Evening star., 1936-04-08
BUCKY UNCERTAIN
WHICH TO START
Fleet Pair May Divide Job in
Riqht Garden-MiIes Still
in Running.
BY FRANCIS E. STAN.

* DdlIlIICoo DOyo, AOliAi6 INV
town today for resumption of
0 the only honest-to-goodness
hunt for steady employment on the
Washington ball club.
The Dodgers participation in what
really amounts to ringing the bell for
the last round of the right field bat
tie is an unconscious movement, SINH
lar to those Brooklyn clubs are noted
for pulling on the ball field from time
to time Primarily the Brooklyns
are here for a two-game series that
will open the Griffs final stretch of
exhibition games
But for Johnny Stone and Carl
Reynolds, to whom opening game con-
sideration seems to have narrowed in
the last few hours today was to mark
the signal for final efforts to cata-
pult themselves into the Washington
lineup by next Tuesday as regulars.
Virtually neck and neck in the race
for the right field post, Stone and
Reynolds are facing an opportunity
to do, in the next five days, what both
failed to accomplish in six weeks of
friendly battling in the Southland.
May Hold Job Jointly.
MANAeER BUckY HARRIS,
frankly undecided on who to play
in this, the only open" job on the
Washington club, is willing to con-
fess with equal frankness that so far
it's pretty much of a tosS-up and
unless either Stone or Reynolds COM
pletely outStrips the other before the
American League campaign starts
they will become temporary joint
holders of the post. If the Yanks
use left-handed pitcher next Tues
day" revealed Bucky, lit looks like
Reynolds, a right-handed batter,
would be the logical man to play in
right field
If they use right -hander. of
course, it would be just as good a per-
centage to use Stone, who bats left
handed. 1t begins to look very much
like that's how the question will be
settled"
In the meantime, Wilson Daniel
(Dee) Miles, the fleet-footed rookie
speedster. finds himself destined for a
spot on the bench. But Dee, it seems.
is paying the price of nothing more
than lack of experience. plus more of
base ball managers inevitable value
Of percentages.
Miles is showing the best batting
average on the Washington club as
the Griffs prepare to debut in their ball
park at 3 o'clock today against the
Dodgers. He did himself proud in the
AIT average through the medium of
10 hits in "a times at bat. Further
more, he earned the unqualified praise
of his bosses, who point out that Dee
Is the most improved ball player on
the club.
Miles Not Out of 1t,
"RUT I figure it would be wiser to
keep Miles on the bench until the
drst excitement is over" commented
Harris. After all, it's a young and
green enough club we're sending into
the American League season and the
balance that experienced men like
Stone and Reynolds can furnish NAV
be valuable. But Just because Miles
isn't being considered at the present
time Is no indication that he's out of
the running"
Stone and Reynolds, starting more
Slowly than Miles, have waged a sim
gularly close battle to date. Reynolds
playing In Is games, has raped out
IL hits in Al trips to the plate for a
.268 average, while Stone, participating
In Is exhibition tilts, has made l3
safetles in so tries for a 26O average.
Johnny offset Carls eight-point per-
centage edge by batting across nine
runs as against four for Reynolds.
Neither OF the records does justice to
&he ability Of the pair, but Stone and
Reynolds wisely have rated their con-
uitioning, which should reach a peak
by Sunday when the Nationals wind
up their exhibitioning and settle back
to await the gong.
"A FIELD there is little to choose be-
tween the duo Stone has the
stronger arm but Reynolds charges
groundballs better and speedier. Both
are fast, although it is doubtful II
they can keep pace with Miles, who
ranks second only to Jesse Hill in mov-
ing from one spot on the diamond to
another.
Truly it's a decision that Harris
finds at once difficult and pleasant to
make. I'm any event." he philoSo-
phizes, we're certain to have a dog
gone good ball player in right field on
opening day. I wish we could carry
three players of the caliber of Rey-
nolds, Stone and Miles for every posi-
tion on the Washington club. We'd
concede nothing then"
And speaking of conceding nothing,
the Griffs refused to let the weather
get them down yesterday, when they
pulled into town from the currently
tornado-swept and flooded South after
nearly two months of training. De-
spite the rain they staged a workout
under the grandstand at Griffith Sta
dium, missing only batting and in
field practice. The pitchers loosened
up while the infielders, making the
best Of it, split up and staged pepper
drills.