The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1936-04-03
FLOOD MAY HALT GRIFFIS' GAME WITH REDS
Rising Rivers
Threaten
Stadium
Nv FRANK "RUCK" O'NEILL

DIV Il kAkAKNN DUNN " 4NGA4@A
ROME, Ca, April 3.-The
Griffs are learning today what to
do in Rome. They're here to play
the final game in their delightful
partnership with the Cincinnati
Reds, and the proper caper on
what to do in Rome is to grab your
water wings and stand by to bail.
Swollen by torrential downpours
in the last "a hours, the Oostaluala
and Coosa rivers were reported ris-
ing at O. rate of three inches per
hour. They had reached a peak
Of 81 feet last night. If they rise
beyond the 34-foot level. they will
inundate Turbize Stadium, where
the game is to be played.
Can Appreciate H0ratius
As the boys stand at the bridge
heads wondering just what will
develop, they begin to appreciate
what a cinch Horatius had in the
brave days of old when he and
his pals saved ancient Rome.
All he had to say was:
"Tiber, Father Tiber, to whom
the Romans pray"
But imagine trying to pronounce
Father Oostaluala and making it
rhyme. It just proves that the old
times were better.
The Griffs and Reds offered
prayers of thanksgiving for their
escape from the tornado that
devastated Cordele, killing nearly
40 people. The storm struck q
few hours after the baseball Spe
cial rolled for Macon. Ships
Stadium, opened for the game
was converted into a field hos
pital to care for the victims OF
the storm.
Chase Will Pitch
If everything returns to nor
malcy today and the river re
trains from etching it's patterns OF
disaster over the city, Ken Chase
the young left-hander who struck
out 10 of the Louisville Colonies
on his last start, will pitch today
He will share the pitching labors
with Joe Bokina, the young right
handler who is stepping right
along.
Chase looks forward to the ad
venture Of facing the Reds. AS
matter of fact, he was half fear
full that he would be called upon
to pitch against Chattanooga. He
was even more fearful that, in the
event of his having a good day
he would be left there. Terrors
crowded upon Chase from al
sides. More than being sent tc
the Lookouts, he dreaded being
sent to Albany. So he has de
cided to beat the Reds and ,cinch
o Job with the Griffs.
Maybe Chase worried in vain
about Chattanooga. Maybe the
team won't play there. The
Tennessee is rampaging around
Moccasin Bend in the shadow
Of Lookout Mountain, and the
backwaters are seeping under
the fences of the ball park
there.
Wild at Beginning
Harris is eager to see Chase
work against the Reds. Early
this spring Ken had trouble
keeping the ball in Orange
county. He was as wild as the
waters down here. But he
seems to have found the right
pitching motion and a control
groove. Bokina will be closely
observed. too. If his fast bal
develops the right sort of jump
he will have to be counted on
as q probable resident Of Wash
ington this summer.
Walter Miles, the youns
catcher bought from Brooklyn
worked the last three innings
Of the game with the Reds in
Macon yesterday. He was al
bat only once and was safe or
an error. He tried valiantly tc
hit to right field but failed
against Derringer's fast bal
pitching.
Cecil Travis clipped a pair o.
two baggers into left field ovel
at Macon which were well hi
drives.
Missing the tornado that LAY
Cordele waste, unscathed by al
electric storm that dashed Macon
and coming in here to find thu
waters creeping toward the bust
ness section of town, yet suffer
ing no inconvenience from ram
paging nature, brings to mine
the fact that ball clubs seem tx
be protected by a special Provi
dence.
The average ball club travel
more than 10000 miles per year
kg-.-c..--..-+-