Evening star., 1937-05-29
BUCK IS NO HELP
AS 500 SLABMAN
Beating Taken From Bosox
Proof He Is Ordinary
"In.and-Outer."
BY FRANCIS E. STAN,
stan Correspondent OF The Star

Stan Correspondent OF The Star.
~ OSTON, May 29-Buck New.
1 som remains the enigma Of
the Washington ball clubs
- pitching. Or, If you prefer,
more territory possibly can be em-
braced. Newsom still is the pitching
enigma Of the American League.
Rogers Hornsby always used to
wonder why the big fellow could not
become a winning pitcher when he
was with the Browns. This Is not
to say that Buck did not win. HIS
won and won often but, by the same
token, he lost and lost often Finally
Hornsby sold him In 1885 and Buckv
Harris undertook to solve the puzzle
that stumped Hornsby.
Newsom. handicapped by injuries,
did not fare too well in 1895. Last
year he was too close to that 500
mark to be highly ranked and this
season, which was to have been Bucks
greatest as big Lacquer, fnds him
exactly even in games won and lost to
date. There has been no definite in.
dlcation as yet that Newsom will live
up to all the promise based on his
physical equipment and willingness to
work.
Prior to the dismal opener Of the
Red Sox series here yesterday, New
som held three victories as against
two defeats. Today, after a four
inning bombardment and a 7-to-0
licking, his mark was q 500 again,
Is Confirmed In and Outer.
RY THIS time it has been estab.
lished that Buck is no great
pitcher. He is too wild ever to be
standout and his curve is not a fiHinR
mate to his fast ball. But Buck
should fare better than he has. He
should fare better, f'rinstance, than he
did yesterday when he gave up five
earned runs to the Red Sox in four
innings and finally retreated while tho
Bostons held 6-to-0 lead.
Buck has been a definite inland.
outer this year. He lost to the As
In his first start and came back TO
whip the Yanks. Cleveland knocked
him out, but he was not credited with
a victory nor charged with a defeat.
Then he defeated Detroit but was
knocked out by Chicago and Boston,
although his record did not change.
He then won over the Browns but in
his last two starts he was soundlv
whipped by the Tigers and the Red
Sox.
Figures interest few, but for those
who seek to draw facts from them,
Buck, In 6l2a innings this year, has
given up 40 earned runs. allowed 81
hits, walked Al batters and hit two
other batsmen.
Marcum Inflicts First Shutout
THIS IS not good pitching record
but, at the same time, Newsom
cannot be condemned too harshly.
especially when the company with
which he Is running in Is considered.
One redeeming virtue Of Buck Is that
he Is one Washington pitcher who
always is ready to 60 out and pitch.
whether or no. If his record is not
so hot, it certainly isn't the worst.
Monte Weaver and Jimmy De Shong
have done better as starters, and Syd
Cohen's relief record is more I'M
pressive, but Buck is paled by no
others. If the 40 earned runs off
him in 6l2s innings is considered
strictly n. g., he has plenty of com.
pany. Joe Cascarella, for instance.
has allowed 81 earned runs in 81 In
nings pitched-or an average Of one
run per inning. nine per game.
At this point, however, Newsom
holds a more important key to the
Nationals fate than Cascarella, or
any of the others who have disap~
pointed. Harris pitching is in bad
shape now. He has Jimmy De Shong
and Monte Weaver to start and Bucky
| hopes that Carl Fischer will I'LL tho
| bill. For fourth, Newsom Is the
logical man, now that Pete Appleton
Is an uncertain quality.
Only perfectly pitched game by
Buck yesterday however, could DOS.
sibly have rewarded him with VIC
tory And he would have been
forced to pitch into extra innings.
While the Sox were pounding him
and getting bases on balls, Johnny
Marcum was holding the Mats to six
measly hits and inflicting the first
shutout Of the year on the Wash.
ington firm.
| One Nat Reaches Third.
|0NLY in one inning. the third, were
/ H. I'D