The Washington times., 1938-07-09
EARLY CLEARY.
BOLSTER NAT S
NEXT SEASON
BY KIRK MILLER

BY KIRK MILLER
Bounding youth, typified on the
Washington ball forces at the mo-
ment by such alert units Of man.
power as Cecil Travis, Buddy
Lewis, George Washington Case
(to give him all that's coming to
him) and Jimmy Wasdell, is going
to be intensified in the teams
makeup as summer rolls into fall
and 1888 gives way to 1889.
Indeed the pattern for another
year is already being designed in
the minds Of Bucky Harris and
Clark Griffith and if signs are not
misleading there will be a team
claiming Washington as its home
lair which will, on the whole, be
several Semesters younger than
this years copy.
There were expressions of salts
faction on Bucky's and Griff's
countenances this morning as they
thumbed through the latest clini-
cal charts coming north out Of the
Piedmont League, where Washing
ton owns the Charlotte IN. c.
entry.
lingering across the columns Of
statistics opposite two names, the
pair which does the master mind
ing for the Washingtonians agreed
that a couple of young farm hands
are just about ready for definite
plucking.
EARLY COMING BACK
Now there was 22-year-old Jake
Early. Jake, as everyone from
the White House to Greenbelt
knows, is a catcher. He's been UP
a couple of times before and
Washington has one more guess
on Jake.
Next time, which will be along
about mid-September, Early is
coming back for keeps. His rec
ord at Charlotte shows he's
rounded out nicely and is about
ready to give Rick Ferrell little
surcease from the daily grind.
Under the difficult conditions
OF batting by artificial lights in
all of the Piedmont stops except
Norfolk and Asheville, Jake is
whacking the ball for .305. In 62
games he's batted in 80 runs.
You may expect to see Jake do
ing most of the catching for
Washington after September IS in
order that he'll be Injured to the
work by the time spring rolls
around-as spring has a way of
doing.
The other Washington hopeful
who'll add to the spirit of eternal
youth with which Washington is
gradually flavoring its forces, is
Shortstop Cleary, also of the
Washington branch office at Char.
lotte.
LEAD-OFF MAN
Cleary is the lead-off man with
a sticking average of point above
Early'S. He's fast as all get-out
on the bases and in the field and
IN 66 games, according to the lat
est Piedmont bulletins, has stolen
81 bases in 66 games. Griff, who
spent the week during July loiter-
ing around the Charlotte farm,
says Cleary's arm is better than
Bluege's in his prime.
Mr.. Griffith, a lot of people in
Washington and other American
League way stations will wish to
see that statement proven but in
the meantime can't hate you for
your enthusiasm.
At Tuesdays opening game
with the pennant aspiring Cleve-
land Indians, a parcel of Wash
ington juveniles who did good
work in the recent cleanup cam
paign of Washington'S junior
Chamber Of Commerce, will be
guests Of the corporation. They
were originally scheduled to at
tend Mondays game, but since
that one has been merged with
Sundays in the form Of a double
header, the Tuesday date was sub
stituted.
Ossie Bluege is the leading ice
cream muncher of the domestic
troop. He wears the ermine robes
in this respect that once draped
across the broad shoulders of Wal
ter johnson, who just couldn't
leave the stuff alone.
A blackboard in the Griffs'
dressing room carries the latest
checker rankings, with a couple
Of pitchers leading the list-Wes
Ferrell and Monte Weaver. Rick
Ferrell is rated No. 3; Harry Kel-
ley, No. 4; Mike Martin, No. s.;
Jimmy Deshong, No. 6; Goose the
GoSlin, No. Z; Clyde Milan, No. 8,
with Elon Hogsett and Bucky Har-
ris completing the first 10.
The leathery complexioned
Milan protests his No. 8 ranking,
declaring he should be no worse
than fourth.
The days are not so torrid that
Nick Altrock doesn't get in his
round Of golf, but he confesSes
sometimes he reduces the dose to
nine holes.
Members of the Philadelphia
Athletics to a man declare they
could 60 on forever without nlaY-