Evening star., 1938-04-14
SUN BARS ROOKIE
FROM LEFT FIELD
Stone Is Shifted to Make
Spot for Taft-Bees Are
Beaten in Thriller.
BY FRANCIS F. STAN.


Round Man Taft Wright, ticketed
for the bushes a week ago, officially
was recognized as the winner of a
Washington outielding job today
The Round Man from Lancaster,
S. c.. moved into rioht field in Man.
ager Bucky Harris book and. climax
ing sensational development, Veteran
Johnny Stone found himself showed
to left to keep company with Veterans
AL Simmons and Goose Goslin
Wright, one of the heroes of the
Mats 6-to-5 victory over the Bees yes
terday, definitely will open the Ameri-
can League campaign against the
Athletics on Monday, providing Con-
ME Mack pitches right-hander.
He'll be in right field though. when
he plays" announced Harris. Il
found out two things about the young
man. First. he swings mean bat
Secondly, he can't play sun field"
Wright was to make his debut in
right field today in Griffith Stadium
against the Bees in the last of the
Washington Boston battles Up to
now Harris had been playing him in
left. when ne used Taft, but in Mr.
Griffiths ballyard the left field patrol
is only for a veteran. 1t is far and
away the toughest sun field in the
American League
More Switching for Bucky
This is one year Harris is going to
earn his salary the hard way Buckv
has the kind of ball players who must
be maueuvered constantly, like pawns
on chess board If Southpaw
pitches against Washington he yauks
Mel Amada. Wright and Buddy Myer
and inserts George Case, Simmons and
Ossie Bluege. If right-hander works
the next day, Washington's lineup
changes again. Now, with Wright
forcing himself into the spotlight, Har-
ris must figure on more changes.
Wright will be the Mats right
fielder only in Washington and other
cities where left is the sun field Where
the sun field is right Taft will shift
and Stone will go back to his old post.
It's all very confusing.
CLYDE Milan told me before We
hit Washington said Harris. explain
ing the shift of Wright from left to
right field, that Taft couldn't play
a sun field But you know how it is
I wanted to find out. Well, I found
out"
Bucky was referring to the Bees
seventh inning yesterday. when the
game was tied at %. With two down
and Johnny Riddle on first base.
Pinch-hitter Elbie Fletcher lifted a
high fly to Wright. The Round Man
spun under the ball, lost it in the
sun, and the drive dropped safely for
a double, putting Riddle on third base.
Travis Stars in 6-5 Win.
Pete Appleton was pitching for the
Griffs at the time and Pete still should
have escaped unscored upon. But
Buddy Lewis bobbed Eddie Mayos
grounder, Riddle scoring. Then Roy
Johnson shot line drive to left and
again Wight misplayed. The drive
scared past him for a triple, clearing
the bases and making it So
But if Taft was no Speaker in the
field he was a mighty man at the
plate for the fifth straight day, or ever
since Harris began to play him regu-
larly. The Lancaster Larruper laced
out four hits, bringing his fve-day
batting average to an amazing $50
Taft now has made IA hits in his last
25 times at bat, driven across nine runs
and scored six.
1t was the Round Man who touched
off the ninth-inning rally that tied
the score. With one out he singled
zeke Bonura and Stone duplicated the
feat filling the bases, and Cecil Travis
walked up and blasted a triple to the
center-fleld corner. 1t should have been
home run, but painters were busy in
the corner decorating the fence, and
when the ball bounded among the
buckets and ladders the umpires re-
stricted Cecil to three bases. Buddy
Myer, who also made four hits, and
Pinch-hitter Goose Gcslin, up for Tony
Gluliani, drew intentional walks. This
left it up to Jimmy Wasdell. batting
for Appleton. but he forced Travis at
the plate and Almada fouled out to
end the inning.
The next frame, however, ended all
Lewis beat out bunt and Wright pro-
vided the pivotal punch by doubling
him to third. After Bonura was
walked purposely, Stone forced Lewis
at the plate, but up came Travis again
to fly to center. Wright tagged up
and raced over the plate with the win
ming run. 1T WAS a real hall uanaa