Evening star., 1938-04-20
BATTING EYE,L0ST
WHEN|LL, RETURNS
Hitting, Which Helps Down
AS Again, Continuance
of Spring Streak.
BY FRANCIS E. STAN.

They say ball player can't be
good unless he loves to play baseball.
In 1896 and 1887 baseball. TO Buddy
Myer, was no fun. He was sick. This
year he isn't sick and baseball is fun
and Buddy-well, have you seen him
lately?
Myer, dean Of the Mats in,eld, has
his guns trained on the wide ex-
panses of outfield at Griffith Stadium.
The park, in the beginning, was mace
to order for him. Buddy, nor any
other hitter. can hope 10 lift ever
the Washington fences consistently.
But for sharp line-drive hitter like
Myer the ball yard Is perfect.
The doughty second baseman Of the
Griffs covered himself With glory on
opening day. On his first trip to the
plate he drove to the center-field
corner for a triple, scoring two runs
and chasing Harry Kelley from the
box. Later he added a single that
helped in the scoring Of four more
runs in one inning.
Yesterday 1t vas Buddy who put
the clincher on the Athletics again
as the Mats won a 9-to-2 victory and
jumped TO the top of the American
League. After single by Myer vas
wasted earlier in the day, he came
through with long double with the
bases full in the sixth inning 1t was
a real, old-time Myer pay hit
He's or to Flying Start.
Mvpr dcflnifp1v iS CT
back Of what he has shown so
far this spring he cannot nelp but
be better ball player than he IVES
during the last two years, incidental
ly, Myer remembers little of those
campaigns of 1886 and 1887 All
recall are spots before my eyes
says Buddy.
Going into the Mats third cham
pionship game of the Season Myer las
something of a record AT which to
point. In eight official times at bat
he has made four hits for 500
average He has driven across four
runs Afeld he has gobbled up every
thing within the reach of a fine de-
fensive man.
otG ~ loil llCNCoooIS W pdNC
Buddv's comeback talk on what he
has done since the American League
season opened. Let's go back way.
Let's go back, say, to April 6. That
is two weeks ago. The Mats were
ready to break training camp at Or
lando. Myer had not looked good, but
he seemed spry and clipper and he
said he felt right at the plate.
Hits Safely in 10 Straight.
The Mats played the Bees on April
g. Buddy got a big base hit. He got
two the next day against the Bees and
ever since ne has delivered at least
one blow Now he has batted safely
in 10 consecutive games. In 80 times
at bat he has made l6 hits for q .459
average He has scored II runs in
those 10 games and. more important,
he has batted across IL runs. And in
half of these contests ne was the lead
off hitter.
Talking to Buddy now you encounter
an enthusiastic ball player who has
taken the bit in his teeth. He is
anxious for action. He is confident
of big year. He feels now as he
felt in 1885, and that was the year
he wound up as the batting champion
Of the American League.
Bucky Harris original idea was to
alternate Myer and Ossie Bluege at
second base. If left-hander faces
the Mats he was to play Bluege. who
bats rieht-handed. Now Harris is
hesitating Myer is on hitting spree
and when Buddy was good it mattercd
not at all to him who was pitching,
right or left-hander.
Weaver Lives Up to Notices.
The game with the AS YESTERDAY
was thriller for three and one-haIt
innings. The score was 81 in favor
of the Macks when the Mats came up
in the fourth inning. Then they
jumped on Bud Thomas to score three
runs and take lead that never was
lost
In the sixth, with Myers blow AS
the back-breaker. the Mats clinched
the game by scoring five times. This
proved enough for Thomas, and in
came George Caster to mop up.
Sharing the spotlight with Myer
was slim Monte Weaver. the best
pitcher on the Washington staff all
spring. Monte did nothing to disturb
this rating yesterday as he held the
AS to six hits, Won going away.
Weaver flashed his new wind-up for
the first time in pennant competition.
The fans ate 1t up. The AS didn't