Evening star., 1935-06-29
LEAGUE LEADERS
WERE SOFT PREY
BuCky's Crew Will Be Glad
to Leave New York and
TangIe With Sox.
BY FRANCIS F.. STAN,
San Correspondent of The Star.

n YEW YORK, June 29-It must
I'M assume the proportions of a
final straw, the penultimate
of something. the way the
Ruthless Yankees have been man
handling the Nationals this season.
Not that losing to the Yankees
ordinarily is signal to hide shame
fully in a corner because plenty
Of clubs this season and many in
the past have taken more licks
than they've given in Skirmishes with
the Rupert Rifles. But for the
last five or six years its ability to
whip the Yanks, no matter how
formidable, has been one of Wash
ington's prouder boasts.
1t is so different today that the
final straw thought is sponsored. OF
course. pitching of Three-Eye League
caliber has been the big general
factor in the Nationals lowly stand
ing In the American League pen
nsnt chase. But for one of the more
specific factors one need look no
farther than Yankee Stadium.
tiriffs Have Had Upper Hand.
MEETING the Yankee club has
been an extremely unpleasant
chore this season for the Griffs, who
tackle the Gothamites again today
and tomorrow and then happily hop
a rattler for Boston. Seven times
in this campaign the Griffs and
Tanks have battled and only once
has Bucky Harris band been a win
ner 1t is little wonder why seventh
as 1t never has before in this cam
paign.
Whipping the current league lead
ers has been an accomplishment that
Washington teams have prided them
selves on since 1880. In that year
the Capital club murdered Bob Shaw
keys Yanks. winning II games and
losing only 5. In 1888 the Nationals
snatched the pennant from the
RuppertS by winning IA times From
1880 through 1884 no matter how
strong the Yanks or how weak the
Nationals, it was fight pretty mucn
IN favor of the Washingtons.
The complete turn of the worm this
season has left the Griffs somewhat
breathless with surprise Possibly
they feel little demoralized for the
work of Bob Burke, Ed Linke and
Belve Bean in the opener of this cur
rent series Thursday indicated as
much.
Burke Blows Up.
RURKE seemed to have a fine game
in his system for two innings
end then blew up. And during the
hlow-up he did not bear down with
q single pitch. The ball which Ben
Chapman hit for home run to give
the Yanks 3-2 lead was described
by Bucky Harris as SLOW curve
which Burke knows doggone well
Chapman can hit cut Of any ball
park"
After what has happened in their
tussles with the Yanks, it is little
wonder that the Nationals are looking
forward to leaving the big town to-
morrow night and entraining for Bos-
ton. The Red Sox are one of the
three clubs against which the Griffs
have been successful this season. In
nine tits so far Washington has won
five.
The seventhplace Athletics were
trailing the Nationals by only one
game this morning. If the Harris
men can escape New York with sixth
place still i'm their possession they
might we'll gain ground on the fifth
place Bosox In a three-game series
starting Monday. But if not, then
the road promises 20 be pretty tough,
what with the hammering Athletics
down for a trio of tits immediately
following the skirmishes with Joe
Cronin's crew and Immediately pre-
cedlng an anxiously awaited return
to home.