Evening star., 1936-04-03
BACKST0P IS STAR
WITH SUB ON HAND
Batting, Catching Improve
and Cliff Sheds Weight.
GriffS Beat Reds.
BY FRANCIS E. STAN,
STAR Cnrresnnndent of The Star.


~ ONE, Ga. April 3.-The Ma
- tionals quest for a catcher
found Walter Miles, late Of
L y Brooklyn, in Capital uniform
today and Cliff Bolton was doing much
better, thanks.
It doesn't make much sense, does it?
Well, there is supposed to be connec-
ton Miles or rather Washington's
search for catching strength, seems to
have made a better receiver out OF
Bolton.
It could be coincidence that caused
Bolton to perk up and play ball once
news of the official disapproval OF
Manager Bucky Harris and President
Clark Griffith reached his ears. 1t
could be, but not likely. If so. 1t was
timed right down to the minute and
the metamorphosis of the guy who
only 10 days ago was the squads ugly
duckling was amazing.
Two weeks ago, whenever anybody
mentioned catching to Harris, he
witnessed scowl that was thing OF
beauty in its line. Bolton had re-
ported at Orlando early, it was true,
but he was fat with easy living and
giving no indication of being inclined
to shed.
He wasn't doing much Of a Job be-
hind the bat and his batting, which
is supposed to be his forte, was ouslay,
to put it mildly. Mr. Bolton, at the
time Messrs. Harris and Griff began
combing Dixie training camps for new
back-stopping blood, was cracking the
apple at the terrific pace of .l43. He
had gone to bat 81 times in eight ball
games and had made only four measly
singles. He had scored twice and
batted in only three runs. so you can
get some idea of why Messrs. Harris
and Griff were worrying.
Cliffs Batting Picks Up.
NOV the catching skies are clearing.
Cliff is acting like a major league
catcher and Miles chief hope. de-
spite his fine impression and flattering
recommendations, is to stick with the
Washingtons as Mr.. Bottoms under
study only.
Surely Cliff can't very well be ousted
on the strength of his last nine games,
played at time when rumor had the
Hershbergers, Jorgens and even Roy
Spencers coming to the Washington
club.
At bat he has been a chief power,
getting 10 hits in 26 attempts for a
1896 mark, scoring half a dozen runs,
socking a double and three triples,
and best Of all, batting across runs.
But that isn't the best develop
ment, delightful as it is. Even his
severest critics, Harris, will break
down and confess that Cliff, when
he Spits on his hands and goes to
work, is a pretty good sort of a
catcher. And that is a mild way to
describe Mr.. Bottoms actions of late
His excess weight melted away with
remarkable suddeness and he began
to show marked improvement in his
receiving. His handling of pitchers
has caused even the hurlers to COM
ment in these little whispering get
togethers that pitchers hold. They
held plenty of conferences last season
when it became obvious that Washing
ton had the worst pitching record in
the league, and the theme was not
always fiattering to the Griff catching
corps.
News0m Hot on Hill.
NO RECEIVER in the world can
direct a pitcher successfully if
the hurler'S curves are not breaking
or his fast ball fails to pop, but a
catcher plays big part in the average
ball game. And Bolton, who not
long ago caught five games in which
Washington pitchers allowed 80 runs,
now has caught the last five tits in
which National slabmen have given
up total of runs.
1t has been quite a streak of fine
pitching the Griffs have been getting
lately. During the string the Browns
were beaten, 13 to /; a decision was
dropped to the Reds, S to 4, and the
Cincinnatis, in turn were drubbed by
to 0, and, yesterday in Macon, by
1 to1
1t was blushing Buck Newsom who
grabbed top honors yesterday as the
Nationals made it two in a row over
the Reds and evened the Spring series,
ut %. Newsom opened on the slab
and pitched runless ball during his
six innings on the slab, leaving with
Washington in possession of a 40
lead. Incidentally, Buck now has
pitched % innings of exhibition ball
and permitted only | rim
Timely hitting by Buddy Lewis,
Cecil Travis and Joe Kuhel featured
the manner in which the Griffs nicked
Tony Freitas for runs in the second
frame and another brace of scores in
the fourth.
Pete Appleton came along to pitch
the remainder of the route and except
Tor one inning of wildness, Pete did
all right. Paul Derringer finished
up for the Reds who were outhit,
to 6, and outplayed worse than that.