Evening star., 1933-05-24

Y1lf1lN dIlOGIlCI II Z
w weeks there will be
Y Y changes in the Nationals
pitching staff if Clark
Grifflth, president of the club, can
make them. He really has until
three weeks from tomorrow-un-
til midnight of June is to be ex-
act-to dicker for pitchers in the
major field and he has lines out
now. The big chief of the Wash
ington club admits this, although
he's mum when asked what
chuckers he's after.
His clubs hill staff as now con-
stituted isn't taking care of its
job, Griffith feels. The "big five"
of which much was expected isn't
producing as the boss thinks it
should produce with the season
nearly one-fourth gone.
When the Nationals were in train
ing down South in the Spring those
in charge of them were predicting great
things in pitching way from Crow
der, Weaver, Whitehill, Stewart and
Thomas as starters. And they looked
for good relieving when needed from
Russell, Burke ami McAfee. Excepting
McAfee, the master minds of the club
were all wrong it turns out.
The big five"-and it includes Crow
der, Weaver, Whitei.ill, Stewart and
Thomas-has started 33 games and
pitched only 13 complete ones. OF the
games started, it has won but IL and
lost 49, Which gives it an average as
successful starters of .480. That's 81
points under the winning percentage the
Nationals show today.
Looks as though the big five" has
had to have lot of help from the
sbrothers of the reserve corps.
OF the .''big five" Weaver has the best
~ record He has started six games,
won three of them and lost one
And he has pitched three complete
games, going the route in each of his
victories.
r whitehill and Crowder have hurled
to 500 averages as starters. Each has
started eight times. Whitehill has won
four and lost as many and has gone
all the way in five games. Crowder has
won three and lost three, but only
twice has he Travelled route
Stewart also has had eight starts,
but he has won in only two of them
and lost IN four. And he has finished
what he started but three times.
Thomas, whose doctored arm was
supposed to be In fine fettle when the
club came up from the Southern train
ing grounds. was not emplQyed as a.
starter until recently. He has gone to
"A 1rs1va IN of hn han Ntrnr pf q
game three times and has to show for
these efforts one defeat. He has no
complete game to his credit.
A showing somewhat disappointing
for q group of pitchers so highly
praised by the Nationals leaders before
the championship campaign got un-
der way.
DILL McAFEE has been about the
- busiest member of the Washing
ton curving corps. Although this
relief pitcher has participated in only
10 games, hardly a day has passed
since the opening of the season that
Bill hasn't hustled to the warm-up strip
to prepare for action He's the "rub-
ber arm" boy of the slabbing band.
As a reScuer he has accounted for
three of the Nationals victories, too,
which is better than two of the "big
five" starters have done.
-Four other games have been won by
relievers. both members of the "big
five" Crowder has been batter in the
relief role than as a starter, for his
rescue record reads three won and none
lost. Thomas stepped in to score
one win
Russell has had little more to do
than warm up for about a half hour
nearly every day in the campaign and
Burke has not been called on often
Should McAfee begin to falter, though,
Jack and Bob probably will have plen-
ty to do. For the odds are greatly
against any of the "big five" finishing
what he starts.