Evening star., 1938-05-21
TEST FOR CHASE
AS PHEBUS GOES
Ken HurIs in Tribe Finale.
-
Bill Sold to Lookouts.T
Leonard, III, Raped.
BY FRANCIS f. STAN,
STAFF Correspondent of The Star.

CLEVELAND, May 21.-Still hang
ing onto the lowest perch in the first
division, but with slipping grip,
Bucky Harris tottering Senators pre-
pared to quit this perennial graveyard
of Washington hopes today and head
for what should be healthier and
happier havens
After a final skirmish against the
Indians, who won a 6-3 verdict yes
terday. they will wind up their ILL
starred tour at the two softer" spots
in the western division of the Ameri-
can League-Chicago and st. Louis.
With the White Sox still crippled
and suffering, too, Harris hopes to get
his club started again. Three games
are slated in Chicago and two in ST.
Louis, where the Griffs consistently
have been successful in recent years
triumphant invasion of these two
way stations would remove some Of
the sting attached to the Boston,
Detroit and Cleveland stands.
Phebus Sold, Chase Starts.
There Is no use trying to kid any,
body. The Griffs simply haven't got
the pitching required to finish close to
the top. The firm sold Pitcher Bill
Phebus outright to Chattanooga yes
terday and today Manager Harris
named Rookie Ken Chase TO do the
hurting against the Indians
The nomination of Chase is tip
off. The first and only time Chase
started a game this year was last
Monday in Detroit. He lasted less
than three innings, giving up seven
bases on balls and two base hits.
Still, Chase is young and he can
throw a baseball with force. In Harris
opinion he is worth stringing along
with. That ought to prove the Wash
lngton staff still is in the process of
being rebuilt.
Phebus, going into his 28th year,
was not rated as a prospect by the
Mats. Most of the Washington pitch
ers, unlike Chase, are not rated as
prospects. Most of them are nearing
or above the 3O-year-old mark. when
major league pitchers rarely become
more expert.
Leonard. Ill, ShelIed From Box.
Harris lament is that he hasn't
pitchers who can repeat. Bucky's
hurlers will pitch one good game
and then bad one. Yesterday Dutch
Leonard was knocked out of the box in
less than two innings by the Indians.
And this is the same Leonard who
pitched to 10 victory in l3 innings
against Cleveland at home
There was some excuse for Leonard
at that. Dutch was a sick man. He
visited a doctor in the morning to be
treated for badly inflamed throat,
but he insisted on taking his turn in
tn box. Harris. against his better
| judgment, gave in to the knuckle
baller
Dutch got the first four hitters in
easy fashion but with one out in the
second inning Earl Averill plunked
| double over Johnny Stones head and
the rally was on. When the smoke
had cleared Cleveland had five runs
and Elon Hogsett had relieved Leonard.
This was the ball game Johnny
Allen, who went the route for the
Indians, wasn't first class but he was
tough in the pipches and he didn t
allow his lead to slip away.
Sixth Loss in Seven Games.
The Griffs' scoring was spread over
three innings. In the first round Mel
Almada slapped a homer inside the
park. In the fifth the Griffs got a
run on singles by Myer and Ferrell,
and an infleld out. In the eighth
Johnny Stone slammed a homer over
the right-ield fence.
Hogsett pitched excellent ball In
relieving Leonard. In the last six
and one-third innings he allowed only
four hits and one run. homer by
Earl Averill in the eighth frame.
| The defeat was Washington's sixth
in seven games on this road trip. At
that the Griffs have been getting the
| breaks in that teams under them have
been losing or have been rained out.
Yesterday the birthplace White Sox
were idle on account of the weather
and the sixth-place Tigers lost to the
Athletics.