The Washington times., 1936-04-16
Linke Not
Injured
Badly
By FRANK BUCK" oNE1LL

BY FRANK BUCK" O'NEILL
The Yankees leave town this
afternoon, and maybe it's all for
the best. A few more days with
the Rupert Rifles and the Griffs
wouldn't have any pitchers.
Eddie Linke limped out of action
yesterday after DETECTING a line
drive off the bat Of Ben Chap
man with his pitching hand.
Linke fortunately escaped q
broken hand, but his effective
ness for the game ended with
the impact Of Chapman's crash
ing wallop, which tore through
to center field. Linke probably
will pitch against the Yankees
in New York on Sunday.
Only the kindly Intervention Of
fortune has prevented Chapman
from reducing the Washington
pitching staff to Q Shambles Of
splntered bones and shattered
hopes. He hit the ball in the
opening game with which Ossie
Bluege scored q direct hit on
Buck Newsom'S right ear.
His drive yesterday lacked the
grim potentialitieS Of the near.
Draining Of Newsom. At most he
could only have shattered a finger
or two, or maybe a bone in Linke's
wrist. Either would have been
sufficient to sweep Linke out Of
action for q month or more, and
that might have ruined the season
for Bucky Harris.
Unlucky Day
Linke will write down April IS,
1896, as his unlucky day. He re-
ceived official notification from
President Harridge that he would
not be permitted to use his heat
ing pad to warm his right hand.
Chapman's wallop supplied SUI
ficient heat for Linke, but the
shock Of blow produced even
greater numbness than Linke'S
Justly celebrated vanishing pulse.
Harris is looking around for the
left hind foot Of a prairie jack
rabbit for his pitchers to carry
into battle. He might borrow the
tongue Of . frog or the leg Of q
newt to fend off i'll fortune. He
certainly needs something. He
can't gamble on his starting
pitchers missing death and injury
as they missed it in the last two
days.
Selkirk singled in the fourth
inning and the next two hitterS
were retired handily enough. Chap.
man then slapped one back at
Linke, who tried to get out Of the
way. He was not fast enough,
and the ball took effect on his
right hand. Eddie dropped to the
ground but leaped to his feet after
Q short count.
He tried to carry on, but his
hand was numbed and bruised.
Lazzeri and CroSetti made two
base hits off him to produce three
runs. Pearson walloped q
screamer down the third base line
on which Bluege made q senSa-
tional catch. This play ended the
inning It also marked the high.
water mark Of the Yankee attack.
The Yankees apparently had
the game well in hand, for Monte
Pearson breeZed along for five in
ningS anG gave no indication of
imminent and disastrous lapse
from form. Pearson suddenly lost
control. The rise and fall of his
arm was less rhythmic and the
ball wandered wide of the borders
Of the plate. He was derricked,
and when Murphy went in as re.
lief pitcher the GriffS really got
hot.
Stone Doubles
Stone slapped a double to cen
ter, Myer got his first hit Of the
series and Powell spanked one
over JohnSon's head up against
the left-field bleacherS. Before
the firing ceased. four runs were
over the plate. They were enough
to supply the winning margin,
for in the sixth inning the
Griffs scored twice.
After Linke left the hill Jack
Russell came on, and the Texen
left in favor Of Stone, who broke
} in as q pinch hitter. Stone
started the winning rally and
established Russell as the winning
pitcher. Henry Coppola finished
and pitched two stylish innings.
The debut Of Buddy Lewis is in.
definitely postponed. OSSie Bluege's
. catch Of Parsons drive in the
fourth saved the game for Wash
ington and his stylish play on
CroSetti'S slow roller Snuffed out
. any potentialities that might have
developed If the YankS had gotten
. man on base. Bulege's running
fire Of coaching to Travis doesn't
appear in the box score, but may.
be it does at that. II you read
, closely you'll find that Travis fig.
ured in two double plays.
Travis hitting is obvious enough
} He is hitting Q cool $3.50 in two
/ games. To quote from diSgruntled
} pitchers, che can't keep that up
i for long," but he is doing all right
so far.
Hank Coppola, the young italian
pitcher, went in and hurled two
/ fine innings for the GriffS and In
{ addition to his mound work,
, touched off o double in the eighth
, inning. Powell had . double and o
D single.
Hero and Goat