The Washington times., 1936-04-28

.7oComiing
Catcher
Bv KIRK MILLER
Times Sports Editor

Peering at Bucky Harris
huzzars during their several
home games to date, one i'm
preston has registered rather
definitely on a mind that, over
q span Of years, has become
right sensitive to baseball
signs and portents.
That is to say, while not
posing as being one of those
experts who can look at a
league roster and tell where
the good bali clubs bask, I do
not think it, is too bold to say
that one sometimes can tell a
good ball player, and not lnfre-
quently q good ball club, when
one actually sees them.
Bolton Turns Tables
Thus qualifying to speak, I
make so bold as to say in one
sentence what I have already
taken two paragraphs to ap-
proach, the same being that Cliff
Bolton Is right now engaged in
throwing a lot Of smoke in the
eyes Of those of us who for months
have rated him as being one OF
the outstanding drawbacks OF the
recent editions of the washington
Griffmen.
It seems to me Cliff Bolton is q
made-over ballplayer this year.
Something has happened to him
since 1885, when he succeeded
Luke Sewell as Washington's first
string catcher. In fact, something
seems to have happened to Bolton
since he was putting up some OF
those bunglesome exhibitions down
in Orlando a few weeks back.
The young High Point hotdog
merchant has gotten baseball re-
ligion. He has been quite made
over. Why, he is actually think
ing baseball after the big-league
manner. He's doing things con-
secutively in big-league style for
the first time since the memory Of
many runneth not to the con-
trary.
I don't believe it would be going
too far to say Cliff Bolton has ar
rived. He's become an alert, fast
moving backstop, who uses his
head for something other than a
place on which to fasten his mask.
A fly ball is no longer a bugaboo
to him, but rather deep, very
deep dish, apple pie.
Therefore, it is only the better
part of craftsmanship that some
of us writing guys take back a lot
of the sighting comments we have
made in the last IL or Is months
about the catching propensities OF
this man Bolton.
An AFFECT Apology
He has most certainly come
around nicely and, in many minds,
the only question with reference
to him concerns whether he can
keep up the pace he has estab-
lished for himself since the sea-
son started.
He is entitled to the benefit Of
the doubt.
Not only the scribes have had
him on the griddle, but some Of
those broken-down pitchers who
are no longer with the club. had
him on the fire. He was their
alibi for losing a lot of games,
and it seemed easy at the time to
fall in line with their manner of
reasoning.
Bolton showed earmarks OF
what was to happen afterward, in
the very opening game Of the
season. close, 1-to-0 game in
which washington thawed-out the
Yankees
On that occasion Bolton sensed
o hit and run with LazZeri on
first and Crosetti, I believe it was
at the bat. The much con
demned catcher was on their hit
and-run play like cat, and the
runner died at second.
So, in a spirit of humility. de
cency and tolerance, I personally
wish to publicly apologize to Boil
ton for Understanding him pre-
viously, hiding back of but one
extenuating circumstance, it be
ing that all any of us had to &c
by was what we saw.