Evening star., 1936-06-25
0SS|E Stays PILL,
FIELDS SPERFECTLY
Sub Second Baseman May
Be Answer to Mystery of
Teams Success.
BY FRANCIS E. STAN,


ut LOUIS, June 25.-A ball club
that didn't cost Clark Grfffith
as much dough as Tom Yawkey
- laid out for his shortstop man
ager was right on the heels of the
second-place Red Sox today and peo-
pie are beginning to wonder what's
holding up the Nationals.
There is an aura of mystery to the
Washington club, at that, but If you
mention that Ossie Bluege has been
no drawback it might not be far
wrong. Ossie has been doing the Sec
ond basing since June 4 and he's sup
posed to be good for only a couple OF
weeks at time, according to the
form sheet.
If there are any signs of Bluege
running down, however, they are not
very plain. Over seasons stretch
1t would be another matter. of course,
but Ossie has stepped into the shoes
Of the guy who was rated the best
player on the team and filled them
TO the bulging point.
Nears 800 Batting Mark.
EOR IS years. for instance, Ossie
has been putting on washington
uniforms and nursing an ambition
to bat 800. He never did it but now,
in the twilight of his great career,
Bluege has as good chance as he
ever possessed of hitting the figure
that stamps a guy as good batter.
Notwithstanding that he is one of
the lightest men on the team, Ossie
wasn't hitting his weight when showed
into the early season campaigning in
place of Buddy Lewis. The season
had all the earmarks of a foul ball
for the veteran. Today, by dint OF
q sustained batting streak, the old
gent lacks only two points of reach
ing the 300 mark 1t was Is games
ago that Bluege stepped into the gap
left by Myer when the 1885 batting
champion was taken i'll, and this
period is short enough to make his
feat of thusly fattening his average
almost remarkable. For a chronic
.2oO-plus batter, his performance has
been outstanding.
Sixty-th times now, as a second
baseman, Ossie has walked up to the
tee. He's punched out 81 hits for a
1893 average. In the 18 games, he's
scored 13 runs and batter across 10.
There isn't much use in hailing
his fielding, which probably is the
biggest tribute the guy could be paid.
But to wind it up, Bluege is sporting
q 1000 field average. All he had to
do to compile the figure was handle
50 assists and 43 putouts, or total
of 95 chances without boot.
Leads In ia Brownie Conquest.
IT was Bluege who played a leading
= role in the Griffs' second straight
win yesterday over the Browns by
q 7-to-4 count-Bluege and his side
kick, Kress. For four innings Les
Tietje was pitching great ball and
the Brownies had reached Buck New
som to build up 20 lead.
Then in the fifth Kress doubled and
Bluege promptly put the Nationals in
the game with single It started a
rally that netted three runs and a
80 lead.
Newsom, far wilder than st. Louis
five bases on balls would indicate,
still wasn't home and consequently
Buck was made to feel far safer in
the sixth, when Elon Hogsett was
pitching for the Browns. Cliff Bolton
and Kress singled to start the inning
and Bluege whacked vicious double
to start the scoring in another three
run inning.
Newsom, in registering his ninth
victory Of the campaign to draw
abreast Of Jimmy DeShong in games
won, gave up seven hits in addition
to the five walks. After a shaky
start, he rallied to pitch good ball
until the ninth, when Lyn Larry sin
gled and Julius Solters pumped a
home run over the right-field pavilion.