Evening star., 1936-04-15
WILL PLAY THIRD
LONG AS HE'S HOT
Job Still Is Rocks, Harris
Avers-NeWsom SkilItuI,
Gritty in 10 Win.
BY FRANCIS E. STAN.
NCIENT Ossie Bluege, the "for-


brilliant barrier break in the Ameri-
can League flag derby.
In another last-minute move that
admittedly will leave his Judgment
open to possible barrage of criticism,
Manager Bucky Harris has decided to
further delay the debut of the Ma
tionals' sensational rokie, John
Buddy Lewis and wave the old war
horse of Capital base ball back to
third base until the Griffs 'cool off"
1T isn't logical to go against horse
that's hot" explained Bucky, an
nouncing his latest decision. AT least
I can't do it. We're off awinging and
I'm stringing with my ball club as it
stood yesterday until we start losing.
And that means Bluege will be on
third base and Carl Reynolds in right
field"
Hasn't Turned on Lewis.
THUS will Washington fandom,
still atingle with memories of
dramatic opener that is destined to
live long. miss the sight of the Ma
tionals' eal-accent-on-youth team
until at least late this month. when
the Griffs return from an Eastern in
vasion that will begin with the close
of the current Yankee series tomor-
row.
Bluege, not Lewis, now is the man
who will hold down third base until the
Griffs exhibit definite signs of a let
down from the stride they struck yes
terday in downing the Yanks, to o, in
as thrilling and dramatic an opening
game as ever was witnessed by the
record Griffith Stadium inaugural
crowd of 81 900.
Don't get me wrong on this third
base business" stated Harris. Buddy
Lewis is the third baSeman OF the
Washington club. What I'm merely
going to do is give the kid time to
get both feet on the ground and use
a fresh veteran who'll play a hell
of a game for a good stretch.
Lewis was used pretty hard in our
Spring training games. Since the
clubs been back in Washington he
hasn't been hitting, even in batting
practice, so there's no sense in imme-
diately throwing him into champion
ship games, with lot of pressure on.
Is Extremely Youthful.
FIGURE it this way, too, and see
if it doesn't add up right. Lewis
Is only 10, which is pretty young to
be playing big league ball. But he's
ready to play it. He's good enough.
All he needs is the right spot to step
into the game and make his first bid.
Buddy has II or IA years of big
league base ball ahead of him. He's
in no hurry. There's plenty of time
for him to break into the game and
take over the job that definitely is
his. We're rebuilding on youngsters,
but we're not going to rush them.
In the meantime, we're off to a
great tsart with a combination that
seems to have plenty of power and a
lot of steadinesS. Bluege will give us
some great ball games and, while he's
doing it, Lewis will get chance to
become acclimated to the pressure of
big league base ball when good per-
formances really count.
LAS for Reynolds, how can you yank
a guy like that? That double he got
to break up the ball game may be just
what Carl needs to set him off. He
may be tough guy to get out from
now on and when Reynolds is hitting
there isn't anybody who's good enough
to take job away from him. In
time Carl may cool off, but right now
he looks too good to yank, regardless
of whether a lefthander or a right
handler is pitching"
Newsom Man of Hour.
THEY played their parts, Bluege and
Reynolds. in that victory yester-
day that indelibly will be recorded in
the archives of Washington base ball
as the most dramatic opening game of
them all. But Big Buck Newsom, as
game guy who ever walked on two
legs, was the man of the hour today.
He walked out there on the pitching
hill yesterday, this big fellah who
doesn't know when to quit, and with
one OF the greatest displays of hurting
and courage ever recorded in Griffith
Stadium he won the hearts of the
record croWd-a crowd that included
FRANKLIN d. Roosevelt, who dropped
his bag OF peanuts like every other fan
ana sat transflxed as near-tragedy
struck Newsom at the peak of his
hurling career.
For four innings Newson turned back
the YankS in order-that is. almost
IN order. Cecil Travis booted a ball
IN the third inning to let Lefty Gomez
reach base but it didn't amount to any,
thing, Then, in the fifth frame,
Travis booted another grounder. Up
stepped Ben Chapman with instruc-
tions to bunt. He did-perfectly.
Buck Shows Real Courage.
HE ball rolled toward third base.
Bluege was on it like a cat. Chap
man E. fast ;. fast as h-u ran
through Ossie's mind. It called for
a hard, lightning throw. almost blind.
And NewsomL standing directly In the
path Of the ball, forgot to duck. A
sickening smack and the ball struck
Buck full force just below the right
ear, scarcely 10 or IL yards from where
Bluege cut loose.
1t didn't drop Newsom. Semi-de-
lirious in pain, he instinctively headed
for the direction of his "assailant"
After three long strides he bent over,
clutching his face in his hands.
Teammates hustled him to the dugout
and to flrst-aid for what was feared
q broken jaw. And, three minutes
later. he was half-running back to
the box against a physicians orders.
Buck wasn't as great after that.
He was greater. 1t took something
out of him, but 1t wasn't courage. He
was In tight jam in each of the final
four innings, but always the raw cour-
age In every inch Of his big frame
was too much for the Yanks, who
finally wound up with only four hits
two exceedingly scratchy, another
q virtually unplayable topper" to
the inheld. and only one reaching the