Evening star., 1933-05-23
KEEPING CLUB HIGH
BY TIMELY HITTING
Drives Across Decisive Run
in Fourth of Victories.
Star Behind Bat.
BY JOHN B. KELLER.


v v Winter that brought
Luke Sewell and some
cash to the Nationals from the
Indians in exchange for Roy
Spencer, he made the greatest
trade of a long base ball trading
career. That's how good the deal
looks now.
Not only has Sewell as catcher
adequately replaced the departed
Spencer behind the bat, but ne
also has supplied the Nationals
with punch at bat that has done
plenty to keep them right at the
heels of the Yankees, still re-
garded as the outfit to be beaten
Tor a pennant despite their recent
unSteadinesS.
OF to slow start at bat, Luke has
developed into a surprisingly strong
hitter. He has brought his clouting
average from down in The 200 class
to $40 in little more than two weeks,
supplying his club with punch IN
the lower part OF its batting oroer
where it had not had any in years.
incidentally. Spencer now is hitting
we'll down In the 200 class with
Cleveland. .,
He has been a rangy hitter, too. With
a total of 10 doubles, he leads his clup
at making such hits. He also has
banged a triple and two home runs.
Luke has been timely hitter. He
slams when slams are needed which,
after all, is the truest gauge OF
batter's worth.
luke has driven across for the
Nationals Is runs Only one other OF
the club, Joe Kuhel has done as well.
DEHIND the bat, Sewell has been
ID a truckhorse for toll. He has
started in every one of the Ma
tionals' "a games and has given great
account of himself. Luke has Deen
relieved several times, but ne mas
missed only 18 innings OF action Since
the start of the season.
In the "a games he has had 1bl
changes. Two errors have been charged
against him. Once he pegged Wildly
after picking up bant, yet he mas
been particularly clever at pounclng on
bunted balls and tagging runners
Once he threw wildly in an attempt
to pick a runner of second base. Luxe
has been remarkably good at getting
under foul lofts and able at MAKING
plays at the plate.
His fielding average to date reaos
.s38. That's highgrade catching
He ranks among the best OF the re-
ceiyers the Nationals have had during
the Griffith regime and there nave
been a number of good ones hoiolng
up the Washington pitchers the last
20 years.
TT has been Sewells recent hitting,
though. that has made him espe-
ciaIly valuable to his club. HIS
punch has been responsible for the
scoring of the decisive run IN nve OF
the Nationals victories, just one-1ourtn
of their total games on the right sloe
of the line. And he has contributed
materially to the scoring OF three otner
washington wins.
A triple, Luke's first hit OF the year,
clinched a game here IN the first Sc
ries with the Athletics. Shortly after
that he showed across the run that
beat the Yankees. When the AS were
here the last day of April, Sewell, with
a double, sent in two runs Tor a late
tie in a game the Nationals baggeo
in overtime.
When the Nationals were out West
he batted in the decisive score -o1
their first win of the trip in game
against the Tigers He went on bat
ting spree in st. Louis to get nine hits
in the first two games. These were
the only games the Nationals took from
the Browns and Sewells batting IN
them contributed greatly to his clubs
success
He singled to help get around the
twelfth thinning run that licked the In
dians here last Tuesday, and. with
single, he drove in the run that beat
the same club again the next day. And
yesterday it was his single in the sew
enth inning that scored Dave Harris
with the run needed for victory over
the Tigers.
Some are saying Sewell is a "streak"
hitter. Maybe he is. But the Nc
tionals could use more "streaS' nit
ters like him.
Sewell is a big reason why the Ma
tionals are in second place and only
game behind the leading Yankees.