Evening star., 1938-05-14
IVES SPLA|N[Y NOT
SLAbb|ST HE WAS
Harris Confidence Weakens
as Key HurIer Gives 6
Earned Runs a Game.
BY FRANCIS E. STAN,
Stan Correspondent Of The Star,

Stan Correspondent OF The Star.
BOSTON, May 14-Tossed into the
center Of pennant race so close that
the first four clubs could be covered
with special delivery stamp. your
Senators are not exactly panicky to-
day. But with reasonable anxiety
they are pondering the matter with
Wesley Ferrell.
Wesley, by the full voice Of the
record books, is the ace bell-cow and
the hub Of the Washington pitching
staff. If he isn't he ought to be all of
these things. But so far, in spite Of
four victories as against two defeats.
Wes hasn't been the pitcher he used
to be and the fact that Washington
still leads the league today Is doubly
amazing.
For the first time since the season
got under way, Manager Bucky Harris
Is openly dubious of his pitching staff.
Bucky has been given good, bad and
indifferent pitching but never too
much Of any single kind. Now the
situation grows serious. Ferrell Is, or
should be. better pitcher than hs
has shown. But he isn't getting the
hitters out and it follows that Dutch
Leonard and Pete Appleton cannot
carry the burden between them for
long.
Best Game Against YankS
AS FAR as the won and lost records
go. Wesley is doing all right, despite
that 10-to-0 defeat plastered on him
yesterday by the Boston Red Sox.
Really, though, he hasn't pitched up
to that standard. Yves pitched one
good game this spring-a 7-to-4 VIC
tory over the Yankees in his second
start. A startling catch of a DO
tential home run drive hit by Billy
Dickey with the bases loaded and two
out in the ninth inning helped Yves In
this game, too. Johnny Stone made
the catch.
Ferren also pitched to q 7-to-2 vic.
tory over the AS but he wasn't first
class in this effort. He gave eight
hits and five bases on balls and
stouter competition might have made
it more difficult for him. OF course,
~ "~AAAAAAA6 t2laG SOu1lCS ana YVES WOn
but it stands that he wasn't good.
Nor has he been effective since that
game. which was on April %. The
Indians knocked him out of the box
IN less than five innings. The Browns
Knocked him out in seven and one
third innings, although he was
credited with 9-to-7 victory. He
won the opening game OF the season
from the Athletics but he prefers not
to mention it. The score was 1913
and Yves gave up 16 hits. Yesterday
ne took an unmerciful drubbing but
Harris did not take him out because
the game was gone and it would have
upset Buckys pitching plans.
Earned-Run Average Too High.
Getting technical and stopping to
figures, Wesley has worked a total
OF 46zs innings SO far. given up IS
hits and 20 bases on balls. The
mystery is how he won four and lost
only two games. He has allowed 80
runs. OF which SO have been earned.
His earned-run average lpft music.
prof) is between six and seven runs
per game
The fact that Ferrell is a better
pitcher than his record would indicate
Is slight balm. If the Nat staff is 90
ing to function. Yves will have to be
striking his stride. Had Black Jack
Wilson allowed the Griffmen to get
into yesterdays game at all, Harris
would have yanked Ferrell, making
the third straight time Wes has needed
relief. Appleton came to his rescue
the last two times and Pete is too
valuable as starter to be used often
As . relief worker.
Ferrell. OF course, is the type Of
pitcher who is hit often. Yves has
little fast stun to feed the hitters and
must rely on his control and knowl.
edge OF the batters to get them out.
But although he has given up more
hlts than any pitcher in the American
League the last two years he has not
been in the habit of allowing 50 many
earned runs. Any time a pitcher per-
mits more than six earned runs a
game he has to be uncommonly lucky
to win.
Wilson Gives Griffs No Chance,
Some ragged support hurt Yves yes
terday. In fact the Red Sox should
not have scored more than six runs.
In the sixth inning. after the Bostons
had taken 40 lead. they were helped
to four unearned runs. They finished
by scoring twice more in the eighth
inning.
The way Wilson was pitching in
hanging up Bostons sixth successive
victory and his own second straight
shutout. those four runs the Sox made
IN the fourth inning were more than
enough. Ferrell gave up walk with
one down and the next four men hit
safely to complete this innings scor-
ing. The rest isn't important.
How temperamental Wesley liked
the longevity of the beating he took
in full view Of a ladies' day crowd of
10000 is conjectural. Harris allowed
him to stay In there and the only
sign Ferrell gave was at the end of the
Boston eighth, when he wheeled and
walked straight to the Sox dugout and
disappeared under the stands. When
his batting turn came in the ninth
Harris sent AL Simmons to hit for him.
After the game Yves drew a deep
breath and said: 1--WE taken beatings
before. guess can take it,
The Mats attack was stunted thrice
by double plays. Our side got only
one man as far as third base and he
was Johnny Stone, who opened the
earond irnino v,jft, . Lo "a ~. L>n.