Evening star., 1938-04-08
HIS CLUB NOT 'BAD,'.
OLD FOX CONTENDS.
Owners Woes Lessened as
Losses to Majors End
in Game With Bees.
BY FRANCIS z. STAN,
Stan Correspondent OF The Star.

Stan correspondent OF Inc star.
ATLANTA, Ga, April 8.-Having
weathered the longest series Of spring
setbacks of any Washington ball club
of modern times the Nationals marched
into Georgia today en- route home.
They invaded Atlanta flushed by
their second victory over major
league club this year. BY beating the
Bees yesterday, to 4, the Mats broke
string of nine successive defeats by
other big league clubs. They wound
up their Grapefruit League campaign
ing in Orlando as they opened against
the Cards on March 16-with a vic
tory.
All told the Griffs' exhibition record
today, against both major and minor
league teams, is 7 wins as against 10
defeats. They have five more games
to play before reaching the Capital
and five more upon arrival.
Camel Laughs OF Defeats.
Owner Clark Griffith, who had been
submerged to his ears in gloom ever
since the Mats started to lose, re-
covered sufficiently last night to hop
aboard the clubs special train and
accompany the team here 1T isn't
that think we have bad ball club"
Grifith says, explaining his gloom,
Its what the folks might think back
home. Those beatings haven't looked
good in the papers"
No. l Dixie booster of the Mats is
John Camel, one-time slugging first
baseman of the old Pittsburgh Pirates
and one OF the most successful mana
gers who ever lived. Camel took it
upon himself in Orlando to serve as
Griff's comforter.
What does a bad spring record
prove?" Camel asked. We'll, I'll tell
you. 1t doesn't prove anything. This
is the best Washington ball club I've
seen since Griff has been coming to
Orlando It's 80 per cent better than
last years team
Il had club once in Rochester.
We won four straight pennants and
vet We played the worst ball in the
world in the spring. One training
season, remember. we played 16
games and didn't win one. When the
season started, though, we won IA out
OF our first Is and took the pennant
| by 15-game margin
Today was momentous day in the
life of Pitcher Dutch Leonard. A
year ago he was toiling here in At
lanta. after having been shipped te
the minors by Brooklyn. Today he
returned as a major Lacquer agair
and, furthermore. Dutch was to pitch
against his old Atlanta club.
1t was to be fairly important day
too, for Manager Bucky Harris. Only
once this spring has Harris tried te
give any pitcher a full-game assign.
ment That was at Daytona Beach
when Joe Krakauskas Jared so poorly
and was driven from the box
Today. with both Krakauskas anc
Chase disappointments, Harris nomi-
mated Leonard to pitch the full game
For big, good-natured Dutch it may
be big chance 1t may mean a start
ing assignment by the time the sea.
son opens.
For two innings yesterday the Mats
looked the part of world beaters. They
jumped all over Pitcher Jim Turner
Of the Bees. rolling up 5-to-0 lead
Thereafter they slumped back to theil
old ways and barely managed to hang
on to win 5-to-4 decision.
| Turner Great After Bad Start.
Turner, who won 20 games for Bos.
ton last year, couldn't get untracke6
at the start. The Mats got four hit;
and two bases on balls in the first
inning for 80 lead. In the second
frame they collected two more run,
on triples by Yves Ferrell and Buddy
Myer and an infield out by Buddy
Lewis
Thereafter Turner was tough. He
gave up only one more hit. a single
by Zeke Bonura in Washington's last
inning. Melo Almada. who drew 8
walk. was the only other Nat to gel
on base after the second round.
Meanwhile, Ferrell was hit fairly
consistently. but not damaged much
Yves scattered nine hits and thret
passes and was helped by four double
plays. Ray Mueller and Vince D
Maggie hit home runs for the Bees
Elon Hogsett pitched the last inning
and set 'em down 1-2-3.