Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1939-11-08
So Many Backs Gone
Draft Of Material
From Line Looms
Pinckert Only Capable
Poth-CIeurer D. G. Pros
Now Have in Trim
BY BILL DISMER, Jr.

II seems incredible that the thing
they said couldn't happen to the
Redskins this year has.
I've never seen so many good
backs on one squad in my life"
Coach Ray Flaherty said more than
once during the three-week train
ing period at Spokane and subse-
quently to the beginning of the
National League campaign.
MY biggest problem is not what
lack, but the surplus that I have.
1t looks as if we not only won't have
any shortage of ball carriers and
blockers this year, but will have
three full combinations ready at all
times. And even if an injury crops
up now and then, as it inevitably
does, it won't be disastrous. Why,
we could lose two or three of our
backs this year and still not miss
them. Unless, of course, the ink
streak hit only one group of backs,
such as all the passers, or all the
kickers, or all the blockers."
Two Blockers Gone for Year.
Well, that's exactly what's hap
pened. Disaster, in the form of
bruises, sprains and bone fractures
has overtaken six backs since the
season started and five of them
have been blockers. And so today,
four days before the first of four
hard final games, the Redskins find
themselves with just one expert
enced blocking back in condition to
play, Erny Pinckert.
Max Krause, Ed Justice, Red
Morgan, Jay Turner and Don Irwin
have followed one another to the
hospital and two of them, Krause
and Irwin, are through for the year.
Morgan, a rookie, might play Sum-
day in a pinch, but Justice must
idle another week and Turner is out
until the Lions game, on Novem-
Der 26.
Among the surviving backs only
Minnesota's Wilbur Moore and
Maryland's Jim Meade ever have
been used as blockers, and the lat
ter still hasn't mastered the Red
skins signals well enough to justify
his use for any considerable time.
Shift of Spirida Forced.
OF the teams other backs-Sammy
Baugh, Jimmy German, Dick Todd,
Jimmy Johnston and Frank Fill
chock-only the last named seems
physically fitted for the requisites of
blocking. German and Todd, in
deed, have been deemed too light
even for ball carrying in the last
two games, both OF which were
played in mud.
Already Flaherty has been forced
to convert one of his five ends
Johnny Spirida-into back, and
there is reason to suspect that he
may shift another flankman, for the
nonce, into the backfeld. That
would be Wayne Millner, who is
rugged, can block extremely well and
knows what to do with the ball once
he gets hold of it. It's not too far
fetched to imagine Millner, currently
experiencing one of his best years,
in the Redskin backfield for use
both as ball-carrier and blocker.
For if anything happens to
Pinckert, Moore or Morgan, Flaherty
truly will be up against it, with no
other experienced blockers to call
upon.
Trouble Looms at Brooklyn.
There's little doubt that the In
dams are in for hard afternoon
next Sunday at Brooklyn. Even
were their backfield forces not de-
pleted, the prospect is for no tea
party, as the Dodgers are said to be
out for revenge for that Alb sinner
the Redskins hung on them here last
month. And team not actually
outclassed by another always is
doubly tough when met in return
game after being routed.
AS matter of fact, the Dodgers
haven't counted themselves out of
the running for the Eastern cham
pionship by any means. After hold
ing the Giants to a 7-6 margin,
their imaginations have been cap
tured, and if they could lick the
Redskins and the Giants in return
games, they'd have plenty to say
about who went into the playoff
game.