Evening star., 1935-02-10
MATS SLAB SQUAD
LACKS BELIEVERS
Many HurIers to Be Tried,
but Few Seem Qualified
for Rescue Work.
RY IOHN b. KELLER.

~ ONE pitcher to share relief
roles with Jack Russell will be
eagerly sought by Manager
Bucky Harris while the Ma
tionals are going through their train
ing chores down in Biloxi.
Bucky sometime back intimated
that Russell again will be the helping
hand OF the Washington curving
corps, but past performances indicate
Russell can't do it all.
The rescue of rocky regulars was
left almost entirely to Jack last year
with disastrous results to his club as
this greatly overworked hurler wore
down. Harris certainly is not dis
posed to have the pitcher and his ball
club take the same punishment this
time.
A score or more of pitchers-Some
alleged pitchers, perhaps-will crowd
the field at the Gulf Coast camp a
few weeks hence 1t will be the
biggest flinging flock a Washington
club has had at camp in years. But
finding a running mate for Russell
in the flock may tax even such an
eagle eye as Bucky possesses.
Little Back of Starters.
IA S THE curving corps now is con-
~ stituted it looks as if starting
assignments will be cared for
by Earl Whitehill, Walter Stewart,
Monte Weaver, Bump Hadley and
Bobby Burke. Yes, according to both
Harris and Clark Griffith-the clubs
big boss off the field-Burke at last
has a great chance to make the grade
as a regular starter. Well, Bobby
has revealed enough ability in his
eight seasons with the club to make
'em realize he has something to quail
lily him as a starter.
Eliminating these five, there looks
to be little left from which to select
a pretty good chucker to go along
with Russell in the rescuing business
Let's consider them
The only real major league veteran
of the secondary group of pitchers
is Al Thomas. And Tommy has not
been so hot as reliever since his
splurge in 1882 after transferring
from the White SoX to the Nationals
Back of Thomas the hurlers are
such as to put a real job up to Harris.
No Help Seen Here.
FOLLOWING Al are but three with
any likely experience. They are
Alex N1cColl. Ed Linke and Ray
Prim. Not much of favorable nature
can be put down regarding their
qualifications for relief roles.
There was a time when the oldster
McColl, who never got up to the
big show until he had served nearly
lS years in the minors, appeared a
fine choice for relief work. Not
much up his sleeve, maybe, but
enough of that slow and slower stuff
TO bother a batter and a lot in the
pitchers noodle to cause more trou-
Bile for the man at the plate. Alex
did do nicely as a reliever for a
time, then faded quickly.
Linke, even if the arm that went
dead late last season has come
back to life. never has appeared to
advantage as a rescuer. Nor has
Prim. the eft-hander recalled from
Albany for third shot at the major
game.
Leon Petit, although with num-
Der of years of minor league expert
ence, is a doubtful quantity. And
little may be expected of Orville Arm
brust, Sgd Cohen and Reese Diggs,
youngsters who had brief trials last
season. There are rumors to the
effect that plans for the shipment
of ArmbruSt to a minor berth again
already are under way
Archie Scrivener, the Alexandria
boy, very likely will need much more
polish before he is ready for a major
job.
Little help for Russell is seen in
this lot.