The Washington times., 1935-05-01

N Leon Petit
screw ball a {
crank DUCK " Ne" If the r eS u e
squad who starred in two relief
performances, will start his first
time for the Griffs.
Harris decided that, since he
had no one to open today's game
who could hope to be around
more than four innings, barring
q batting slump by the Yankees
he would give Petit his chance
Fred Schultz, recovered from
his charley horse, will be in cen
terrified in place Of jake Powell.
Powell'S delightful eccentricities
ran the gamut. jake has muffed
flies, thrown to the wrong base,
and cost the team run, if not
the game on Monday. He hit
q home run yesterday. When
you're not wanting to kill him,
you're cheering him. But his bal
ance is in the red and Harris has
seen enough of him.
The experiment with Petit is
one of the moves forced upon
Harris in the emergency that con-
fronts him. The team has Burke,
Hadley and Whitehill to start
games. The last named was sour
yesterday. But the rest Of the
staff is-you have some imagina-
ton. Start using it.
Petit has pitched nine innings
thus far in four games. He is
credited with one victory and no
defeats.
Petit made a glorious start
against the Athletics on April 10
when he famed Cramer, Foxx
and Johnson. He pitched 20 balls,
16 of them being strikes. He has
struck out nine men in his nine
innings thus far.
: Justifies Selection
Such a performance justifies
his selection to start a game.
Petit is not a strong arm pitcher.
His fast ball inspires no pane
gyrics. But he can drop that
freakish screw ball over the cor
ners like nobody's business. The
greatest for Petit will come in
the last three innings of the
game. # he can carry his stuff
and deceive hitters like Bill
Dickey, Lazzeri, and one or two
others among those Yankees,
everything will be all right.
Whatever else may be said
about the Griffmen, no charge is
to be leveled against their YER
Satility in losing. In the first
game they had delightful pitch
ing, but couldn't knock off a
paper hat with their bats. They
had enough hits and runs yes
terday, but Whitehill was not in
form, the defense cracked wide
open in the pinch, and that was
that.
There's nothing you can say or
write or even think to serve as
an abb. The Girls went into
the last half Of eighth inning
three runs to the good. That
should have ben all the lead
they NEEDED. It is all the lead
any club or any pitcher can ask.
But do they hold that lead? They
do not.
Mr.. Tony Lazzeri, the wallop-
ing wop, teed off on one of Rus
sells best fast ones and pulled 1t
into left field for home run. IT
just happened that Bill Dickey
was on base at the time, which
brought the Yankees to within
one run of our heroes. And boys,
how quickly that one run was got
ten in the ninth. The Yanks
blasted through, and their task
was lightened by Stones muff and
Bottoms wild throw.
Biggest Inning
The Griffs put on their biggest
inning Of the year, but it wasn't
big enough. Powell hit his first
home run of the year, and that
isn't enough to keep him in the
bah game. The boys made IL
hits, but they also made four err
rors. Give the Yankees the open
ings afforded by four four errors
and they'll give you hell.
Bucky Harris confirmed the
statements made here previously
that the Griffs are prepared to
hold up waivers on every prom
ising young outfielder who hits
right handed. He simply must get
one, He is convinced that neither
Sington nor Powell are ready this
year, but he can't make a move
until he gets something better.
He has to get pitcher, and you
can look for the rubber band to
come off that Griffith bank roll
some day right soon. There is pos
itively no excuse for not buying
some pitcher; maybe two pitchers.
There is plenty Of dough in the
cash box now, and If playing
strength is not bought, then the
fans will be justified in voicing
their disapproval in any way they
SAN ar