Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1937-05-08
RIDDLE IS LATEST
TO JOIN CR|PPLES
Club No Longer Resembles
Outfit Fans Reckoned
Would Go Places.
BY FRANCIS E. STAN,
Staff Correspondent OF The Star.


STAFF Correspondent OF The Star,
~ ETROIT, May Sit begins to
look now as If the Nationals
can only hope for the best
until their growing hospital
list diminishes and some badly needed
punch Is injected into the lower end
OF the batting order.
They not only were perilously close
TO the bottom of the American League
again today, but, in addition to Short.
stop Cecil Travis, a couple other in.
tegral cogs were out of commission
Tor an indefinite period. There is a
growing suspicion now that all is not
we'll with Buddy Myer (again), and to
top 1t all off, Catcher Johnny Riddle
has come up with mysterious arm
ailment.
Riddles right arm is badly swollen
from armpit to wrist, and for the time
being the catching will be taken care
OF by little Walter Miles. As a
pinch-hitter Myer saw action yes.
terday, when the Griffs dropped q
AZ decision to the Tigers, but Man.
ager Bucky Harris this morning had
no idea as to when Buddy will be
ready to play second base. And
Travis, who probably is the best hitter
on the club will not be available until
the club gets home on May Is.
Batting Order Now Top Heavy.
THUS, with two confirmed 300 hit
tiers out Of the game, in addition
to the regular catcher, the Mats no
longer resemble the ball club that
many observers thought had chance
to go places. The lineup now is
cock-eyed. All the rival pitcher has
to do is concentrate on the first five
in the batting order. Even the Griffs'
spark is fading.
No more evidence is needed than
what was exhibited in yesterdays
game here. opening a series that was
to end today. Pete Appleton pitched
fair sort of ball game, holding the
Tigers to eight hits. Pete was as good
as Roxie Lawson, the Tiger hurler,
who won his fourth game in row, but
the Washington power was poorly dis
tributed. OF the Mats seven hits all
except one was made by the first FIVE
batters in the order.
Johnny Mihalic went "four-for-o,"
as the boys say, and personally left
five runners stranded on the bases
when he became the third out in two
potentially big innings. Ossie Bluege,
Subblng for Travis, also went hit
less in four trips. Only Miles broke
into the hit column, getting double
to open the third inning, when both
OF the Griffs' runs were scored.
Average Less Than Four Runs
THIS is not to be construed as an
attempt to belittle the Nationals
reserve strength. AS such. 1t must
rank high. But, by the same token,
it isn't good enough. AS Manager
Bucky Harris puts it, The club
we're putting on the field now simply
isn't as good as the Yanks, Tigers
or Indians"
For the most part cold figures are
boring, but, nevertheless, they get
at the root of the Griffs' troubles at
the present time. Thrice in l3 games
now they have been held to one run.
Thrice they have been held to two
runs. Twice they got three runs,
twice they managed to make. four
and once they got five scores In the
other two games they scored 10 and
II, and, of course, winning
In short, the Washington average
for scoring is less than four runs per
game. and the dozen runs they made
to win from Cleveland earlier In the
week chiefly is accountable for tho
average being this high. On the
other hand the much-libeled National
pitchers have permitted the oppose
ton only 4-plus runs per game, which
ordinarily is enough to win steadily.
But enough of figures. BY virtue
Of doubles by Miles, Buddy Lewis
and Joe Kuhel, the Grif1s scored
two runs in the third inning yes
terday to tie the game In the fifth,
however, Lawson singled and scored
what proved to be the winning run.
In the seventh bill Rogeu homered,
making it AZ. That was that.