The Washington times., 1936-05-06
Trade Talk
CenterS on
POweU
By FRANK BUCK" ONEML

Trade winds are tanning the
brow Of Alvin "Jake" Powell aS
major league managers prepare
for the summer drive toward the
pennant. Steve o'Neill dropped
in at the front office out at ths
stadium during the visit Of the
Indians to see whether or not he
could interest Clark G. Griffith IN
a deal which would send the
local playboy to Cleveland in ex.
change for q righthanded pitcher.
Willis Hudlin was the pitcher
offered by Cleveland.
Now Mr.. Griffith would like Q
right-handed pitcher, all right,
but he seems to be pretty wen
sold on the fact that Powell iS
going to blossom out into gem
uine star one Of these days. Mr.
Griffith Is willing to condone any
Of the little idioSyncrasieS OF
Powell Just as long as Jake con-
tinues to roam back to the fences
to make catches, and C h seS
rivals sack to the fences for shots
that cannot be caught. So far
Jake has been less chased than
chasing.
DemOtiOn Worries Jake
Powell could insure his ATHLETIC
longevity by placing q few inh1bk
tions and taboos on himself, and
settling down to the brand Of ball
he should produce. His demotion
from cleanup slot to sixth place
in the order weighed heavily upon
him for q while. Perhaps Powell
will start hitting so fiercely that
they just won't be able to keep
him sixth. He only has to ouSe
Cevil Travis from the place Of
honor.
Clark Griffith denies with the
firmness Of the righteous that he
has any intention Of trading any
of the current regulars. This is as
it should be, but ball players and
poker chips, to say nothing OF
our great American dollar. have
no permanent address. It may be
that before June Is Griff and
Harris will get together and de-
eide to make several trades to
bolster the pitching staff. And
Powell may yet figure in an I'D"
vantageous trade.
Although the position Of the
Griffs is one to cause neither Joy
nor apprehension. Bucky Harris
leans toward peSSimism in the In"
ner councils Of the club.
STEPPED i'm Disaster
Buck Newsom's last three starts
were stepped in disaster. He was
beaten by Boston when Oster-
mueller doubled with o couple Of
men on bases. He met with mis-
fortune against Detroit, being ur-
settled by two errors. and routed
by four hits. He was defeated in
a rain-abbreviated game with
Cleveland.
Conceding the general conten.
ton that Newsom is the ace
pitcher, we cite his record to sup
port the statement that the GriffS
could use another pitcher.
Whether one will drift in on the
trade winds that now blow over
the major league field remains to
be seen.
Earl Whitehill is having o heC-
tic time. Having thrown of 0
heavy cold and recovered from 0
jammed finger, the Southpaw now
is limping on q strained ankle.
During batting practice before
yesterdays game Whiteh111
stepped on a ball and turned his
right ankle. The probabilities are
that he will be out Of the game
for 10 days or thereabouts. This
little incident viii add not one
jot to the power Of the Griffs.
Myers Bat slump
One Of the battling develop
mentS Of the past few days is the
hitting slump that grips Buddy
Myer. Over the past 10 days
Myer has hammered the ball from
the tidy average Of Isl.
During the past four days his
best has been base on balls or
a sacrifice. Now these are all
right In their way. but Myer
doubtless would give plenty to feel
q good line drive on the end Of
his bat. He's too good q batSman
to remain in the slough In which
he now finds himself. But there's
no getting away from the fact
that he is in Q succession OF
hitless days, and that seems to
be that.
The Cleveland Indians are out
Of the city now, and perhaps tt's
just as well. ALI those babies did
was beat the three pitching secs cf
the Griffs, taking NewSom, Apple
ton and Deshong in the order
named. When the Indians needed
q smash to score q run they seemed
to produce the very man who
could smash. TroSky belted 0 triple,
Hale hit q home run, Sullivan had
O triple and a double. That's the
way it went: power and scadS Of
power.
The White sox are here for o.
session, and Ted Lyons and Bay
lor Breeze will face heatless Eddie
I,inke, the worlds leading deyourer
of the succulent lettuce Leaf.
RilIv Sullivan hit q tripie, 0