Evening star., 1938-08-19
DOZEN IN 10 DAYS
LET IN q TALL|ES
Mates Fear Thirdsacker's
Confidence Is Waning.
Boosts Stick Mark.
BY FRANCIS E. STAN.
STAFF CORRESPONDENT Of The Star,


charged to him in less than 10 days
against a single ball club, Third Base
man Buddy Lewis Of the Nationals
has q lock on the BOBBY prize for
fielding his position for the year. Up
to now Lewis inability to throw up
an adequate defense against the Yam
KEGS has been laughed of and called
lone of those things"
But when Buddy let six more uri-
earned runs slip across the plate dur
ing the course Of that double-header
with the champions yesterday in
Washington even the stauncher sup
porters of the youngster are becom-
ing worried. An inf1elder Of Lewis
type doesn't figure to have streak
Of this sort. Zeke Bonura, perhaps,
because not even the Ecker pretends
to be defensive gem. Cecil Travis
might have bad run Of fielding luck,
too, although Cecil has fine pair of
hands. Even the doughty Buddy Myer
could have his troubles.
But hardly Lewis. When the o.
year-old third baseman came up to
to the majors three years ago he was
touted as q great fielder. "Give him
time and he'll hit, too," said Zeb
Milan, who was managing Chatta-
nooga at the time and who shipped
Buddy to Washington.
All Started in New York.
Lewis wasted no time living up to
advance notices <as a fielder. He had
good refiexes. was fast on his feet,
and he owned q pair Of sure hands.
He hit well, too. and until 10 days
ago Buddy stood pretty close to tops
in general ranking among the best
third basemen in the majors.
Now consider. If you please, what
has happened to our John Kelly. 1t
all started on August 10 In New York
That day Buddy committed three
errors and allowed seven unearned
Yankee runs to score in q 12-11 win
for New York. The next day he
made another boot and four more
unearned runs scored as q result.
Washington lost, 8 to 6.
That ended hostilities with the
Yankees for brief period. During
a three-game series against the Red
Sox in Washington the youngster re-
turned to normalcy. Then came the
folr-game series just completed and
Buddy blew up again.
He booted two more in the opener
OF the four-game set and the Yanks
scored five runs with his unwilling
assistance. In the second game he
booted two more, but they didn't fig
ure IN the scoring. But yesterday in
the first game Of that double header,
he kicked three chances, let four I'M
earned runs score, and the Yanks
whipped the Griffs. to 5, in IL
innings. And in the second game,
which the Mats won,~6 to 3, he made
another error which gave New York
two Of its runs.
Lack Of Confidence Feared.
The Griffs obviously are going out
Of their way to pat Lewis on the back.
And to hear an unoficial spokesman
they are worried lest the youngsters
confidence. Is vanishing. Buddy is a
game kid and not likely to be daunted.
But in the last six games against the
Yanks he has made IL errors and let
81 runs score. And of those six games
the Griffs have lost five.
Its the worst streak I've ever heard
Of" said one of the Mats. Il haven't
even heard of a bad fielder having 20
much trouble. 1t could get the kid
down. Then Oh Griffith really could
sing the blues. His best ball player
going to pieces over flock Of errors
at third base, Of all positions!"
1t Is no laughing matter. Lewis or
even Bluege could make two or three
errors on bad day. But IL errors in
less than 10 DAYS! and IL errors
that hurt as rluch as thos. Of Buddy's
have hurt! That's serious.
And Yet Hes Hitting.
Lewis is hoping for new deal, be-
ginning today when the Griffs open
q four-gam series with the Red Sox.
His tough luck started in Yankee Sta
dium and continued IN Washington.
As far as Boston's Fenvay Park Gus
toners are concerned, Buddy is good
fielder. It Is virgin territory for him
as boy butcher.
The remarkable part Of the whole
chapter is that while he has been
going to pieces afield, Lewis has been
setting the hottest hitting pace on the
club. He now has batted safely at
least once In Is straight games. Over
this stretch he has made rs hits In
50 official times at hat and he has
boosted his average from the low .29os
to we'll over 800. As result he now
has q chance to finish with his high
est stick mark as a professional ball
player. A .307 pace would take care
OF that.
Lewis fielding in the first game
hurt the Mats in more ways than one.
It cost them game and deprived
Dutch Leonard of his 18th pitching
win of the year. Most Of all, 1t cost
them a decision to Wesley Ferrell.
Wesley made his debut as Yankee
against the club that released him
Internationally few days before and
the club that still was paying his