Evening star., 1933-07-12

II yin ! e w Ea v Clt, UCll-lllUtll-
M ing pitcher, again is ready
lv to toll full time. This may
help the Nationals to
streak through the second half OF
their campaign at pace even
faster than the one in the first
half that got them to the top OF
the American League.
In a four inning term yester-
day, his first appearance on the
hill in almost six weeks, Weaver
did an admirable piece of pitching
that indicated his right arm has
been thoroughly relieved of the
ailment that kept him idle so
long. The pitcher who was the
rookie sensation of the 80 season
now looks fit in every way to pro-
vide the extra slab strength that
might well mean a pennant for
the Washington club.
Last season, his first full one in big
time, Weaver turned in % victories
against 10 defeats At the halfway
point Of the campaign he had won III
games and lost 5, showing he was a
consistently good slabman over the full
stretch. With such record behind
him, the right -hander was expected 20
be a 20-win pitcher this year. Had he
performed up to his 1882 mark the
Nationals fndov would he heading the
pack with much better margin than
that of two games they now hold over
the runner-up Yankees.
Shortly after the current campaign
got under way, however. Weaver COM
planned of being in poor condition gen.
orally and it was not long before his
pitching began to suffer from the vari-
Gus ailments with which he was af-
f1icted Only at rare intervals did he
bob up with bright bit of Doxwork
comparable to his efforts of last year
Gives Up to Doctors.
TINALLY, after a winning effort
against the Red Sox on June 2
Weaver gave up. His stomach
was out of Whack, his shoulder muscles
were strained and his arm was so weak
he could not even lob base ball with
out feeling acute pain. He appeared
through for the year. And all he had
done for his club was pitch four wins
against three defeats.
Sessions with physicians, osteopaths
and chiropractors ensued but for weeks
Weaver's ailments stubbornly resisted
treatment. In Milwaukee, on June 20,
nearly three weeks after he had hurled
against the Red SoX, Monte tested his
arm when the Nationals played an ex-
hibition game with the Brewers Of the
American Association. 1t was no go
for him. He pitched but two innings
and took lively lacing in each.
Those in charge of the Nationals were
pretty well convinced that Weaver
would not regain his pitching skill for
many weeks, if at all. They feared the
pitcher who had been so much help to
is club the year before would have tc
be counted "out" so far as aiding the
Nationals in their '33 pennant drive was
concerned. But they could not make
Weaver believe it.
He doggedly fought his own battle
He tried all treatments for ailing pitch
ing arms he heard about, at different
times placed himself under the care
of stomach specialists recommended to
him in various parts of the country
And all the time he trained cautiously
but confidently, with the ball club under
the direction of its veteran trainer, Mike
Martin.
BY his persistence Weaver has won
his way back Digestive troubles are
gone, back and shoulder muscles again
are plant and the right arm that baf-
fled the batters of clubs opposing the
Nationals last year once more looks at
top form. Weaver says he is ready to
take his regular turn on the hill Man
ager Joe Cronin believes Monte is that
way. And the pitcher certainly has
every appearance Of being primed foT
the task of tossing his club toward
championship.