Evening star., 1933-05-28

can LeagC race Wkl be a
y stake this afternoon in Grit
fifth Stadium as the Nation
ais encounter their traditiona
rivals, the Athletics.
Winning yesterday while thu
Nationals were kept idle by show.
ers, the AS narrowed to a single
game on a won-and-loSt basis tn,
gap between them and Grif
f1th's hirelings. But they have
played four less games, which cir.
cumstance materially affects win.
ming percentages.
Defeat for the Nationals today
would drop them to .564. Victory
would raise the AS to .571.
So jumbled is this junior major cir
cult competition that it Is possible to-
the Nationals to fall back as far al
fourth place by losing in their tusse
with the Mack minionS. That would
happen should they be defeated anc
the White SoX manage to overcome
the Yankees
This Sunday setto with the up-and-
coming AS means plenty to the Ma
aonals anyway it is considered
Tor this contest so important to his
l. Nationals Manager Joe Cronir
says he will send to the pitching
peak Walter Stewart, able left-hande1,
despite his record of 4 losses, against
2 wins. Stewart was to have faced
a Io,r o.
Cronln, the southpaw was keyed for
the effort. And Cronin believes that a
pitcher primed for service should get
his turn. So Stewart is being carried
over.
It will be the third shot at the
AS for the left-hander lifted from
the Browns in trade last Winter.
He faced them here in the opening
series of the season and faced them
again in the first American League
set Of the year in Philadelphia. Both
times he was pitted against Robert
Moses Grove, generally recognized as
the greatest southpaw slabman in base
ball, and both times he was licked
There is a great chance Stewart will
run into Grove again today, even
though the lanky 1eft-hander has had
much work lately. Connie Mack. willy
leader of the White Elephants has a
habit of shooting his prizc Southpaw
at the Nationals, and with second place
at stake in the clash it would not be
surprising TO see Sir Robert in action
Should Grove start, the Nationals
will have Joe Kuhel at the head of
their batting order, Dave Harris playing
center and batting fifth and Bob Boken
at third base swinging ahead of Buddy
Myer. With a right-hander opening
fire for the AS, though, Sam Rice will
play center field and lead off at bat,
while Kuhel will drop to the fifth
notch in the list and Myer will bat
ahead of Boken.
MOT so long ago beat the Yanks
IN and win the pennant" was the Ma
tionals' slogan. 1t Is changed now
to 'look out for the AS" The Yanks
are ever dangerous. They showed
this yesterday when they swamped the
White Sox with a great eighth-inning
rally after 1t seemed they were hope
lessly defeated. Bu5 these young Ath-
letics are coming through With q rush
these days, serving notice that they
are to be reckoned with to a great
extent in the pennant contention.
1t wasn't so long ago that Manager
Cronin said Connie Mack has another
great ball club any way you look at it
Joe thinks that more than ever right
now. And by their splendid showing
this month the Athletics have con-
WINGED all Nationals right down the
line that they are a powerful lot. that
their requirements are so strong that
Simmons, Haas and Dykes, sent away
last Fall to the White Sox are not
sorely missed
The AS are fielding well, they are
getting the hitting and they are get
ting the pitching, too. From an un-
steady outfit IN the first two weeks of
the season they have developed into
one of the most formidable in the
league Their play this month has
been the sensation of the circuit.
They had by far the most successful
Western tour of the East's Big Three
in which group they are with the Ma
tionals and the Yankees-and at home
against the Westerners they lost but
two games.
Keeling off seven wins in row, they
recently lifted themselves from the
depths to the fine contending position
they hold today.
T OSs of Jimmy Foxx, their siege gun,
L. would hurt the AS considerably if
prolonged, but it isn't likely he will
be out of action many days Reports
from Philadelphia indicate the leg he
twisted was not seriously injured. While
Jimmy is out. Mack probably will use
Bng Miller at first base, and Bing can
make plenty Of trouble for the oppo-
sition in a ball game.
So can the other AS. Mack will
send a fighting ball club against the
Nationals = one of players flushed
with victory and with confidence in
their ability to carry the battle to any
foe.