Evening star., 1938-05-07
'CASE EARNS BERTH
AS GR|FF REGULAR
Hard Hitting and Improved
Fielding Are Rewarded.
Helps Defeat Chisox.
Bv BURTON HAWKINS.

George Comet Case, sensitive
22year-old boy direct from the cellar
club of the Eastern League, today be-
came Washingtons regular right
fielder Until he displays definite
signs of willing, Case will bat whether
southpaW. right -hander or octopus
throws 'em for the opposition.
As the Nationals clutched eagerly
for their fourth consecutive victory to-
day at Griffith Stadium in the finale
of two-game series with Chicago, the
Streamlined Case. less than two weeks
ago a victim of one of the most heart
less booings ever chorused here. be-
came an integral cog in the plans Of
Manager Bucky Harris
Harris. who has insisted from the
start Case would bridge the tremend-
Gus gap from Trenton to the major
dendS on his faith in the moody lad.
1t was Case, in the final analysis. who
largely was responsible for Washing
tons second l3inning triumph in
three days yesterday as the White Sox
Succumbed, 43.
Case on Upgrade Afield.
What is more important. however. Is
the fact that George is finding himself
as fielder as we'll as batter. In
fact, it was Cases quick thinking in
the twelfth inning that saved the
game. 1t was overshadoWed bv later
events and virtually ignored at the
time, but his split-second mental ma
neuvering choked off the winning run
That was when Mike kreevich
lifted fly to short right field on the
foul line. zeke Bonura and Ossie
Bluege collided on the play, Bonura
receiving a blameleSs error when the
ball plopped out Of his glove. The ball
rolled toward the right field boxes and
apparently both Ossie and Zeke
thought it had been foul. AS they
showed no inclination to retrieve the
ball, Case streaked in. scooped it ur
and heaved it homeWard. Kreevich
| already had rounded third when Case
sensed the situation. kreevich failed
to score as Steinbacher grounded tc
| Travis and Walker famed but Mike
can blame George for robbing him OF
a hero's role
Case. in his last 20 appearances al
the plate. has collected seven hits for
a highly respectable $50 average. In
cluded among those are three doubles
A line drive hitter, he figures to amass
a flock of doubles if he continues tC
click. He's stretching those long
singles into doubles on sheer speed
and Harris relishes that.
A potential star, Case has taken
rapid strides toward erasing the
memories of the prolonged raspberry
he received only recently when he
misjudged a long fly authored BY
Jimmy Foxx in a game already won
by Boston. That takes courage and q
certain amount of ability.
Double Sends Mats Ahead.
Cases sizzling double to center in
the fifth inning, scoring Rick Ferrell
and Monte Weaver. staked the Mats to
a 2l lead after Bozie Berger's triple
and Kreevich's single combined to
send the Sox ahead in the third
inning.
Weaver yielded two more runs in
the sixth inning, however, when Man.
ager Jimmy Dykes pumped a double
off the left field barrier to score Gerald
Walker and Joe Kuhel. The Mats
struggled along until the ninth inning
when they made the most of one hit. a
sacrifice and two errors to tie the
score.
Buddy Myer picked up Relief
Pitcher Harry Kelley's bat and dragged
bunt toward Dykes for a hit. Dykes
rushing his throw, threw wildly past
Kuhel and Buddy scooted to second
Almada sacrificed and was safe, a.
Myer moved to third on Kuhers muff
Myer crossed the plate as Lewis forced
Almada at second with a grounder to
Dykes.
The winning run was pushed over
when Bluege singled to open the Mats
half of the thirteenth. moved to second
on Rick Ferrell's sacrifice and romped
home when Pete Appleton slammed
single off Kuhel's outstretched glove
The relief pitching OF Kelley. Ken
dali Chase and Appleton was refresh.
ing, with the Sox collecting only four
hits in six innings off their combined
slants.