Evening star., 1938-06-10
SIMMONS LIKELY
TO TOLL STEADILY
Center or Left AIS While
He Hits-Tigers Promise
Trouble Here,
By FRANCIS E, STAN.

IIUuUIC I1CICS
BY FRANCIS E. STAN.
As If Bucky Harris troubles were
not sufficiently nerve-wearing already,
the ugly head of q new outfelding
problem reared up today as the Sen
ators prepared to close their second
long home stand against the Detroit
Tigers.
Johnny Stone, most dependable of
all Washington outfielders during the
last four years, was to be benched
temporarily today for not hitting 1T
isn't that Johnny's tired, or anything"
explained Harris, but I just want to
give him a couple days to sit down
and try to untrack himself from his
slump"
Stoney, who has made only three
hits in his last 43 times at bat, prob
ably will fall in with the idea enthu-
siastically. This has been a most be-
wildering Spring for the rangy man
from Tennessee. He got off to his
worst start as a major Lacquer and in
stead of coming out of the slump he
seems to be getting into it deeper.
Sometimes brief rest helps.
With Stone due to idle, Harris will
use either Al Simmons or Goose Goslin
in left field. The Tigers were expected
to use q right-hander today in the
series opener. If so. Goslin will play
left. Taft Wright will go to right field
and either Simmons or Mel Almada
will go to center. The chances are 1t
will be Simmons, although Bucky has
not been using him against right
handlers. But AL has looked so good
recently that it's becoming increas-
ingly difficult to keep him out of the
lineup.
George Case Hot at Bat.
Simmons will play left field if the
enemy uses a southpaw. In this event
Rookie George Case will go to center
field and Wright will continue in right
field. Day by day Harris and the
Griffs are beginning to look upon Case
with new interest. Yesterday the fleet
footed flychaser put on another ban
ner slugging show, collecting double
and two singles as the Washingtons
salvaged a game from the Browns,
to 4. George has been going like a
house afire recently, with seven hits
In his last 16 times at bat.
Stones slump is real puzzler
Johnnys batting average has dropped
to the low .250s. Yesterday, while the
Griffs were pounding the Browns for
is hits, Stoney and Zeke Bonura went
hitless.
The horse-collars drawn by Stone
and Bonura explains why the Griffs
had such hard time whipping the
Browns when they outhit the cellar
ties, Is to 4. Washington left Is run
ners on the bases, or two per inning
The Browns, going hitless against jim
my DE Shong until the sixth inning,
left only five men on the sacks They
made the most Of their scoring oppor-
tunities, even to the extent of driving
De Shong from the box after Jimmy
had made his best showing of y the
campaign.
Bucky's Pitchers Can't Finish.
The invading Tigers. although also
suffering from lack of pitching, prom
Use trouble. The Bengals are making
serious f1rst-division gestures, threat
en1ng the fourth-place hold of the
Grlhmen. As yet Hank Greenberg and
Rudy York are not hitting in expected
style, but Harris and his men are not
going to bring up that subject. The
Browns sluggers weren't hitting,
either, until they came into Griffith
Stadium the other day. And in the
first two games they made % runs
and 27 hits.
Ken Chase, who has two straight |
good games behind him, was to open
the Detroit series today. Tomorrow
Dutch Leonard, who was driven out
by the Browns in less than two in
nings the other day, will start. Wesley
Ferrell probably will conclude the |
SERIES
Harrk outfield was not his only
worry. He still has a pitching hang
over. Although De Shong threw in a
nne game yesterday he failed to fin
ish when Goose Goslin batted for him |
IN the eighth inning. This made six |
straight games in which no starting
pitcher has finished. The last time |
the trick was done was on June 3, |
when Ferrell turned back the White
Sox, to /. Harris has been forced to
use Is pitchers in the last half dozen |
games.
De Shongs Game ENCOURAGING.
The Browns got off to a fortunate
10 lead against De Shong when some
sloppy shortstopping by Cecil Travis
helped them to an unearned run. In
their half of the first inning, how
ever, the Mats scored two runs of Russ
Van Alta and never were headed. By |
the fifth inning they held a 5-to-l |
lead.
De Shong gave up nothing that re-
sembled q base hit until Pinchhitter
Mazzera, up for Van Alta, singled to
open the sixth. This blow was wasted,
but in the seventh De shong walked
the first two batters and the Browns
checked of second run. In the
eighth they cut the score to 5-4 when
they put together two hits and a base
on balls for two more runs.
With two down in the Washington
eighth Travis doubled and Ossie Bluege
singled him across, making it ga.
When Rick Ferren walked Harris sent
Goslin to bat for De Shong and left
the ninth inning to Pete Appleton, who
handily protected the lead.
De Shong's performance was one of
the high lights of a dismal week. The
game indicated that Jimmy might be
ready to take his regular turn again
and start winning. He is something
better than an average pitcher when
right and Jimmy will be in q position
to lift q large load of the Mats
~hn,1ldorr