Evening star., 1936-06-16
SLAB DEAL WORTH
IS HELD DOUBTFUL
Hurting Swap With Bosox
More important to Club
Than 0utfield Trade.
BY FRANCIS Z. STAN.
SraF CorreSoopdepr of The S+a,

SteE correspondent OF Inc oter.
~ ETROIT, June 16.-With
revised outfeld and new
tenor singing in the Pullman
car quartet, the Nationals
picked up the threads of their quest
for q first division berth here today.
The three-same series with the Tigers,
opening a Western swing, may have
much bearing on Washingtons near
future occupancy of the flrst-f1ight
niche, inasmuch as the world cham
pion Detroits today were tied with
Cleveland for fourth place. half
game ahead of the Harrismen.
The fuss and furore that followed
the Powell-for- Chapman deal having
subsided a bit, there was occasion
today to null further over an earlier
swap that possibly may mean more
10 a Washington weakness that has
been more pronounced than any de-
ficiency there might have been in the
outfielding Bucky Harris was getting.
A comparatively few hours before
Clark Griffith sWapped Powell for
Chapman he negotiated deal with
Boston thai brought Pitcher Joe Cas-
csrella and cash in exchange for
Pitcher Jack Russell
This deal completely overshs dowed
nv The trade of center f1elders. may
mean something 10 the Griffs, if You
can stretch your imagination. Casca-
rella cannot be rated much of q
pitcher by Joe Cronin, hard up as
Boston is for pitchers. But Russell
WAS useless 10 the Nationals and
Criffith is pleased to cling 10 shred
Of hope for CaScarella
Cascarelis Uncertainty.
JUST what Bucky Harris will do With
CaScarella is not vet known.
Bucky, in fact, probably is undecided
himself. Two seasons ago Cascarella
came to the Athletics from the Inter
national League touted as great
prospect. With the AS in 1894 he
partially lived up TO his promise by
winning II games and losing IA.
Showing the same ability with Wash
tngton, he should improve his record.
because the Nationals of 1886 are a
better ball club than Philadelphia of
1894. The question is, does Cascarella
have the same ability?
He failed to reveal 1t last season
and Connie Mack released him to
syracuse. Boston bought him, gave
him q trial, and returned him to the
same minor league club. In the In
ternational League he was a whiz-
bang. When the final pitching records
were posted CaScarella stood first in
the earned run rating. Pete Apple
ton, who has won five games for
same rating.
The chances are that Cascarella will
make his debut on the current
Western tour as a relief pitcher and
that before the launt is ended he will
he given a starting chance, Appar-
emily he Is far more effective as a
starter than as relief hurler.
The trio Of Earl Whitehill. Jimmy
De Shong and Buck Newsom is slated
TO oppose the Tigers in this series, in
that order. There IL no spot for Cas-
cerella at the present time, but next
week, when the club 1nvades st. Louis
It Is possible that Joe will get a
starting chance.
No one, perhaps, expects very much
But there are at least two items in
favor Of such a gamble. In the first
place Cascsrella has the stuff" to
make pitcher. Secondly, he hardly
could help but at least do as well as
Russell had been doing. Jack gave
the club a lot of heart out on the
pitching hill when he worked for the
Nationals and every pitch had cour-
age behind it. Unfortunately for Rus
sell and the Griffs it takes a little
more than these valuable assets to
retire hatters.