Evening star., 1937-11-21
GR|FF IS BANKING
ON WR|GHT'S BAT
Stocky Recruit Slated It
Handle Pinch-Hitting in
Next Campaign.
By FRANCIS E. STAN.

FALL ulOSCo oWdIu WHICH
n and baseball draws nearer,
II Clark Griffith writes down
4 4 one prediction in his book
and advises not to bet against it. The
Washington ball club owners tip IS
that Taft Wright, a stocky left-handed
hitting rookie. will do much Of the
Senator's pinch hitting in 1888 and
do it better than anybody in the last
i've years.
To q majority of Capital fans Taft
Wright represents only the name seen
occasionally In last Springs training
camp stories. The outflelder from
Chattanooga never reached Washing
ton on the Senators trip North. for he
was optioned to the Lookouts and
with them he remained.
But Grifnth, in recently releasing
outright such as Fred Sington and
Dee Miles, had Wright in mind. Il
definitely am going to keep Wright
next season." he claims. II feel sure
that Wright will succeed where Miles
and Sington and others failed in re-
cent seasons. know as well as any
one how poorly our pinch hitters per-
formed last season. Something has
to be done about it and don't intend
to stand by and do nothing"
Likes His Punch, Heart
WRIGHT was released last spring
after Washington purchased AL
Simmons from the Tigers. Taft is a
heavy-set, pugnacious-looking young
gent who carries q big war club to the
plate. He resembles 4 middleweight
fighter who has grown too heavy for
his division.
Here's what I like about Wright"
continues Grimth. Il know that he
can hit and that he has good heart.
He won't be afraid at that plate.
ITO be honest. don't think Wright
Is big league fielder. although he is
improving. But he looks like a big
league hitter and he is fast going
down to first base. Once he gets on
base Wright isn't much of q base
runner, but he can go from home to
first base and he'll be hard to double
p."
SAAAANl 1aS uAWu Ills S1l4Ic OF
pinch-hitting lemons" in the last
few years. Sington failed to make a
hit all year Is . pinch hitter and he
failed to drive across one run. Miles.
who was tried couple Of years ago,
was almost Is ineffective. Before that
he had Gus Dugas, who rivaled Sing
ton for inability to get on base. But,
withal, Grifhth Is confident that
Wright will flll the bill.
To Use Simmons, Too.
WASHINGTON also has had its
w share Of good pinch -hitters.
When Grin first came here In 1919 he
used . reserve catcher named Rippy
williams. who did well for five or six
seasons a. an emergency hitter. Then
came Joe (Moon) Harris, the veteran
who helped 20 nightly in the pen-
| nant-winning 1925 season.
Grill did not have another stand
out ptnch-hitter for . few years. but
when he finally was able to fill the
bill he got not one able man, but
two. He got q right-hander in Dave
(6herifD Harris and . left-hander
In Chf Bolton. As pinch-hitters they
played major roles in winning another
pennant in 1888.
For next season Wright is ticketed
to be the left-handed pinch-hitter
and oriff hints that Simmons will
be the right-hander.
Does that mean you are sold on
Rookie George Case for an outfield
1ob?" he was asked.
II was sold on him from the start, I"
claims Grimth. "Weu build q Aiding
pit In Orlando this spring, teach
him how 70 slide without throwing
his shoulder out Of place and by April
you viii sse . hne young ball player.
"Nwsovsr. you viii - some pretty
OpoA plneh.hittees.s