Evening star., 1933-05-03

~LEVELAND, May 3.-Delay
in opening their first West
~ ern offensive of the year,
due to hourly showers yes
terday, irked the Nationals plenty,
but none more so than Buddy
Myer. The aggressive second
Sacker was just swinging into a
strong hitting stride when his par
ticipation in the battle of Griffith
Stadium brought about his en-
forced retirement and after seven
days of idleneSS he yearns to get
at the pitchers again.
His club will be happy to have him in
there again, too for shortly before his
layoff Myer had become prime factor
in attack and there is nothing the club
needs more right now than substantial
increase in punch.
Batting for only .227 in his first six
games, Buddy pulled out of his slump
in his next six to make himself one of
only two Nationals to be rated in the
300 class. To run his season batting
mark to 1902 and become the only regu-
lar other than Fred Schultz to crash
the select grade, Buddy in his last half
dozen engagements cracked the ball at
shining .38l rate.
In his first six games Myer confined
his extra-base hitting to two doubles.
In his last six games he. got, among his
eight Safeties, two 2-baggers, two 3-bag-
gers and home run. Plenty of i'm
provement there.
And Buddy in his dozen games drove
over nine runs. That is more than any
other Washington regular has done, and
all except Myer have been in 16 games.
Should Myer take up where he left
off, what help he'll be to the Nationals
out this way!
A THOUGH Walter Stewart would
"A get pitching turn here tomorrow
in the regular planning of Man.
ager Joe Cronin'S staff slate, there may
be revision that will send Al Crowder
to the box. Last season Crowder was
quite effective against the Indians. get
ting four wins over them against one
loss. Stewart, then slabbing for the
Browns, did just the reverse in his eff
forts against the Tribe. He took four
beatings for the one win he registered.
However, the Indians as they now
line up have four left-hand batters SO
Stewart may get his shot at them.
from the port side and SO do Boss and
Burnett of the infield.
The present Cleveland infield make
up is only temporary, however There
was a chance that Cissell and Morgan,
both strong right-hand hitters when
in true form, would be back in the game
today. Should they return one left
hand hitter would be eliminated, for
Boss would give way to Morgan at first
base.
The left-hand hitting Burnett would
move over to ShortStop to supplant
Knickerbocker and Cissell would resume
his regular post at second. CisSell has
been out several days nursing a sore
leg, but the limb now is supposed to be
healed or nearly SO.
WHILE the Nationals with an aver
w age of $50 are doing no hitting
as club, to boast Of the Indians
have no right to speak above a whisper
about their work at bat to date. They
have clouting mark of only PIT to
show for their II games.
OF the players the Cleveland club has
been using mainly, only two have hit
into She 300 class. They are Porter,
with a 1928 record, and Burnett, with
1903. The mighty Averill shows mark
of only 100 and Vosmik has hit for a
meager .l4o. Morgan was Ordered 10
take a rest from first base because he
was hitting but 1874. However, Boss
has cracked the ball for only .129 since
he was put in the lineup Cissell hit
for .2l3 before his game leg ousted him.
and Knickerbocker, the rookie shortstop,
has batted Just 1928 Kamm at third
has smacked for .266.
Spencer has been weaker at bat than
he was with the Nationals last year
He has hitting record of .179.
And last season the Indians batted
the ball for .285!
IA LTHOUGH rain kept the Nationals
n out of game yesterday, they
went through a forenoon workout in
Cleveland Stadium. Manager Cronin
mustered his forces on the field at
1890, shortly after he was notified
there would be no contest. And all
the pitchers were sent through a brisk
drill while the infielders and outfield-
ers got the kinks out of their under
pinning by jogging around the running
track bordering the playing field
Just for an extra bit of muscle loos-
ening, Berg and Kerr engaged in a
walking relay with Schacht. The
coach, who had claimed to be a Dan
OLeary, finished last in the heel-and-
toe scramble, easily won by Berg.