The Washington times., 1936-03-05

GriB Will
Be Tough
By FRANK "BUCK" O'NEILL

their meal and prepared to leave
for Tinker Field.
Above the voices of others, Buck
NeWsom was heard expounding his
theories in pitching.
"Him?" demanded Buck, re-
ferring to some American
League rival. "He won't hit
six and seven eighths against
me this year."
"Heem not heet?" asked RO-
bertO EstaIella. "Sure, heem
not heet. Okay, Okay. But
heet. heet ver' good. 81,
beunO."
"It's the old story" said Har-
riS as he swept the scene be-
fore him. "The same old story
that is new with the dawn Of
every season. l know that it
is foolish to be optimistic in
the spring, and yet there is
never a spring that I do not
find myself sharing the Opt
mism of these boys.
"YOu know" Bucky levelIed
his tone into the lower regis
ters. 81 feel confident that
this club will be tough to beat
this year."
"DO you look for a pennant?"
your reporter demanded.
"NO, not a pennant," replied
! Harris, "but a ball club that
will play good ball every day,
and on certain days will beat
the best.
look back at last year. We
beat Detroit and we beat BoS-
ton. We were hard to beat
some times; of course, we were
easy to beat other times. But
we have a better ball club this
year"
1--WE are going to have Buck
NewsOm all this year, and that
is going to mean a great deal
to u.s." Harris said.
NEWSOM READY NOW
"NewsOm is almost ready to
pitch now, and he is a great
competitor. He went out yes
terday and threw that ball in
there with enough stuff to stop
good hitterS. He doesn't fig
ure to have any legs broken
this year, and 1 would not be
surprised to see him win a
lot Of games. Yes. he figures
to win more than 20. He says
he'll get Is, but we know that's
lot Of ball games, even with
a penantwinning outfit.
"WhitehiIl is still to be
reckoned with. A great COM
petitive player, and I'll take
my oath, I think we'll pick up
a pitcher or two from these
rockies. Some of them look
great, in spite Of the fact that
they're green, and we know
they're green.
"What about third base?" I
asked Harris.
1--WE always have BTuege,"
came the answer. "Bluege is
in a spot this season. He is a
veteran. and a great fielder.
One Of the masters. in fact.
We will alternate him with
Lewis, but we must build. We
must use Lewis until Buddy
himself cOnvinceS us that he
is not the ball player we
think he will be.
"As for Travis, I'm certain
now that he will be q short
stop. He has taken hold Of
the post. In the Outfield Pow
ell will be rs per cent better
than ever. He looks the part
of ball player now. Hill in
left field with his speed and
ability to get on base will help.
MUST BE SPRING
"Say, isn't this funny?" Har.
ris asked. "Here am sell.
ing myself my own ball club.
But it's that way. You watch
them and see them come along
and you just want to get up
on the soap box. I guess it e.
must be the spring that gets
into US. Spring, the season
of youth when everything
looks great. Well, here we CO."
And Mr.. Stanley Raymond
Harris walked out to go to the
park.
Your correspondent must plead
guilty to Succumbing in part to
the persuasiveness Of Mr.. Harris
No, we do not think for one
minute that this club can win
the pennant. We can not see
where it can hope to do anything
more than finish at the top Of the
second division, or in a lower
first division bracket. But it un-
questionably should be a better
outfit than the one that struggled
over the greensward last season,
The realignment of practically
the same players and the presence
of the loquacious but efficient
Buck Newsom will give it greater
power.
Miles Has Teachers
One of the interesting develop
ments here is the work that L
being put on Dee Miles. Earl Nc
Nicely Is driving Miles at top speed
running him to his left, making
him charge ground balls, and per
fecting his defensive technique
Miles has been lamentably stiff
at the plate in the past couple
of days, but he may snap out oi
that at any time.
Jack Russell and a few of the
golfing CONTINGENT have beer