The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1937-04-26
Weak BdttinQ
Of Team Inks
Manager
By FRANK BUCK" ONEILL

Orlando?
Has the task of reducing his
Gargantuan figure to the proper
tions of mere man Slapped his once
terrific power and made him
hollow shlel a Jeffries facing his
Johnson?
These questions torture the soul
of Bucky Harris as the Griffs are in
Boston today, hoping for clearing
skies and shot at the Red Sox.
These are just a few of the
worries that burden Harris as he
looks to the coming Western trip.
When will the team start hit
ting?
Has Newsom fallen to such low
estate that he can't beat the Ath.
letics, one of the teams that kept
him on the winning side Of the
ledger last year?
Harris may dismiss worry on the
score of the team hitting. The
men will start hitting one of these
days, and you'll have to call out
the troops to retire the side.
Should Win Games
AS for Newsom, he should be
winning pitcher, but whether or
not he will win is something on
which your guess is as good as
mine. Perhaps Jack Rothrock
was lucky in making the hit that
drove in the winning runs on Sat
urday. More laetr on that sub
ject.
The chief worry Of Harris con-
Germs j. Francis "Shanty" Hogan.
AS yet Hogan certainly has not
developed any hitting power. He
has made a few hits, but they
didn't ring off the bat. He has
popped out and rolled out. He
has hit into double plays, and
truly Harris is fretting a little.
A weakness has cropped out
in Hogan's guarding Of the plate
that never was observed before.
Twice now he has failed to get
throws to the plate at vital
points. 1t is true that the ball
in each instance was a little off
the line. 1t is true that the
chief job of the catcher is to
guard the plate. But an empty
handed catcher isn't much of a
guard. The ball has gotten away
from him.
All of this calamity bowling
may be bit premature. Hogan
is a fine receiver, and the pitch.
erS swear by his judgment. His
record in baseball is that of q
fine receiver, and his batting
average tells it's own tale. He
isn't fast, and he is double play
bait, but when he starts seeking
that leather and we know he can
sock leather, you'll forget about
the double plays.
1t is just a question of him start
ing, and Harris hopes that today
is the day.
The Griffs are In fair way
Of establishing a record for leav-
ing men on bases. In four games
they've amasSed a grand total
of Al men left on bases, an
average OF 1914 men per game.
If this nonsense continues they
will hang up a record that will
eclipse anything ever known in
the history of the game. The
cold record of failures up to
date precludes the possibility Of
claiming lack of breaks" which
is a standard alibi.
Connie Mack has more than
kept his promise that the Ath-
letics of 1887 will be an inter.
esting team. Beating the Griffs
three games in as many starts,
the Macks need only three more
games to equal their record Of
last year against Washington.
Not only did the Macks win, but
they won in the style of men
trained by a great master.
Jack Rothrock'S slap hit be-
tween Lewis and Travis was not
lucky. 1t was beautifully placed
hit. Williams bunt past NeWsom
was not lucky. He timed his poke
at the ball and made good. This
is the game that Frank Chance
and his Cubs played; that Hughie
Jennings and Fielder Jones played.
Connie Mack revived the art of
his older contemporaries and
showed the younger generation the
worth of inside baseball.
CrOn1n In Shape
Here in Boston the same enthu-
siasm of other years flares forth
on all sides. The balance Of the
American League is admitted, but
the Sox will be the team that
will decide the race. They are
going to beat the good teams, the
fans up here tell you. And per
haps that is right. Perhaps the
Sox will come through and do
what they were expected to do
Joe Cronin is playing good bail
at shortStop. He gets his hits, and
he has been fielding well. Tom
YaWkey Is sold on the PROPOSE
ton Of the 'FTisko Kid, and as
long as the man who signs the
checks is sold, why what more
can you ask?
Much of Boston's success this
season will be measured in terms
of Cramer's success. If the cen
terfielder who was more or less
of a failure last year. has good
season, he may carry the Red SoX
with him. Cramer has enough
ability to rank with the best. It's
just a question of his getting of
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