Evening star., 1935-08-19
BOXMEN TOOFEW
FOR HEAVY SLATE
Harris Has Only Four Good
Ones for II Tits in 10
Days Out West.

W. NV w
Days Out West.
BY FRANCIS E. STAN,
STAFF Correspondent of The Star.
~ LEVELAND, August 19-Four
blg-league pitchers and IL
games to play in the next
~ 10 days!
That in a nut shell, was Manager
Bucky Harris dreary realization to-
day as his Nationals were to resume
battling in a six-game series with
the Indians before proceeding farther
on their western tour
Numerically. the Griffs' slab corps
includes seven pitchers, but definitely
1t has dawned upon the desperate
and disillusioned Mr.. Harris that
when Jack Russell, Leon Petit or
Phil Hensiek walks to the slab it's
q signal for soft music. professor
Pettit's ultimate fate was sealed
some time ago. when it became ap-
parent that he, while owning a pretty
fair curve, lacked a fast ball to cope
with major league hitters in stride.
Until yesterday hope always was
held for Russell. but whether there is
any such optimism today is doubtful.
Hensiek, who wasn't even winner at
Albany. is beginning to discover that
the American League is not a bit
softer than the International. In
fact. he may be back on Joe Cam
brias pay roll in very short time.
Little Chance to Climb.
T INLESS the four starters-Buck
Newsom. Earl Whitehill, Bump
Hadley and Ed Linke-can maintain
an almost brilliant pace it isn't likely
now that the Griffs will finish any,
where but in seventh place, for the
second straight year Cliff Bottoms
injury was a terrific blow, but even
with the $3.50 Sam Holbrook CATCH
ing they might have been able to
catch the Athletics and perhaps, over
haul the Indians. But now it appears
q lost hope.
For the remaining two games of
this Cleveland series and the four
game set in Chicago Harris will be
able to use Hadley, Newsom, White
hill and Linke in order, but on the
Nationals next stop, st. Louis, there
are six more games to be played in
four days. This means that Bucky
will have to use Russell, Petit or
Hensiek as starters, and when he does,
barring little short of miracle, you
can kiss those games good-by. Even
the Browns, lowly and trampled. still
number some big-leaguers in the line
up.
Records Against Hurlers.
CERTAINLY there can be no ac-
cusation Of undue pessimism on
this score-not when backed by the
form sheet Never able to hit any,
thing resembling his 1888 stride-or
even his form of last year-RusseIl
has grown steadily less effective. In
his last 1929 innings of work, for in
stance. he has given up 81 hits and
18 runs. This kind of pitching can
not help ball club.
Petit. unlike Russell. was off to a.
great start. He was a left-handed
Frank Merriwell at the start of the
season. but not since June has he
resembled big-league hurler. Lately
his work has paralleled that of Rus
sell, In Pettit's last 1928 innings he
has given up 16 hits and 9 runs.
Hensiek has been tried only twice
by the Nationals, first as a relief
pitcher against the Tigers and again
yesterday as starter against the In
dians. So far he has failed to raise
any hopes His work has totaled five
and two-third innings and over this
stretch 13 hits have bounced off the
opposition's bats and nine runs have
been scored.
No Relief in Sight.
A FTER what happened yesterday.
when the Griffs split a second
successive double-header with the In
dlans, 1t is believed that Harris no
longer feels he can hold out any hope
for ball game while even using any
OF this trio for relief work. 1t is sig
nificant that each of the last five
games, in which one or more relief
pitchers were used, was lost by the
Nationals
The last time the Griffs registered
q victory while using more than one
pitcher was on August 4 against the
Yankees and then New York scored
five runs in the last two innings to
lose only by run.
Roly-Poly Ed Linke saw to it yes
terday in the opener against the Tribe
that Harris would not have to use a
relief hurler. While giving up IL hits,
he scattered them so well over the
10 innings of play that he bested a
prize Washington nemesis, Mel Hard
er. 4 to g. Harder gave up only eight
safeties, but was not quite so stingy
in the pinches.
Griffs Win, Then. WabbIe.
JOE KUHEL'S homer to open the
fourth gave the Griffs a 10 lead,
but q walk to Knickerbocker and
Brenzels double tied it up in the In
dians' half. In the sixth Berger's
error put Linke on base and sac
riflce and two singles sent him across
for q 2-to-1 lead.
Muffng a throw by Bluege in the
eighth, Kuhel put Vosmik on second
| SnOrts W.
| Fussy Net Sta
BY EDDIE BRIETZ,
Associated Press Sports Writer.
q a