Evening star., 1939-02-05
Club Progress
Appears Up 10
Chase, Krakky
Pilot Can't Get True
Gauge Now Because
Of So Many Ifs
BY FRANCIS E. STAN,
Star STAFF CORRESPONDENT.

Stanley Harris peered long and in
tently at his rookie pitching crop in
spring training today and confessed
that his Washington Nationals, as
they now stand, probably still are
a fifth-place team"
Harris, however, is jumping to no
double-quick conclusions. Today
was only the third official day Of
training for the Mats, or embryo
Mats. II am talking about the club
as it now stands, you understand"
he impressed. Personally, I think
we have a good chance of develop
ing into better team before the
season is over"
Joe McCarthy's recent statement,
in which he called his 1889 Yankees
the best of all his great clubs, was
not missed by Harris, who isn't
ready to agree completely with the
New York manager
THE Yanks may not be as good,
either" said Harris, but I can't do
much arguing with Mccarthy. He
still figures to have the classiest
team in the league. Detroit ought
to be better Cleveland has a swell
outfield in Heath, Averil and Chap
man, as well as Feller and some 9TH
er good pitchers. Boston may have
hard time doing as well as it did
last year. But these clubs figure to
be the flrst-division ones"
Bucky Conceding Nothing.
Harris isn't conceding anything.
In calling the Mats flfth-place club
he only is punching straight from
the shoulder.
In the meantime he is hoping.
Were tied up with lot of ifs"
confessed Bucky. "A lot of young
and fairly inexperienced fellows
have to make good. Right now I'm
worrying about digging up a couple
Of pitchers. I'll cross the other
bridges when I come to them"
Is there any chance of the other
second-division clubs finishing ahead
of the Mats this year? Is any of
them any better?
Probably all are better" was
Bucks comment. The White Sox
have pretty good infield and out
field, but, like us, they haven't much
pitching. think we can hold them
off. I don't know what Philadel-
phia will have. Chances are the
Athletics will be better. AS for the
Browns, really think they'll be a
tough club. Joe Glenn behind the
bat will be big help The Browns
will have fairly good outfield, too,
in Bell, Almada and Hoag."
Eleven Pitchers to Stick.
Getting back to the Nationals,
what are the prospects for better
pitching?
Personally" is the way Bucky
put it, most of my hopes are wrap
ped up in the improvement Ken
Chase and Joe Krakauskas figure to
show. like to think that Tom
Baker will help us, together with
Harry Kelley, in condition from the
start, and the other fellows like Pete
Appleton and Dutch Leonard and
Monte Weaver"
The major league player limit
this year has been raised from %
to Is. Will that mean that more
pitchers will be carried?
I'm our case, yes" answered Har-
ris. 1--WE only have five outf1elders
on the roster-Wright, Case, Esta-
leila, Sammy West and John Welat
up from Trenton. Well keep all of
them, probably. Then we'll keep
about infielders and the other IA
will be II pitchers and catchers."
Bucky's acknowledgement candi-
dates for the II pitching berths are
the veterans, Appleton, Kelley, JIM
my De Shong. Weaver and Leon
ard; Chase and Krakauskas, who
are something of perennial rockies.
and 4 of the 16 brand-new recruits
working out now.
Cuban May Lack Size.
Baker has to be considered" said
Harris. TOO many baseball people
have said too many nice things about
Baker to skip him. The others who
figure to help are Haynes, Jacobs.
Monteagudo, Hayes and Masterson."
Haynes is the Joe Haynes who
made a favorable impression last
Spring, but who was forced to drop
out due to an arm injury. He par
TALLY recovered and went to Char
lotte, where he won % and lost 9
games. excluding victories in the
play-off series. During the off,
season his arm has healed COM
pletely.
Jacobs is the Bucky Jacobs who
a couple Of years ago was leading
college pitcher for the University of
Richmond. A thin, small right
handler, Jacobs is blessed with acute
ness and deception that makes him
hard to beat. Even with sore arm
part Of the time, he won "a and lost
only 6 games for Charlotte.
Monteagudo is the tiny Cuban
southpaw who struck out five straight
Red Sox hitters in his debut as q
starting major league pitcher. Har-
ris isn't so high on Rene, however.
He Is too little to suit Bucky. In
other words" he explained, Mon
teagudo's got to show me something"
Kirby Haynes, pitching for Chat
tanooga, beat Washington in an ex-
hibition game two years ago. His
record last year with Charlotte
showed only six wins as against
defeat as arm trouble bothered him.
The other youngster, Walter Mas
terson, is semi-pro who was picked
up around Philadelphia. Bravely,
Harris comedies him a chance to
stick, despite his lack Of experience.
HE has a swell fast ball and lot
Of poise," said Bucky, land that's
al that Walter johnson had when he
came up 10 washington"