Evening star., 1938-03-17
HARRIS LIKES VET
AS P|NCH-BATTER
Goose Returns Today for
Tria|-Wright's Triple
OverComes Cards.
BY FRANCIS E. STAN,
Stan CORRESPONDENT OF The Star,


DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. March II.
"A familiar figure wore the flannel
Of the Senator's again and bombshell
was thrown into the ranks of WASH
tngton's flychasing corps. The Goose,
you see, is back again!
Leon Allen Goslin, bald, 81, and
supposedly washed-up as a major
league ball player turned up last night
IN the training camp of the Griff-
men and asked for trial He hasn't
signed yet, but he will if Manager
Bucky Harris thinks he looks good
in practice. And if the Goose returns
to the fold, either Rookie George
Case or Recruit Taft Wright will be
given the old heave-ho.
Ofhand, 1t doesn't sound reason
able. Goslin was released by the
Detroit Tigers. Every club in the
American League waived on him last
fall. He has been playing profess
sionally for lS years. He bats left
handed and the Mats have all the
southpaw swingers they need Why
not string along with kids like Case
and Wright and try to develop them?
Owner Clark Griffith and Harris
probably are asking that question, too.
But there is something about Goslin
and his background that prompts
consideration. Washington never has
won a pennant, for instance. without
Goslin. He played on all three flag
winning teams.
Constant 800 Hitter.
Goslin came to Washington in 1921
and was a powerful factor in the
winning campaigns of 1924
and 1925. He played for Washington
nine straight seasons and failed to
hit 300 or better only once.
In 1890 the Goose was traded to St.
Louis for Heinie Manush and Alvin
Crowder. 1t was thought by Griffith
to be a pennant-a assuring move. but
the Mats couldn't win. Not until the
winter of 1882, when Griffith sent
Sam West, Carl Reynolds and Lloyd
Brown to the Browns for Goslin, Fred
Schultz and Walter Stewart was
Washington able to win another PEN
nant. And Goslin again was in right
Held during that 1888 campaign.
After that flag-winning season the
Mats traded Goslin to Detroit for
Johnny Stone. Washington finished
seventh the following year, while
Detroit won the pennant the next
two seasons. The Tigers clung to
Goslin until he began to show signs
OF old age last year
NOW he Is back. He called Griffith
long distance from Miami and asked
II he would be welcome to work out
and try to win job Griffith and
Harris gave him the green light He
showed, and now we shall see what
we shall see.
Wrights Job Threatened.
Goslin claims he has another year
Of baseball left in him. Only with
Washington, though" he qualified to-
day. If I can't hook on here
don't care to play I always liked to
work for Griff and if I can't do it
don't guess I'll look any further. This"
and he indicated the Mats with a
sweep of his hand, lis my ball club"
Harris seems to be more enthusiast
tic than Griffith over the return of
the wandering Goose. Hell still look
pretty at the plate" said Harris. Il
don't care If he is left-handed. The
Goose always could hit any kind of
pitching"
Goslin's bid appears to threaten
Wright's position more than Cases.
At best the Goose only seems to qualify
As pinch-hitter. Still, Wright wasn't
wasting time when he tripled in the
eighth inning with the bases loaded
yesterday against the Cardinals. It
was Taft who drove across the win
ming runs in a 1913 conquest over the
National Leaguers
The Goose was born on October l6.
1901. in Salem, N. j. He served
two-year stretch with Columbia in the
Sally League and then was bought bv
washington. His 17-year average in
the majors is 315.
Mats Whip Cards in Opener.
The Mats were here today to face
Minneapolis of the American Associa-
tion in their second game of the exhi-
bltion season. They opened their
Grapefruit League campaign yester-
day at Orlando by downing the Cards,
1918, in free-hitting, fist-fying af-
fair which left capacity crowd of
over 1000 customers breathless.
The Mats took SO lead in the
first inning. The Cards staged a FIVE
run splurge in their half of the third
to tie to score. This was against
Jimmy De Shong. The lead see-sawed
until it was tied again at SO in the
fifth. In the seventh the Mats scored
three runs against Bob Weiland but
the Cards came back and scored two
runs to bring the count to 12-11. In
the eighth the Mats counted three
more runs, making it 15-11, but the