The Washington times., 1936-05-30
Boston Seen
In Position
To|n1prove
BY FRANK BUCK" O'NEILL

NEW YORK, May 30.-AS the
field in the American League pen
nant sweepstakes ruSheS up to
the Memorial Day turn, the fay.
orites labor heavily under injuries.
Detroit, the Yankees and the
Platinum Boys of Boston bear the
scars of battle. Time may be a
deciding element in the ultimate
outcome of the race, and it may
happen that some dark horse
favored by luck will sweep into
the lead and launch a winning
drive. The Griffs are here for
two days, skipping over to Phila-
delphia for single game tomor.
row. They rest Monday and then
take on the st. Louis Browns in
washington, Tuesday.
Scanning the field briefly, De-
troit has Hank Greenberg recu-
perating from compound fracture
of the left arm and wrist. School.
boy Rowe is harrassed by a slip
ping muscle in the right shoulder.
The Yankees have Bill Dickey
in the hospital and Lefty Gomez,
known to one and all as the gal
liant but goofy Castilian, is under
treatment for sore arm.
Boston has Lefty Grove out for
another week and Rick Terrell
nursing a bone bruise on his in
step. If the word of Boston news
paper men is to be taken at face
value, Joe Cronin's injured thumb
has not handicapped the team.
OF the three favorites, Boston
is in the strongest position.
Groves injury is not at all seri-
Gus, nor is Ferrell's. BY the time
the Western clubs roll into the
East on their second invasion,
both players may be back in &C.
ton.
Wonder About Hank
No such optimistic note rings
through any estimate of Detroit's
chance for early return to full
power Specialists have not yet
decided whether Greenberg's i'll
jured wrist will impair his batting
swing, looping points off his hit
ting average. It is true that Jack
Burns is playing inspired baseball
at first base for the Tigers, but
you just can't write off any player
who bats in ITO runs as Green.
berg did last year. Burns drove
in 81 for the Browns last season.
Schoolboy Rowe won 10 games
for the Tigers last year. Rather
difficult to write off a pitcher of
such caliber.
The case of Lefty Gomez is one
to cause the Yankees no little grief.
The slim left-hander had a dismal
year in 1885, but critics and club
officials were willing to shrug that
one off and charge it to the mex
pllcable vicissitudes of baseball.
But Gomez was knocked out of the
box in his last several starts, and
that could not be ignored. If his
arm is gone-which Providence
forfend-the Yankees are in
tough spot.
Add the loss of Dickey to the
troubles of the Yankees and you
can judge for yourself just how
desperate the case of the Boule-
vardiers from the Bronx may be.
Dickey will be lost just when the
fighting is hottest. and he is lost
just when his bat was belching
base hits to near and remote points
of the field; when he was driving
in runs as a great hitter should
drive in runs.
Such are the plights Of the re-
Spective favorites reviewed in
rather short meter. Who are the
dark horses?
Sullivan Is Good
The Cleveland Indians for one,
with a well-balanced team in all
points, and sensational catcher
in young Billy Sullivan. The i'm
portance of good receiver is not
to be overeStimated. The good
catcher steadies the pitcher. picks
the weak points in hitters, and is
master pilot of the team. One Of
the most notable cases of catcher
value in all time was Pat Moran
when he was with the Chicago
Cubs.
Pat didn't catch many games.
His job was to sit in the bullpen
and observe the Cub pitchers.
Moran, Frank Chance said, could
tell full inning in advance when
a pitcher was losing his stuff. He
always had a relief ready.
The Indian pitching staff is
strong, and, with a little fire and
whoop-de-doo. the Indians might
sneak into the flag.
With another pitcher it is en-
tirely possible that the Washing.
ton Griffs would swing into the
upper flight. But the need of the
Griffs has been discussed fully at
other times. A good reserve in
fielder would not hurt the cause
any, although, at this time, all ele-
ments are hotter than a pistol.
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