Evening star., 1939-02-06
Bucky Expects
So From
Hurting Trio
First-Division Berth
Seen If Others Get
30 Victories
BY FRANCIS E. STAN.
Star staff CORRESPONDENT,

ORLANDO, Fla. Feb. 6.-Three
Washington pitchers are going to
win so ball games among them this
season. If the other seven or eight
who will be carried can pick up 80
more, Clark Griffith's rebuilt ball
team will finish in the first division.
That, at least, is the way Manager
Bucky Harris has the Nationals
1889 campaign figured. MY big
problem" said Bucky today, as his
rookie pitchers moved into their
second week of spring training. ''is
to dig up pitchers who will win those
other 30 ball games
.Bucky's "big three" he says. will
be Ken Chase, Joe Krakauskas and
Emil Dutch Leonard, the portly
knuckle- -baller. Chase and Kra-
kauskas," he commented in an aside,
as he coached the two southpaws,
"are the two best pitchers on the
club. I don't know which is No. l
but it's close. Leonard is the best
right-hander we've got. AS for the
rest and he shrugged and went
into spiel to tell Chase how to
keep a base runner from getting
the jump on a steal.
Shoulder Muscles Too Heavy.
Tn dead serious in calling Chase
and Krakauskas the best two pitch
ers," said Bucky. Il know that
Leonard won IL games last year
while they were only getting Is be-
tween them, but right now the two
left-handers are tops. I've never
seen them as loose as they are now.
I look for them to win 35 or 36
games between them this year.
figure Leonard to pick up Is more.
That makes it about so, providing
none of these three is injured for
long. If the other pitchers can add
80 more games WashingtonN finish
in the first division
Harris has made quite a study
of Chase and Krakauskas. He has
been given plenty of opportunity.
Both of these young men have been
around for a while now but they
haven't been making good. That Is.
they didn't make good until the lat
ltI Pal VI ll1s 1900 SCdoOll. AAACy
began to move forward then.
Here's the whole story explained
Bucky. Both of those fellows are
overdeveloped around the shoulder
muscles. Their muscles are too
heavy and hard Krakauskas, you
know, was rugby football player.
During the off season he likes to
drop into gymnasium. He prides
himself on being good weight
litter.
"Chases father runs dairy farm
in upstate New York. Up to the
last two winters Chase has been
working on the farm. Part Of his
chores was to pick up heavy milk
containers. They did the same thing
to Chase's muscles that weight lift
ing did to Krakauskas'."
Bucky moved away from his prize
southpaws and walked down the line
of recruits to spring the same spiel
about holding runners on the bases.
"Griff did a smart thing" observed
Bucky, en- route. THE last couple
of winters he has been giving Chase
and Krakauskas a little money so
they wouldn't work. BY gosh, be-
lieve it's going to pay dividends.
They're looser than ever before and
they're going to be hard to beat"
| Which of the two is going to de-
velop into the better pitcher? Bucky
shakes an honestly doubtful head.
Chase has the better curve ball"
he disclosed, land despite Krakau-
skas' stockier build he is stronger
than Joe. Maybe Krakauskas can
pick up heavier weight than Chase,
but in the long run Ken is the
stronger He will pitch just as many
games. throw just as many pitches.
run just as far and finish the
stronger
"You know" he continued, "a
dark athlete always will outlast a
| fair one. You can count the real
good blond ball players on the fingers
of your two hands-and go back
over the years. The same thing IS
true in other sports. The dark ones
have more stamina than the blond
ones. That is, most all other sports.
In football you see a lot of blond
/ Swedes, but, for the most part, ath-
letes who last longer at the top are
dark.
"Krakauskas," added Bucky.
seems to pick up things more
quickly than Chase. At the same
time, Joe is more inclined to get q
little flighty in the box than Ken.
It's doggone close between the two.
All I know is that I'd like to have
two more pitchers like them-only
right-handed.''
Bucky Collects on Bet.
Thirty-five ball games is a lot to
win for two youngsters. elevated to
the rank of starting hurlers for the
first time, especially with second
division club. How come?
well, I just think they'll do It,"
answered Harris, stoutly. ut means
one will have to win 18 and the other
| II games. Or 1t may be 1915, or
2O-15. But think they'll do 1t. In
fact, am so sure that I'm willing
to take a bet they'll win 35 II some
body will lay to /. I'd bet $35 to
$10O."
For the information of any would
be bettors, it might be mentioned
that while Mr.. Harris hasn't been
riding many winners in recent years
he does all right on his bets. The
last time he made publicized bet on
a pitcher was in the spring Of 1896.
He wagered that Jimmy De Shong,
fresh from the Yankees and never
a regular pitcher, would win l6
games for Washington.
Jimmy won 18 and lost only 10