The Washington times., 1936-04-17
Former Yank
Could Aid
NewC|ub
Rx FRANK .BUCK" ONEILL

today, but just so far as the Griffs
are concerned, the important fact
is that Jimmy Deshong is going
to start his first game under colorS.
If Deshong lives up to expecta-
tions, regardless of whether he
wins or loses, we may have real
cause for optimism.
Bucky Harris is prepared to look
upon defeat or victory impartially
today. What he demands Of
Deshong is pitching quality. We
have seen Buck NeWSom reach the
peaks of greatness. We saw Eddie
Iinke hit hard and injured by
Chapman'S line drive. We had op-
portunity to make swift survey
of Pete Appleton's stuff. Whitehill
has not yet started. We still need
pitching strength; starting pitch
ing strength.
Observation Of DeShong as a
member of the Yankees, and on
tour through the deep South
tends to show that Jimmy has a
certain amount of stuff that he
may carry for a certain time. His
chief effectiveness lies in decep-
ton and fineSse rather than
power. His fast ball blaZeS on oc-
casion and shoulders on others.
His curve is effective in ratio to
the quality of his fast ball.
Bet Hat on DeShOng
neShong knows how to pitch
and will turn in some mighty good
games. We know that Harris, in
friendly mood this spring, wagered
a new hat that DeShong would
win is games. So the erStwhile
New Yorker will start with the full
confidence of the manager Sus-
tanning him. Incidentally, Harris
refrained from starting DeShong
against the Yankees because he
didn't want Jimmy to overdo him.
self trying to humiliate his for
mer mates.
The three games played in
Washington presented to followers
of the GriffS three distinct types
of game that may be anticipated
at Griffith Stadium this year.
There was the great Shutout
hurled by NewSom, who pitched
uphill" after he was injured.
There was that whoop de doc
drive that carried the club from
five runs hebind the Yankees to a
one-run victory.
There was yesterdays game
against New York in which the
bats of the team failed and the
pitching crumbled. The number
of times that the pitching crum.
bles will establish the position Of
the GriffS in the standing of the
clubs at the end.
Blamed on Bunt Failure
The edge of the Yankees, de.
spite their fence denting was
neither deep nor wide, and hinged
on a frustrated effort by Kuhel
to bunt in the ninth inning. Walt
Brown, the blimp-sized pitcher OF
the Yankees, hurled stuff that
Kuhel could not meet properly
Joe was forced to hit with two
strikes on him, and forced Car
Reynolds at second base. This
set up a double play, in which
Bolton supplied the grounder.
Cecil Travis, whose hitting
spree finally was stopped, opened
the ninth with a grounder which
skidded through CroSettis legs
Reynolds attempted to sacrifice
but turned his poke bunt into 9
hit by fast running. Here wa:
the winning run on base with
none out. Harris scented victory
and ordered the sacrifice to move
the two runs needed into scoring
position. But Brown thwartec
Kuhel's efforts, Bolton rammet
into a double play, and that wa
that.
Harris has come to accept the
story book endings OF games
against the Yankees as more fact
than fiction. Statistics bear him
out, but not even story book fin
ishes can continue indefinitely
There is such a thing as the
law Of averages.
Teams Squandered Hits
Just review that game and yol
will be convinced that the Griff'
really were very lucky to keep il
a contest. Ordinarily when &
team makes Is hits, good for ar
average of two bases per hit, il
piled up the score. The fact thai
the Yankees got only one of theil
hits before two men were ou
rather cramped their scoring
style.
The Griffs did some fair coun
try hitting themselves. They go
no fewer than IA blows out of thu
afternoon exercises. They jammet
half of these into the first foul
innings and scored all of thei
runs in that period. Johnn!
Broaca, the only Yale man il
the big leagues, was easy for tn
Griffs, but Brown was something
different. They hit Walt-he'
too big to miss-but they couldn'
score on him.
Carl Reynolds leaped into tn
400 class among hitters by max
ing four safe hits in five trip
to the bat. They were all sir
giles, and two of them were II
field singles. Kuhel finally STAR
ed to hit and put two good cleal
hits into the outfield.