The Washington times., 1938-01-14
Bluege dnd Wright Sign
Griffmen Contracts for '38
Rookie Rates
High Among
Sluggers
BY FRANK BUCK" ONEILL

We were sitting around in the
comfortable offices Of President
Clark c. Griffith this morning.
talking about hard hitters. No one
was barred. Griff, who glories in
his knowledge of boxing, extolled
the glories Of Bob Fitzsimmons.
Jim Jeffries, Stanley Ketchel and
Jack Dempsey. Cecil Smith and
Tommy Hitchcock, Of the polo
fields, were drafted to round out
the coterie: Bill Tilden and Ellis
worth Vines, the tennis men, were
included. We came to baseball.
with its Ruth and Heilmann, Geh-
rig. Jackson and Greenberg.
While arguments ragged back and
and forth, the mailman arrived
with o packet of very official
looking pieces of mail. Griff read
over some of the return directions
on the envelope.
"Hmmmm, he said. Here's a
signed contract from Taft Wright,
the outfielder."
Right then and there your cor.
respondent had a nomination Tor
the hard.hitting club. 1t was Taft
Wright, who last spring knocked
the writer right out of the Orlando
ball park and into Orange County
Hospital with foul tip. But that
is a story that will interest very
few people. Wright would make a
more popular topic for discussion.
BLUEGE DEFENSIVE ACE
A lefthanded hitter but not a
great fielder, Wright may be re-
tanned as a pinch hitter. He is
young and he's strong.
In the same mail was contract
bearing the signature Of OsSie
Bluege, still the greatest all around
infielder in baseball, and one Of
the greatest of all time. One of
these days bronze plaque bearing
his name will be placed in base
balls hall of fame at Coopers-
town, N. Y.
Bluege on the infield has ever
been q symphony in motion. He
gided to the point where the ball
would be, stabbed it out of the
turf with hands that seldom erred,
and walked back to his position.
There was no hurry, no emotion.
Perhaps that is why fans never
appreciated Bluege. He did things
and did them SO much better
than any one else could do them
that Washington fans too often
overlooked his velvet-smooth play.
NEVER GUARDED RECORD
Noted as a played who never
guarded his reputation, Bluege
went for everything. He played to
win games, not to compile great
averages. There was that day in
st. Louis in the Ill starred season
Of '34. With the Washington re.
serve forces shattered by injuries
Bluege was sent to play left field.
One of the Browns rifled a drive
for the fence, and Bluege started
in swift pursuit. The crowd warned
him as he neared the barrier, but
Bluege went ahead, leaped for the
ball and crashed into the barrier.
That he was not seriously in.
jured was a miracle, but after q
few days rest he tottered out on
the field and played swell game
at third base.
COACHES BUDDY LEWIS
Bluege is performing splendid
service for the Washington club
He has taught Buddy Lewis much
about third-baSe play, instruct.
ing him in the arts of making
those dazzling one-hand scoops ir
which Lewis has become so pro
ficient.
One Of these days Bluege viii
leave the Washington club, JUS
as Walter johnson, Sam Rice anc
Joe Judge left ". When that time
comes, some enterprising owner il
going to make him manager o.
the team. And that will be &
great break for the club. It won't
nurG bIueEe, DuC Gne cIuD WILL geI
the best Of the move:
WILL HE BAR OWNERS?
Word that Commissioner K. M
Lands is strapping on his armol
to joust with ball players whit
play the ponies, somehow or othel
leaves me cold. I see no peril tt
the great American game in bal
players showing 50 through th(
mutuel windows at some ract
track. Some Of the greatest play
ers I've known made occasiona
bets without hurting the dignit!
Of baseball.
Babe Ruth made many a hefty
bet on the bang tails. There wa
that memorable day when thu
Babe got the bad news on a maide1
2-year-old which, weighted dow
by the Bambino'S dough ran ou
of the money Ruth grunted
grabbed bat and hit the bal
out of the lot with two on base
to win the game for the Yankees
If Commissioner Lands cal
keep the club owners, club secre
taries and others off the courses
all right, but putting the finge
on the players in advance is no
LI-s.