Evening star., 1935-04-04
POINTS TO CLUBS
LATENT WA[[OP
Stone and Powell Are Only
Potential Regulars to
Biff Up to Form.
BY JOHN b. KELLER,
Stan Correspondent of The Star.

Y OUISVILLE, KY, April 4.-His
Nationals have not startled the
base ball world with their bat
ting. but Bucky Harris has an
idea they will come through with
their punch by the time the cham
pionship campaign gets under way.
The manager looks to the training
games to be played against the
big leaguers in Chicago and Wash
ington to tune his charges offense.
Lack of practice due to inclement
weather has held back the Washing
ton ball club no little, so far as
hitting goes After all, batter gets
his best practice when he is up at
the plate swinging. He does not
get his eye in trim or perfect his
timing lolling about a hotel lobby
watching the rain beat against the
windows. That is what the Nationals
have been doing most of the time
since they broke camp at Biloxi.
But Harris sees too much latent
power in the bats of the Washing
ton band to worry about what the
club is not doing at present in attack.
With such tried and true hitters as
Manush, Stone, Myer and Travis in
the regular order and the rookie,
Powell, due to start in center field,
promising to provide the same vigor-
Gus punch this year he did for Albany
in the International League last, the
manager is somewhat confident there
will be all the hitting needed to
make the Washington offensive some
thing to be feared by rival outfits.
Stone, Powell Pack Wall0p.
OF THIS particular group of hit
J ters, only the sturdy Stone, this
year placed in the cleanup
positicu in the batting order, and the
rookie Powell have walloped in ex-
pected stride thus far. Stone has
larruped the leather at 1856 clip in
10 engagements to set the pace for
a club that has swung for an average
Of .241 in IL contests.
Stone with his hard hitting has
SO14U CL6llb uAlo OfCI, Wv AL lC~
spect he is tied by Powell. The Wash
ington boy, who has been wandering
around the minors five years before
looking as if he had the makings of
q major Lacquer, has been one of thet
few power hitters Of the flock in the
exhibitions in building up a batting
mark of 1893.
Only one other of the stated regu-
lars Of the lineup is hitting in the
800 class and oddly he is one normal
ly down in the .2S0. Lyn Larry, the
Shortstop taken over from Red Sox,
has played in nine games to bat
for .316. Lyn probably won't hit at
anything like that when the season
gets under way, but his Spring work
indicates he very likely will be around
his normal speed and that will be
enough to carry along such a brilliant
fielder as he Is known to be.
The infield trio, expected to clout
better than 800 in the pennant pur-
suit, has yet to flash its real worth.
Myer is hitting highest of the lot but
this sterling second-Sacker shows only
an average of .233 for his 10 games.
Kuhel, in as many contests, has
banged the ball for just .212, but
Kuhel was handicapped for a time
when the ankle he broke last year
stiffened and prevented his taking a
sound stance at the plate. Joe no
longer is troubled that way and in
his last few games he looked much
better at the hitting block Travis
has been unable to time well since
the early going and is batting .206. |
However. the young third baseman is
likely to come around to true form !
any day.