning
with Manush on first base through
pass and smote a two-bagger TO tally
Heinie. Then Fred Schultz doubled to
score the manager, and Joe Kuhel
singled to get Fred home.
Joe came up again in the fifth in
ming after Manush had doubled to
smack single that meant run. Then
Cronin stole second to be in position
to score when Schultz hit for base.
Between these efforts Cronin had hit
a single so he got 600 batting aver
age for the game.
THESE runs were made at the ex-
l. pense of George Pipgras, the
pitcher who only last Sunday
hurled such sterling IL innings
against the Nationals in Washington.
in all, the Nationals got seven safeties
and one walk off George.
They got but three off the left
handed Bob Weiland the remainder of
the way and one of those was a f1uke,
but it told in the making of two tallies
in the eighth inning again two were
out when the way to scoring was blazed
by a pass to Ossie Bluege. Luke Sewell
lofted to right and looked an easy out,
but Roy Johnson muffed catch and
Bluege scored while the fly-hitter
reached second on the error.
Earl Whitehill, followed with pop
TO the pitchers box and it landed for
a single while several Boston boys were
trying to decide who should make the
catch. That got Sewel across.
TITHITEHILL southpawed the entire
wv session for the Nationals and
made good job Of it. He limited
the Red SoX to seven hits and base
on balls, but not until the ninth, when
they punched three of their blows and
were aided by the pitchers wild throw
did they avert a shut-out.
Then Dale Alexander singled and
after the first retirement Barney Friberg
hit for a base Whitehill took Oliver
liner and trie3 to double Alex off second,
but the chuck went to center and the
big Red Sox numbered to the plate,
while Friberg moved up a notch to
score when Bill Werber singled Johnny
Hodapp ended everything by drilling
into a force-play.