Evening star., 1938-03-26
bONURAAF|XTURE,
BUT ALMADA ISN'T
Jimmy Looming as Garden
Prospect to Team With
Simmons and Stone.
BY FRANCIS z. STAN,
Stan Correspondent Of The Star.

ORLANDO, Fla, March 2s.-Rookie
Jimmy Wasdell may or may not be a
major league first baseman ut the
moment. Nobody who has any oficial
say in the Washington training camp
seems prepared to commit himself.
But Wasdell rapidly is proving he has
one requisite. He has plenty Of heart.
1t will be only question of days
before Zeke Bonura will be ready to
step into the Nationals lineup and
take over the first basing. Wasdell
knows it as we'll as anybody else. But
before he steps out Jimmy seems bent
on giving Manager Bucky Harris
something to remember him by.
Wasdell raped a home run yester-
day as the Mats defeated the Columbus
Red Birds, II to 2. He socked home
run the day before, when Washington
whipped Minneapolis, to /. A triple
and a single were his offensive con-
tributions the game previous, when the
Mats bowed to the Tigers, to 4 in
10 innings. In short, Wasdell is
swinging the hottest bat in camp, not
excluding that of AL Simmons.
Good Since Bonura Arrived.
Jimmy's streak started the day that
Bonura reported to camp. Up to then
he had been thoroughly whipped
young man. He had counted upon
beating out Joe Kuhel for Job when
Washington traded for Bonura, to
whom no beating out" is connected.
After going hitleSs in the first four
games, winding up with no blows for
II official times at bat, Wasdell started
to click against Detroit last Wednes-
day. He singled of Schoolboy Rowe
and then tripled off George Gill. In
Washington his triple would have
cleared the right-field fence.
The next day Jimmy doubled,
singled and homered in four official
times at bat against Minneapolis. He
scored a run and batted across four.
Yesterday at Tinker Field the a.
year-old first baseman hit home run
in three tries, scored two runs and
drove across three more runs.
Briefly, and summing it up, Wasdell
has batted an even 500 for the last
three games with hits in IL appear
ances at the plate. He has scored four
runs, doubled once, homered twice,
and driven across seven runs.
Squirt Won't Hurt Jimmy.
Wasdell hardly can hope to keep
Bonura of first base. Zeke will be
in the lineup as soon as he gets into
shape. But If Rookie Jimmy keeps
socking the ball as he has been doing
he may put some ideas into the head
of Mr.. Harris.
Last fall, when Wasdell came up
from Chattanooga, Harris placed him
in outfield so he could play Joe Kuhel
at first base. There is just q rare
possibility that Jimmy may be dis
patched to the garden again. AL
Simmons and Johnny Stone are GER
tain of their jobs but Melo Almada,
despite his home run yesterday, has
not been impressive. Griffith main
tains that Almada is not in top shape
and Harris has been unable to muster
any appreciation for Mel's batting
The chances are that Wasden, for
all Of his terrific hitting of late, will
be relegated to the bench with the
appearance of Bonura at first base.
Still, his squirt won't hurt Jimmy. For
while the Mats were doubtful II he
was even close to a major league ball
player.
Leonard Okay in 11-2 Win.
Next to Wasdell, the work OF Emil
(Dutch) Leonard was outstanding
yesterday as the Mats ran their win
ming streak in the Grapefruit League
to two games in row. Leonard. pick
ing up where Joe KrakauskaS left of,
held the Columbus outfit to four hits
and no runs in the last five innings.
The Birds, champions of the Ameri-
can Association last year, took q q
too lead over Krakauskas in the
third inning. Krakky wasn't so hot
yesterday again. In his four
innings he gave up nine bases on balls
and two hits.
In their half of the third inning the
Griffs tied the score and In the fourth
they fell upon Bill Siensoth for three
more runs, going ahead, S to 2. There
after 1t was easy. In the sixth inning
three Columbus errors and three hits
off Jack Lynn were good for five more
runs.
The Mats final run was added In
the eighth. when Rookie Taft Wright
singled across Rookie George Case,
who also had hit safely.