Evening star., 1938-03-23
Crs Need Of RtHand Punch Is Exenpied Defeat BY Reds
LOOK BAD AGAINST
ROOKIE SOUTHPAW
Bonura and Simmons Must
Produce to Give Team
Winning Attack.
BY FRANCIS E. STAN,
Staff CprreSpondent NJ The st.v


ORLANDO, Fla. March 23.-Big
Zeke Bonura, who has taken his own
sweet time reporting to his new team
mates. finally became Nat, officially,
today. His arrival was none too soon
for Manager Bucky Harris. The Mats
are suffering.
second-string Cincinnati south
paw, AL Hollingsworth, provided the
tip-of yesterday s>the Reds whipped
the Griffs, s to g. Holly worked the
first SIX innings and gave up two hits
to the Mats. One was a clean single
by AL Simmons, right-handed hitter.
The other was bunt by Mel Almada,
The matter might as well be dis.
cuSSed straight from the shoulder.
Without Bonura and Simmons func-
tioning the Mats won't have the kind
of attack tina, wins ball games. The
Cincinnati game proved it. So did the
game against the Tigers last Sunday,
when Washington lost, 13 to 0.
Even against Kansas City last week
the Griffs were no overpowering slug
gers. They won, to S, but the minor
leaguers outhit them, nine blows to
seven.
Simmons Only Big Gun.
AS matter of fact, Washington
probably won't win many ball games
until Bonura gets into shape and be-
gins to play. The Mats at the moment
seem to be making time until Zeke
steps into the picture The only
major league game they have won
was Just prior to the Joe Kuhel-Bonura
trade. That was the game against the
Cardinals, when Kuhel played first
base for the last lime as a Nat.
In short, the Griffs do not seem
to have the confidence with Rookie
Jimmy Wasdell playing, even tenn
porarlly. This IS so marked that
Harris and Owne. Clark Griffith are
accepting the Development philosophi-
cally. They are bding time and wait
ing for the day when Bonura and
Simmons can ster up to the dish in
succession and bang out those big
base hits.
In their last time games the Mats
have looked pitifu. In their game
against the Cards taey would not have
looked so good If 1t were not for SIM
mons, who made -four hits in five times
at bat, scored two runs and drove
across three more
Against Kansas Cty Al played only
half game, but he made two doubles.
scored two runs and drove across three
of the Mats total OF seven.
Reds Win HAnlily, s 10 !.
Simmons did not play in that 1870
slaughter at Lakeland the other day,
but he was back in the lineup yester-
day and again he stood out He vas
the only Nat to make two hits.
Despite these herots the big rent
cannot do it alone. The Grifis need
Bonura like Judge lands needs .
| haircut.
With Hollingsworth pitching strong
ly and Spud Davis cloting, the Reds
invaded Tinker Field and won their
seventh decision in eight Grapefruit
League starts. After Wes Ferrell had
walked two men in the second inning,
Davis cracked one Of tn. longest hom-
ers ever hit here and tie Reds had a
3-to-0 lead
In the third round Dusty Cookies
triple and Frank McCo-micks infield
out made 1t 40 In the seventh and
eighth innings the Mats allied OF Ray
(Peaches) Davis and scoled all Of their
runs, cutting the count to 4-3. but
the Reds put on a tworun rally in
the ninth to clinch it.
Jimmy De Shong and 1ete Appleton
divided the Washington pitching with
Ferrell. Only De Shong escaped un-
scathed.