Evening star., 1939-03-23
Harris Expects
Vet 10 Turn In
IS Victories
Dutch, Making First
Sturt, Stors After
Chase FoIters
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
ORLANDO, Fla, March 23.-The
talk of this training town of the
Nationals was different today. It
wasn't about another faster than
johnson" pitching phenom, but
portly, baldish fellow named Emil
Leonard.
Last year Leonard was the best
pitcher on the Washington Club. It
was his first year in the American
League and he did a thoroughly
Workmanlike job. His earned-run
average from start to finish was
lower than anybody else's on the
staff. He won more games (12) and
he pitched most innings. He was the
second ranking right-handed regular
in the circuit in holding the enemy
down, trailing only Red Rufing.
Dutch was one of the last of the
Nat pitchers to go to the post this
year in the grapefruit circuit. The
four-lnning term he served in the
box yesterday against Minneapolis
was his first appearance. A line
drive by Bobby Estalella, which
struck Leonard on the knee, held
him back.
But He Can't Beat the Yanks.
Today Leonard seems ready to go
again. If it were not for the fact
that he hasn't been able to beat
the Yankees, the knuckle- -baller, who
will be % this Saturday, would be
good bet to pitch Washington's open
ing game. His failure to beat the
champs-he lost to them four times
IN 1938-Seems to be the chief thing
against him.
Leonard and Ken Chase, in the
opposite order, did the pitching as
the Mats won their fourth straight
exhibition game from the Millers.
7 to S. Dutch came into the game
while the American Association hit
tiers were indulging in batting
spree at the expense of Chase, off
whom they had taken a 4-to-1 lead
in the first five innings.
Leonard cooled them off. The
second man to face him got triple
and scored on an infield out, but
thereafter Dutch gave up no runs
or hits. He even participated hero
ically in one of the rallies which
netted six runs in the last three
innings and won the game.
Chase Not Very Impressive.
Dutch's butterfly ball, the knuckler,
seemed to have retained all of it's
delightful inconsistencies of last
year. 1t dipped one time and rose
the next and wasn't choosy about
to which side it f1uttered.
Not much has been said so far this
year about Leonard or about Harry
Kelley, Jimmy De Shong and Pete
Appleton, but with a bow to the
promise displayed by the rookie
sensations, the Mats will rise or fall
with what these veterans do this
year
Manager Bucky Harris is looking
for Leonard to win not less than IS
games. He lost at least four or five
games last year that should have
been won," recalls Bucky. He got
some aWfully tough breaks. If things
even up for him this year, Dutch
may come up with 18 wins. If he
does and Chase and Krakauskas can
deliver about 80 between them we'll
be in the first division"
Chase was not too impressive.
though, yesterday. He was wild and
he lacked his usual amount of stuff
on the ball. But this is no new
situation. Ken always has been
slow to start. He's got three weeks
yet before he has to start pitching
for keeps.
Travis Winning Over Flu.
The Mats win over Minneapolis
yesterday was that of a mediocre
major league club over a mediocre
minor league team. Both hope.
however, for improvement. The hit
ting of George Case was an encour-
aging item. George got two singles
and a home run, one of the two
knocked within the spacious Davtona
Beach Park. Jimmy Wasdell got the
other homer.
The sick and ailing list was re-
duced by one today following the
return to action of Infielder Ossie
Bluege, who hurt his finger Tuesday
in practice. The digit was not
fractured but only bruised,
Also reported rapidly improving
was Shortstop Cecil Travis. who
came down with the flu. While still
running slight temperature this
morning, Travis was said by Trainer
Mike Martin to be on the road to
recovery. The sniffles of Pitchers
Monte Weaver and Kelley also were
less frequent and troublesome.