Evening star., 1936-07-29
Ruddy Still Is Ailing.

BUDDY Stlil is Aillns.
EOR half season, the Nationals
got by without Capt. Buddy Myer
but it begins to look now as though
Myer alone can supply the intangible
spark that ostensibly is so badly
needed. Yesterday, in going down to
a six-to-three defeat before Cleveland,
emphasis again was placed on the
shortcomings of Bucky Harris band
ss it stands today.
Red Kress, author yesterday OF an
offensive "boner" and co-author with
Bluege of a breach of defensive etl-
uuette, obviously is in need OF rest.
Red has done a Herculean job at
shortstop and second base from time
to time this year but he is slowing to
a walk. And Myer, who was to have
taken over his second base post weeks
ago, still is admittedly unfit for
service.
Nothing, seemingly. can be done
about it. Myer is ailing and 1t Is a
question of how soon he will be ready
for steady action. Kress is finding
the pace too hot now and, to top it all
off. Cliff Bottoms catching job must
be intrusted for at least three weeks
to the comparatively inexperienced
Walter Miles.
Whitehill Pounded in 6-3 Setback.
THE Griffs had no license to win
the Cleveland opener yesterday.
Earl Whitehill, who struggled the
route, was nicked for Is base hits.
three of them home runs. But not
withstanding the pasting Whitehill
received, Washington might have
sneaked IN and made a good deal
more trouble. Against the Browns or
the Athletics they might have won.
In this might we'll lie the reason
why the Nationals prey SO successfully
on the tail-enders and contrive to be
beaten consistently by the Indians,
Yankees and White Sox.
Two infeld hits in the first inning
gave the Tribe a 20 lead. In the
third Earl Averill's eighteenth homer
of the year made it 80. In the
fourth the Griffs got into the game
by scoring run on Reynolds double
and Bluege's single.
The Indians won the game in the
fifth when Sammy Hale and Avelill
hit home runs in succession, boosting
the count to ST., and in the sixth,
aided by a great confusion in the
tnfleld, they ended the days scoring.
This inning found Bluege and Kress
all mixed up on play they must have
seen 100 times during their lengthy
careers in the majors. 1t was in no
way a tribute to the way the Griffs
help out their pitchers.
Kress' "Boner" Spoils Rally.
CCORING another run in the sew
~ enth, Washington went into the
eighth inning trailing, 6 to 2, when
opportunity presented itself. With
one down, Reynolds reached base on
an error and Kress singled him to
third after Bluege went out. Lloyd
Brown, pitching for Cleveland, OBJ
viously was weakening and when Mil
lies followed with lusty single to left
it probably would have meant the end
OF Brown.
KreSs saved him, however. and at
the same time threw wrench into a
possible rally that might have tied
or won the game. Reynolds scored on
Miles hit, but Kress foolishly at
tempted to take third, was thrown
out by 20 feet; and. blooey went all
hope of the ball game. Brown. walk
ing his second man of the day, and
hitting Kuhel with a pitched ball,
barely managed to stagger through
the ninth with the aid of a double
play.
All ball clubs have their off days
but the Griffs' lax moments now are
becoming daily occurrences. They
need a shot of strychnine and this
may be in the form of Myer, but
nothing seemingly can be done about
getting him back in hurry and for
keeps.