Evening star., 1937-03-03
HARRIS IS SETTLED
0NSEvEN CHOICES
Sees Lanahan as Regular.
Weaver May Land Berth
as "Fireman" HurIer.
RY FRANCIS E. STAN.
BY FRANCIS E. STAN,
Staff correspondent of The Star.

RLANDO, Fla, March g.
Stanley Harris today all but
named the Washington ball
~ clubs pitching staff for 1887.
The corps will number nine curvers
when the Nationals leave camp. Seven
and possibly eight are sure of jobs.
Harris-Bucky to you--announced
this set-up following only two days
of practice. but after a Winter of deep
thought. In his mind there is little
doubt as to what species of ball player,
and how many of each, will wear
Washington uniforms when the bell
rings on April 10.
Definitely" he disclosed, we're
carrying only nine pitchers. Guess
their identities if you will, but there'1
be only nine. That means three catch
ers, six infielders and five outfelders.
That's % players, isn't it?"
On the Sun-bathed ball field here
there are dozen pitchers, or would-be
pitchers, and Newsom still is due.
None of them, except Jack Salveson,
Is new. But. old buddies or not, they're
battling. It's a sort of a survival OF
the fittest affair. and they know it.
Lanahan Given a Chance.
a S I SEE it, declares Bucky, well
want to have more than the usual
four starting pitchers. I'd like to have
six, or even seven, that can start"
Who would they be? Some of them
aren't hard to figure.
Buck Newsom will be one, of course,
when and if he reports" begins Bucky.
"Then therell be Jimmy De Shong,
Salveson, Pete Appleton and Joe Cas-
carella. That's five, isn't it?
Dick Lanahan? Yes, rather fig
ure him to be starting pitcher. The
same goes for Ed Linke. These fellows,
think, ought to round out what might
be called the men who are sure of their
Jobs"
Interest in the identity of Harris
hurlers, however, should not DROP here.
Bucky insists that if there is one de-
partment in which he does not want to
be "man-power weak it is the pitch
x.
need more than seven hurlers, and
therefore at least two others become
important.
From among veteran Monte Weaver,
rockies Ray Phebus, l>en Chase, Harry
Kelly and Frank Peticolas and Sydney
Cohen will these two be chosen.
Weaver Nav Be Fireman."
IF I HAD to offer an opinion at
this time quoth Bucky, "Id say
that it Is between Weaver, Phebus and
Cohen. I'm afraid that Chase will
need another year in the minors I
don't know anything about Kelly, but
ofhand I'd say he lacks the expert
ence. I couldn't say honestly that
Peticolas had much chance"
Cohen's potential value seems to be
based on two counts. First, he is a
ieft-hander. Wa-t 'ngton in woefully
short of southpaw pitching. Secondly,
he has more than major league
neophyte's share of poise.
Weaver has in his favor a veterans
experience and a great fighting heart.
These facts are established. But If
Monte sticks, it probably will be strictly
as relief pitcher Montes days as a
starting twirler seem to be over, but
many a fading slab star has prolonged
his career by turning fireman"
Phebus is liked by Harris. received
indi1erently by Griff. The latter
doesn't think that Ray is ball player
enough" to be taken too seriously.
He doesn't field or hit well enough is
what mean" says Griff Il prefer to
string along with fellow like Linke,
for instance, because he's real ball
player-not just starting pitcher. Ed
can field like an infelder and hit like
real good batter"
Harris thinks differently. He likes
Phebus' style on the slab. He has ac-
cepted Shanty Hogans word that Ray
Is dead game, Shanty having caught
him at Albany "All he may need"
insists Stanley Raymond, SIS the sea-
soning that he may get here AS far
as the eighth and ninth pitching jobs
are concerned. / am keeping an open
mind. And I wouldn't say that Kelly,
Chase and Peticolas are out of the run
ming"