The Washington times., 1938-05-09
May Win
If Pitching
Holds Up
TERRELL CLUBBED
Locals Gaining Fame
As Best Bunting
Club in Loop
BY FRANK BUCK" O'NEILL

ny rNANN DUN ONEALk
With the exception of the DE-
troit Tigers, who follow the st.
Louis Browns into the city, all
clubs in the American League have
played at Griffith Stadium, The
Nationals are half game out of
first place, tied with the New
York Yankees.
This is just about as it should
be, for, with the exception of the
New Workers, the Nationals have
proved themselves superior to all
other clubs so far. The Yankees
won four games out of six against
the local warriors. Cleveland,
Boston and Philadelphia won one
game each
1t is too early to boast too much
about the Nationals and their
present position. Perhaps some
of the other teams will improve.
Perhaps the Griffith outfit will
lose some Of its drive and some of
its luck. AS far as the season has
gone, the Washington club has
done about everything demanded
by fans
MEDIOCRE PERFORMANCE
There still is cause for concern
over the pitching. Yves Terrell
was credited with the victory yes
terday, but his performance was
nothing if not mediocre. The
Browns dubbed him for IL hits
and scored seven earned runs off
him. No fewer than five of those
runs were scored in the eighth
inning when Terrell was knocked
out of the box.
Terrell pitched his best game
of the season against the Yankees.
He deserved that victory.
Far and away the greatest
pitching performance Of the year,
locally, was Dutch Leonard'S vic
tory over the Cleveland Indians.
Weaver and DeShong have turned
in some good games, and the re-.
lief work of Pete Appleton has
been splendid.
The law of averages has a wa!
Of catching up with ball players,
as it has with everything else. So,
with 1874 games remaining to be
played this year, we will have to
wait and see what June and July
bring forth before we flap our
wings too violently and crow too
Justify. We can tell the world
we're all right so far, and be
wholly correct in our statement.
FINE BUNTING
Before this season is over the
Nationals will go down in Ameri-
can League history as one of iile
fine bunting teams of the circuit.
They broke down the Cleveland
defense with hunts and set up the
winning run in Leonard's game.
Buddy Myers drag bunting stood
the White Sox on their ears, and
Case beat out a bunt yesterday
in the third inning.
Cases bunt in the seventh sent
KresS into brain storm, but little
credit can go to the hitter in that
particular instance.
Melo Armada, lead-off man, is
a deadly bunter. His speciality is
dropping the ball along the base
lines, preferably toward third.
Case is a speed flash who can
drop the ball nicely, and Buddy
Myer is almost uncanny in his
skill. Since Myer is a power hit
ter as well as a bunter. the oppo-
Sition can offer no set defense
against him. You show m ca better
bunter than Buddy Lewis and I'll
show you the best bunter in the
American League.
Informed opinion in st. Louis
is that you can lead a Dean to
a surgeon, but you can't make
him use common sense. Dean re-
fused to follow the advice Of sur.
geons during the winter, and as
result the Chicago Cubs paid
$185, 900 for sore arm.
NEEDED REST
Dean was advised to give his
arm complete rest during the off
season, and to proceed with eau
ton during the early stages Of the
training season.
It is not known what Dean did
Continued on Page ~, Col. 81
Reds Barry Hopes.