Evening star., 1934-09-04
WRIST FRACTURED,
JOE 0UTF0R YEAR.
Schacht to Pilot Club in st.
Louis Set-BoSox Trim,
Tie Weak Champs.
BY FRANCES E. STAN,
staff Correspondent of The Star,

September 4.-Leaderless, but
! game to the core, the worlds
unhealthiest base ball club
the staggering Nationals-begin an in
vasion of the West tomorrow with odds
against 'em, but with their chins still
stuck out and eyes on fifth place.
Their inspiring shortstop and man.
ager, Joe Cronin, was left at home
with a fractured wrist, the crowning
blow to a campaign chock full of in
juries and ailments, but for the first
time in many weeks the Nationals are
in position to fill adequately an in
field hole.
With Ossie Bluege assuming Cronin's
post at shortStop, Cecil Travis return
ing to third base and Buddy Myer to
second, they hope to wrest leadership
of the second division from the Browns,
whom they battle in a four-game
series beginning tomorrow, and pre-
sent the scalps of the Hornsby crew,
who are doing little staggering them
selves, to their injured pilot when he
joins them in Chicago.
Whatever else may be said Of the
Nationals this season, they are not
lacking for courage.
Schacht Temporary Pilot.
@RONIN'S loss is a bitter, but not
fatal, blow to the club. About
all they haven't lost this season
Is their franchise in the American
League, but they've been in there
fighting, as the Yanks will attest.
And while their young pilot wears a
plaster cast on his right wrist and
hand for the remainder of the season,
they mean to carry on with Al -Schacht
temporarily at the helm.
The man who wrote Never Had
Chance" must have been inspired by
the Nationals this year. Cronin is the
third National to go on the inactive
list for the remainder Of the season
and other injuries have ranged from
"beanings," spikings, sprains, pleurisy,
facial paralysis and charley horses to
the sore toe Mike Martin suffered
when trunk was dropped on his foot.
No Ailments Missed.
TT UKE SEWELL, Joe Kuhel, Red
Kress and now Cronin have suf-
fered broken bones of the finger,
angle, thumb and wrist, respectively,
Sewell and Travis were "beaned"; Jack
Stone sprained an ankle; Russell, Myer
(three times). Bluege and Stone were
spiked; Manush, Kerr, Dave Harris
and Travis suffered charley horses;
Fred Schultz ran into a fence and
knocked himself goofy for several days;
AL Thomas was hit under the heart
and placed on the sick list for spell:
Moe Berg's shoulder was badly bruised
by a collision at the plate; Cronin
was knocked silly for one afternoon
when a grounder landed on his jaw;
Bob Burke and Ed Linke are nursing,
respectively, lame arm and dead
one right now, and Stewart pulled
up with such ailments as pleurisy and
facial paralysis.
We probably have missed few in
juries and ailments, but that's rough
idea Of what the Washington club has
been fighting this season. Now, they're
still scrapping and when q ball club
refuses to quit even with such an i'm
portant cog as Cronin out, they might
yet do something.
Mats Lose, Then Tie.
THE shock Of Cronin's injury when
he collided with Yves Ferrell at
first base yesterday in Grifith
Stadium didn't stop them battling
tooth and nail for the second game of
the twin-bill with Boston, which ended