The Washington times., 1936-07-24
Pilot Does
MNUnder
Handicap
BY FRANK 'BUCK" O'NEILL

buCky daffS remains unDOWeQ.
His team has rocked between sec.
ond place and sixth. its normal
expectancy based on quality, re-
naming as it was at the start of
the season, fifth place. Harris
has taken the team placed in his
hands and done about everything
that anyone could demand Of him.
It is the habit Of front offices
to make demands upon managers
which are entirely out Of line. The
writer cheriSheS the hope that the
aStute Clark Griffith expects no
miracles Of Stanley Raymond Har-
ris. If he does, he is unfair to a
good manager.
Fails to Moan
Never once has Harris moaned
nor cried aloud when the men per-
formed in the quainteSt manner.
With the season of 1885 rushing
to its end, Harris has the very
right to look for help in 1887. IN
less the club takes the rubber band
off the bank roll and goes abroad
to buy, draft and trade players,
Harris can expect nothing next
year.
The fight for minor stations has
appealed to the fans. Even the st.
Louis Browns are stirred by the
battle raging around them and are
making forayS from the cellar.
Unless patronage falls away to
a whisper for the next six weeks,
and careful check will be kept
upon that phase Of the season,
Washington fans can rightfully de-
mand improved baseball next year.
This writer outlined yesterday
the readily available resources of
the team. These resources are
inadequate. They are redoIent of
the bush and sage brush,
Ball players are hard to find.
we are told. You bet they are:
especially if you don't send scouts
looking for them. It seems to me
that If the average man were in
business, he would know every
source Of supply, and curry i,
with a fine-toothed comb. =,
CIub HIS Away
The amen corner down here sat
in session, discussing the Wash,
ington club and its methods of
playing ball. Great stress was
placed upon the fact that the
club persisted in hitting straight
away, Scorning the sacrifice bunt
and other methods Of advancing
runners. Now this writer says
that the sacrifice hunt had many
Staunch advocates, in baseball.
Father Henry Chadwick was
among them. So was Sanford
Dole, who carried baseball into
the Hawaiian Islands.
However, we digreSS from the
point under discussion. We
started to talk about the sacri-
flee hunt. Let's start with
Wednesdays game W here the
finger was levelled on Harris.
In the second inning the Griffs
scored one run. Harris hit
straight away. It was too early
to play for one run then. And
in the second inning the boys
scored another run on three
hits, but two were out before
Stone singled. Surely you can't
bunt then.
Reynolds Steals
In the eighth and tenth innings
the boys had two out before q
man got on base. Reynolds stole
second in the tenth, but White
head stopped further hitting.
We have seen Harris bunt
Strategically, but more to this
writer's preference is his cunning
use Of the hit and run, and the
stolen base. That is baseball of
the McGraw school, of the Hug
gins school. ~.f+'>
It is baseball that admits Of no
set defense like the bunt-with-a-
man-on-firSt stuff so often used.
The hit and run makes double
plays difficult. It gives you a
double shot at runs, and this club
has needed lot Of runs.
An indictment has been read
against Harris for faulty use of
pitchers, and much is made of his
use Of Dietrich That raises the
point Of who buys the players for
this club. No one can tell me
that Harris alone buys them. In
the case Of Dietrich, he wanted
to convince himself that the boy
lacked the ability to win.
Joe CaScarella lost some start
ing games, four Of them If mem
DRY is not playing pranks again.
But CaScarella pitched just as
well as the muchly advertised
and advertising Buck NewSom
has on occasion. However, Joe
is firmly established In the ranks
Of relief pitchers now, along with
Appleton, who has scored most
Of his recent victories in that
capacity. w..
Harris looks forward to the
events Of the next few days in
this mans town. The Browns
are beginning to play ball now.
just as they started in late July
last year. The GriffS should
win, but if they fail, you'll hear
no complaints from Harris, who
will play the games with the
elements at hand, making the
best use Of a cracked pipking.
which in this sense is q team
that is not too bad, nor by any
means too good.