Evening star., 1938-07-09
HILL SPURT EASES
CLUBS HARD ROAD
Harry's Win Over As Third
in Four Starts Since He
Shed 35 Pounds.
BY FRANCIS E. STAN.


Harry Kelley, who was called Harry
(Kid) Kelley when he first came up
with the Senators 13 years ago, is be-
ginning to pay Clark Griffith some
dividends on the $4,000 investment
the Old Fox made in him two months
ago.
Harry still was acknowledging the
fluctuations of his teammates today
following his 11-to-0 victory over the
Athletics in the opener of a four-same
series. Deity scattering seven hits,
Kelley was in command from start To
finish.
1t was Harry's third victory in his
last four starts and his second shut
out within a month What it all
amounts to is sheer, undiluted Joy for
Messrs. Griffith and Bucky Harris.
With the tough July and August
stretch ahead of them, the Senators
have been looking for pitcher to
step up and show the way out Of the
wilderness.
And Kelley is the guy who Is play
irg Moses.
lOugn spring IOr harry.
Kelley this year had been like the
little girl with the curl. When he was
bad he was very bad But when he Is
good he is very good Past records,
going back over a number Of years,
show that Kelley definitely is very
good pitcher. So there must have
been a reason for his poor showing
after he first came to Washington
from the Athletics.
Harry nearly was booed out Of the
Washington ballyard earlier this sum-
mer. After few ineffective innings
the crowd heaped abuse on the vet
eran right-hander. A less determined
and courageous fellow might have
been tempted to chuck it all. 1t had
been a tough spring for Harry. He
was i'll during spring training and
never was able to round into shape.
When the season opened his 4-year-
old son fell critically i'll of pneumonia
in Arkansas and Harry started the
opening ball game for the Athletics
against Washington while knowing of
his sons grave condition.
When he was knocked out early in
the game Harry jumped into his street
clothes and boarded plane for his
boys bedside The lad recovered, aft
er some weeks, but Harry was far
from in good condition and Connie
Mack let him go to the Senators.
Il weighed ZIG pounds when I came
to Washington, says Harry. II was
hog fat-far too fat to pitch. didn't
have anything on the ball. wasn't
throwing my usual way. I knew it
would take a lot Of work to trim me
down but I went so poorly began
to wonder If was going TO get a
chance to do that work-in the majors.
at least.
Now" he grinned. slapping his
stomach, Il weigh 181. That's a
difference of IS pounds. 1t means I
can get more on the ball and I can
put the ball closer to where 1 want it. -
Harrys streak of good pitching
started on June Is in Cleveland, when
he went in as a relief pitcher and
pitched three scoreless innings. He
was given a starting chance after that,
facing the White Sox. He let the
Sox down with five hits and pitched
| a shutout to win, II to O. After that
followed 7-to-l victory over the
Browns, who got only seven hits of
him.
Kelley was beaten in his next start.
After fine beginning against the
Yankees q couple of fly ball homers
whipped him. But he came back
yesterday to prove his other two VIC
tories were no f1ukes.
Travis Hot At Bat.
Harry was as effective as Lynn Nell
son and Edgar Smith were ineffective.
Nelson. who had won eight and lost
only three games. retired after six
innings with the score 8 to 0 against
him. Smith came in to pitch the
seventh and eighth and of him the
Griffs scored their remaining runs.
Cecil Travis shared starring honors
with Kelley, collecting three singles
and double in four trips to the plate
and driving across four runs. He also
scored two runs to make himself
something of a general nuisance ia
the Athletics.
The scoring Of the runs isn't i'm
portant. Travis started it by singing
with the bases loaded in the first in
ming. That gave Kelley a 2-to-0 lead
which was twice as many runs as he
needed. After that the boys merely
fattened their batting averages for
the amusement OF themselves and q