The Washington times., 1935-05-20

Gays OUT WeSC, IVY #
and really look a ~ s&&s
ed good againstFrank Buck" o'Nenl
them.
The Browns may be called the
problem team Of the American
League. Their position in the
standing of the clubs is obvious.
They Just haven't been able to
shake themselves into anything
that looked like a fighting rage
or to resemble in any way what
ever real ball club.
What the fate of the Browns
will be this year is entirely con.
jectural. It is certain that just
as long as they plod along play.
ing $50 ball or thereabout, the
fans are not going to knock down
any turntiles. Witness the dole
full fact that in two games in the
Mound City on the last trip that
the Griffs drew 816 customers.
These figures were offered to the
writer as official, and are accepted
as accurate.
Some clubs following the Wash.
ington team to st. Louis were not
as literally patronized.
Good Clean Fun
Now running the Browns at a
deficit was always considered as
good clean fun by Philip De Cat
esby Ball. He blew more money
than you and I will ever see-un.
less you happen to have couple
of bucks. But the Bankers are of
different stuff; Sterner stuff. They
demand returns on their invest
ment.
The National League solved the
Boston problem, or so it is be-
lieved, and now the American
League has a real job on its hands
with st. Louis. The Browns have
not taken in enough money so far
to do much more than finance
their travelling expenses. Salaries
are beginning to be something of
a problem, if all this writer hears
be true.
They tell me, and I hope its
true, that Rogers HornSby has
buyer ready to take over the
Browns as soon as the present
owners toss in the towel-always
admitting that the present owners
intend to toss in the towel. 1t
would be a great thing for base
ball in st. Louis if the Browns
had an owner with plenty OF
scratch, and let Hornsby make the
deals he wants to make.
Hornsby will always rank IN
the estimation of the writer with
the great managers of the mod
ern era. He and Bucky Harris
are of equal caliber, with Harris
the smoother diplomat.
Milwaukee Mentioned
There has been chatter around
and about to the effect that the
Browns will be shifted to Mil
waukee. But you can't move a
ball club into new territory just
by writing out an order. Mil
waukee is a prosperous city in
the American Association. Its
territorial rights are guaranteed
in the major-ninor agreement.
But the move might be negotiated
if proper indemnities, damages
and what have you were paid.
The Browns stand as the head
ache of the American League,
and more serious thought is be-
ing given to their case in the
private councils of the league
than to any other club In the
country.
Problem or otherwise, it's good
to have the Brownies in our
midst for a while. They look like
soft touch for our boys. who
right now are in dire need OF a
soft touch. So far, in Is games
with the Western teams, the Grifts
blocked with their chinS eight
times and came off victorious five
times.
There were two men in base
ball whose minds would have
made interesting reading yester'
day. One was Walter Stewart,
who received credit for Cleve-
lands victory over the New York
Yankees, and the other was Clark
Griffith, who traded Stewart to
the Indians. The reading would
have taken place, quite naturally
while Belve Bean was labor1ng
through his stint of 4 1-3 iningS
against the Tigers.
Pitching Problem?
This writer wonders if the die
hards will concede that perhaps
something akin to a pitching
problem exists on the washington
ball club. Here we are with the
first month Of the championship
season completed, and the Grift
pitchers have just five complete
games to their credit.