Evening star., 1935-05-14
BETTER THAN EVEN
BREAK IS ASSURED
Stand 9-6, With Two Left
With Tribe-Sees Faster
Pace on Home Lot.
BY JOHN B. KELLER,
Stan Correspondent Of The Star.

@LEvELAND. May l4.-If his
ball club gets home as good
as two games above an even
break, Bucky Harris will be
well satisfied.
That is how the Nationals stood
today as they were scheduled to tackle
the Indians for the first time this
season after twice being baked by
inclement weather and with two
games to go before winding up their
initial jaunt of the season around
foreign fields
We're really in better trim than
our even break in the West so far
seems to show" the Washington man
ager said today. When We get back
TO our own lot I am confident we'll
move along at even a better pace
than we have since leaving home last
month.
And don't forget that on this trip
We have won nine games while losing
six. No matter what happens here in
Cleveland we're bound to return to
Grifith Stadium with better than an
even break for the tour. regard
that a fine record for a travelling club
at this stage of the campaign, the
way most of the clubs have been play
Ing"
A Pleasing Performance.
~oMPARED to their road perform
ance last year, the manner in
which the Nationals have COM
4aI tha,,ep1unc l. oNoI
enough to please Washington fandom
their drive to the championship in
1893 the Nationals were highgrade
lot when away from home as well as
on their own grounds. Last season,
however, the best they could do away
from the Washington ball yard was
check up 80 victories against 46 de-
feats.
This time there is more power, more
aggresSiveness in the Nationals. The
improvement is great enough to lead
Harris to believe his club will make a
decided squirt in the race when it set
ties to the grind in Washington. Home
cooking and friendly surroundings
should make his ball club formid-
able contender in the championship
race. insists the dynamic leader.
I'm not kidding about that home
cooking either" said Bucky. There's
a certain something about the food
one gets in the refreshing presence of
his family that keeps a ball player
In better trim. I can't explain just
what there is about it, but I know
1t was always so in my case, and
from what the other boys say it goes
for them. too.
I'VE stop in the best of hotels on
the road. Excellent tables are pro-
vided. But there isn't the delightful
atmosphere of the homeside. Perhaps
much of this may be mental" the
manager admitted. Anyway, I find
ball clubs are usually at their best
when they are eating at home"
Also Helps Bank Roll.
NO DOUBT the officials in charge
IN Of the Washington clubs treas
ury also find it better for the
ball players to be eating on their
own at home instead of getting their
meals at the expense of the ball club
on the road. While the Nationals
generally are careful as to diet, they
number among them many good
trenchermen.
Their choice Of food with respect to
proteins. calories and vitamins is
carefully considered. Quality is up
permost. But many are not so squeam-
1sh as to quantity. Especially on days
when they idle A ball player never
has to work up an appetite.
The Nationals had no way to work
up an appetite yesterday, other than
by their imaginations. The Cleve-
land club management called of the
game before the slight precipitation
that merely moistened the ball yard
had fairly started. There was a
sprinkle at 1890. the game was called
at 12:45, and at l the sun was on
the job in earnest.
So when the Washington crowd gets
back here next month it will have two
double headers at least to put on dur
ing It's three-day stay, unless the
league bosses have mercy and juggle
the schedule to spread out the twin
billing. Otherwise it might be quite
OIl UOLIl CLUBS, lOT dllOJIlST
four weeks the pitching staffs of the
Nationals and the Indians are apt to
be we'll worn down by the play-off Of
postponed engagements.
Indians Slab staff Shaky.
THE hasty calling off of yesterdays
date by the Cleveland manage
ment might have been due to
the ragged condition of the Tribal
twirling corps. Walter Johnson has
not at his command the flock of fine
pitchers with which he started the
season. Injuries and illness have taken
their toll of the local hillmen. Per-
haps johnson figured it would be bet
ter to take the chance of having the
pitchers in better trim when the Ma
tionalS come around the next time.
The double postponement has not
changed Manager Harris pitching
plans for the series at all. Earl White
hill was to southpaw against the Tribe
this afternoon If a game was put on
the weather man still was forecasting
rain-while Walter Stewart, who took
the johnson jousters plenty last sea-
son. is scheduled to left-hand against
them tomorrow.