The Washington times., 1937-09-04
Chase Looms Real Find
For Gri14men's '38 Plans
YANK TURNBACK
ASSURES ROOKIE
STARTING ROLES
BY FRANK BUCK" O,NEILL

BY FRANK BUCK" O'NEILL
Ken Chase, who quit milking
cows on a farm in New York
State, is in a fair way Of winning
stardom as a major league pitcher.
The youngster stopped the Yam
KEGS yesterday at Griffith Sta
dunn before a crowd of 5000 pay
ing guests. The usual quota of
ladies' day guests swelled the to-
tai number of spectators to $4,000
or more.
Chase had a tough battle from
start to finish. All pitchers do
when they're facing the Yankees.
In the ninth the Rupert Rifles
had the tying run on second base
with the mighty Joe DiMaggio
up and two out. In the hitters'
circle crouched Lou Gehrig, wait
ing for his turn at bat If DiMag-
gio should hit or walk. Behind
Gehrig waited Jake Powell and
Myril Hoag, right-handed bats
men who dote on left-handed
pitching.
It wasn't necessary for Chase
to pitch to Gehrig, nor to any Of
the other Yankees in that drama
laden ninth inning. He concen-
trated on retiring DiMaggio, and
this he did on a splashy grounder
to Travis, who made the play
without difficulty.
CRACKS ROLLER
Heffner opened the ninth in
ming by cracking slow roller to
Travis, and by fast running con-
verted what might have been an
out into a single. Ruffing was
out, but CroSetti singled to center.
Rolfe's fly moved Heffner to third
and CroSetti to second, and up
came the great DiMaggio.
Chase pitched carefully, but
found himself in the three and
one slot. DiMaggio expected a
control strike on the next one
and swung, but Chase figured
with his rival, and put a cargo
of stuff on the ball. DiMagg1o
missed his cut, and it was three
and two. Chase put just as much
on the next pitch, and DiMaggio
rolled to Travis, ending the game.
Not only in the ninth did the
drums of jeopardy roll in the
Chase's ears. The boy created a
situation in the eighth by walking
DiMaggio and Gehrig, Although
trailing by two runs, the Yam
KEGS played for a tie, and Powell
sacrificed. Hoag flied out, scor-
ing DiMaggio, but Glenn rolled
to Myer in back Of second, and
was thrown out.
WOULD HAVE SCORED
There was the ball game; right
there. If Glenn had been q fast
runner, he would have beaten the
play at first, and Gehrig would
have scored the tying run. There's
no telling what might have hap
pened thereafter. Nor is there
anything to be gained in conjec-
ture. It is the result that counts,
and Chase carried on to win.
He did a great deal more than
win ball game. He did a great
deal more than pitch back to his
triumph over Bob Teller and the
Cleveland Indians a few days ago.
He gave high promise for another
year. He is one of the young
pitchers who will go to training
camp certain of his position
among the starters of 1898.
He passed half dozen men, but
he pitched ball that was better
than passing grade.
ALMADA AIDS
Chase had some fine help
throughout the afternoon, no
tably from Melo Almada. The
young Castilian made a double
and a single, and walked once.
He scored a run and drove in an
other. Defensively he made a
rolling, somersaulting capture of
a drive by Crosetti that perchance
cut off a run. Certainly, it cut
off an extra base hit.
Johnny Stone did some plain
and fancy cudgelling in the course
of the afternoon. He made a
single and a double, and got a
scratch hit in the first inning.