Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1938-03-09
.GR|FFS STRONGER
IN P|NCH-H|TTERS
Wright Figures to Bolster
Weakest Clutch Staff in
American League.
BY FRANCIS e. STAN,
star Correspondent Of The Star.

ORLANDO, Fla. March s.-The
feeblest pinch-hitting stan in the
American League helped to drag the
Nationals to sixth place standing In
1887. The Grin clutch" clouters
batted exactly .2l2. During the entire
campaign only II base hits bounced
OF their war clubs.
Thus Manager Bucky Harris, in
promising today an improved brand
Of pinch hitting for 1888, is crawling
out on no high limb. Every other
team In the league had better pinch
hitters than Washington. Indeed,
Harris outfit hardly can do worse.
Bucky's promise was inspired by
some lengthy smuggling on the part of
Rookie Taft Wright, the Skinned down
rookie outfielder who bats left-handed.
Although only going into his third day
of batting practice today. Taft had
replaced Jimmy Wasdell rs the
mightiest Of the southpaw sluggers in
practice.
The Chattanooga howitzer con-
sistently sent the pitches of Pete
Appleton, Monte Weaver, Ray Phebus
and other right.handers into the far
corners of right field. Only Joe
Krakauskas. the wild and speedy left
handler. held Taft to . few modest
belts. And Wright, like all other left
handed hitters, frankly was loose"
ut the dish against Krakauskas.
Bucky to Have . Quartet.
Harris virtually has decided to use
Wright as the Mats No. pinch hitter.
The stocky rookie, who resembles q
light-heavyweight prize fighter, will
don the firehat whenever the Griffs
need q strong hitter and when the
enemy Is using q right-handed pitcher.
Wright against the right-handers and
Pitcher Wesley Terrell against the
left-handers is Harris tentative pinch
hitting program. And it looks As If
we will have either Wasdell or Joey
Kuhel to use in the pinches, too," adds
Bucky.
"One thing know" he went on
rs that Wright Is better hitter and
. better ball player than Fred sington,
who was with US last year. Sington
might have been able to hit II We
could have played him every day. But
Wright is q natural hitter. He can
bat once every three days, or 20, and
have q chance to break up ball
game"
Also available for pinch-hitting duty
will be either Al Simmons or Rookie
George Case. They are waging .
spirited battle for the right field
assignment. The loser naturally will
Join the pinch-hitting brigade. Inas-
much Is both are risht-handed, Harris
will have two southpaw swingers-
Wright and either Wasdel1 or Kuhel-
and two right-handers In Ferrell and
Case or Simmons.
Sfngton Trailed 1887 Lit.
sington, the burly fly-chaser. who
was used BY the Mats as the chief
pinch batter until the trade for Yves
Ferrell, finished the 1887 campaign
with the worst record In the league.
In Is times ct bat he got no hits,
drove across no runs and scored none.
He got one base on balls. Wright fig-
ures to improve on that record.
Ferreu was the Mats best pinch
hitter last year Of those who came to
bat 10 times or more. Yves batted
.296 for ~ times at bat. Harris thinks
that he. win do, although Yves may
not be q good . hitter - formerly.
Indelder Johnny Mihalic was the
latest arrival, checking into the Nats'
hotel last night He Vaseto be 3otned