The Waterbury Democrat., 1934-05-16


 averages oe tho Crosby High basc- ball team, which is leading the race In the Valley League. The figures show "Jiggs' Murphy leading with . mark of .4a6, and four other hitters in the neighbor. hood of 1850 or over. Five slug gers with marks of ,3b0 and up on ono ball .toam shows hitting strength oven in these days of tho rabbit ball, and without much doubt explains in groet measure why Crosby has been out front since the season began.
 Nice Work
 Tn q six team league, each team playing 10 games, Crosby has won fivo games in six starts, losing only its game to Wilby. Couch Man. herx team has whipped Torring. ton twice s.e and 3.2, Naugatuck iO-0, Gilbert 7.0, Ansonla 7-b, and lost to Wilby s-10. There are still four games to go, all to Do played in Waterbury with tho exception of the AnBonin gamo, which Will bo played In tho latter town.
 AZ tho present moment, Gilbcrt high of Winsted, with four yic' tories and but one defeat, seems to be tho toam'B most likely to throat. on Crosby. However, tho 0ilbort team has played practically all ite games 50 fur at homo, and hs V will now hnvo to travel, victories may como harder.
 \ Crosby is making no pormnnont claims Ut. this date. With the Aen. son only half over, many things may happen, and the team is woll aware of that fact. Tho boys nave been going after one game nt time, and will continue that policy Tho team is fortunate In the pos. Mnlinownkl. Ther0 ig perhaps no team than the cntcher's and Crob. by'B success this season has been duo in great measure to tho fine bach stopping of Malinowskl. Hc holds up hts pitchers well. has n fine arm, blocks that plate ike nobodys business, and iB the ronl pepper pot on tho team. 1io is hitting .3s0, and has tho faculty or hitting when thoy count In the Wlby game, Bcrnrdi deliberntely pnased "Jiggs" Murphy, theroDy filling tho bases, in order to get Mnlinowski, but tho Iattor doubled scoring two runnorH.
 Tn the box, Crosby has tho veter' m Tommio KnuknB, and Bob Ora- dy and Bill Duffy. both newcomers At tho beginning of tho season, Coach Manhors's policy. was to etnrt either Duffy or Grady anu lot them work until thoir oppo.. nonts began to find them, ana then to send in his fast ball pitoher' Knukns. ThB system. proved h'Eh. iy successful, as KaHkas saved tho o first Torrlngton game ana sne Nnugatuck gamc by ms rc',U, ,s,, work. SHe was also oreditcd w.a wi.., the victory in Winsted. sincc e, then, however, kaukns han p"." ar' iii, and Grady and puffy navo I has ricd on without him. Eaen maa boen credited with a nice portore ..a, ,ne \ amatrst AnaonIn, and Duffy going tha whole distance to beat Torrins- ion. Although Duffy is pitchins ria first year of baseball, no u n senior. and will not be nvailapie
 Kaukas also Is . senior, anu ar"dv ia n Junior. If Kaukas rc- turns to form before tho soasoh cnda. Coach Manhers will DO un. ,,sually well off in pitching strength.
 Toe Joyce, tho basketball cap. tain, Ia playing his first year a' fIrst bnsc, Tall, and rangy, Joyce hnn the build for . first bnsemhn Joveo has not all tho frills anu fancy fieidlng stunts of m exper' cnced first baseman, but no is ns. rressive. goes after everything anu has played steady game all se"' son, He is hitting .3bb. |.
 At second Johnnie Thompson " playing his third year at the posia' ton. A suro fielder on grouna balls, Thompson can be roliea ,. v. to take care of anything ny in ~. direction. Although hitting on.S .25O. he has drawn more pases v. ~, halls thnn any other memper V" v, the squad. He k constantly tryns to work tho pitcher TOT pds,s pa,s which sometimes works rs uus nsoy @ succeeds frequently enough to Jus'
 xt short stop Book has beer holding down the job. Book is nl n size to mako Rabbit" Maranvill' look like a giant. Playing his frs wear. Book is q fair fielder. bu with a tendency to take grount balls at his side instead of gettint in front of the ball. He has good arm, and is hitting .222. =
 AZ third base, Captain Jo' ghugrue is a fine ball player. H' knocks down everything and hi vhin Ia the best on the team. J0' can rifle the bali across tho dia mond something like Lena Black burnO used to years ago. shuBrm' is a ecrappy ball player, Tn tn' game aIl the time. Is hitting TO .345. and makes fine leader.
 Good Gardeners
 In the outfield. Crosby has stev ens Pronovost and Murphy. Al three are veterans of SO eraI years good fielders. and both Stevens ant Murphy can hit. Pronovosf na not been hitting much. and is hoId ing hts job because of his brilIlan fieiding. He is n real ball ha"l and can 90 get them.
 With Naugatuck coming to tow Saturday afternoon. q big crow should be on hand. Crosby wo the first contest 10-e, but Nauga tucsk that day was unfortunate J NUE NMEk AftAt tfAR t+@tNtA@t ----r%--~ f- handle tho offerings of Edmondi The catching situation ct NauEn tuck has been improved sine then, however. and Naugatuck ca Do counted on to provide q har battle Saturday. Thls' tea mhn beaten Torrlnston ls-e. WiIby b-4 Annonia 6-3, losing to Crosby an G-e affair to oiIbert. Naugatuc is by no means out of the rars nor for that matter Is Wiiby.
 Wliby with q standing of thre victories and two defeats in efl very much in tho running. Slate et the beginning Of ths eeason [ n,ow down nlI opposition. this tear seems Co have. been finding unez peoied expedition. Tn but en erme was real overwhelmin victory scored. that in which Tns rinef0m wna defeated tb~b. IH A IA