Evening star., 1939-04-08
Injuries Prevent
Mats Showing
Full Strength
KeIIey's Mound Work
Bright Bit as Bees
Win in Is Innings
By . Stan Correspondent Of The Star.

By stan Correspondent OF The Star.
ORLANDO, Fla, April 8-Whipped
four times running by National
League clubs and winner only twice
in eight games with them, Bucky
Harris Nationals had struck bot
tom for the first time this year to-
day only to find, as usual, a stanch
defender in President Clark Grif-
fifth.
who's to say we amt good ball
club?" demanded Griffith. who's
a-seen emp"
The Old Fox was speaking Of his
regulars :. the selected eight who
are supposed to take the field on
April II against the Yankees in
Griffith Stadium 1t seems they've
never been on the same ball field
at the same time.
Were mystery team" said Grif-
fifth, swapping of the end of cigar
and chewing vigorously. The old
gent doesn't smoke any more. since
the flu laid him low. We're mys-
terry team because nobody has
sc IN us"
Quite a Casualty List.
Griffith is not without his point
When the Mats began grapefruit
league play, Outfielder Taft Wright,
new cleanup hitter was on the side
lines with a sprained ankle. When
Wright got back in shape George
Case was out with a charley horse
Then Cecil Travis caught the flu
and was taken to the hospital on
March 20.
The next victim was Buddy Lewis,
the boy third base veteran Buddy
banged up his knee earlier in the
week at Daytona Beach and has
been on the shelf. The heat got Bud-
dy Myer and upset him little
Buddy never was hospital case.
but he needed relief.
just when everybody except Lewis
and Travis seemed back in shape.
Wright came up with a stiff neck
Yesterday. Again the outfeld was
broken up. incidentally. the score
was: Boston Bees, 8; Nationals, T.
1t went 13 innings.
Esty, Wasdell Are Tough.
II dunno if We can beat anybody
or not" said Griffith. NOBODY
knows. How can they? We haven't
had our first team in the game yet"
This is true and 1t also is true
that it will be some time yet before
the first team will take the field
Travis still is weak from his siege
of illness. Lewis leg is paining him
in the soft. sandy Florida turf and
bumpv diamonds en- route North are
not likely to help it. Wright may be
able to play against the Bees TO-DAY
and. again. he may not be ready fc~
a week Case is back in the lineup
but George isn't right vet.
The only two regulars who have
been playing every day." pointed
out Griffith, ARE Estalella and Was
dell They're the only ones who
haven't been hurt or sick And
every time one of them comes to bat
I'm a-crossing my fingers"
Bees Sting Carrasquel.
Joe Krakauskas and either Walter
Masterson or Roberto Ortiz we're to
divide the Washington pitching to-
day as the Mats face the Bees and
try to break their four-game losing
streak against major league clubs
It was long -winded affair they
dropped yesterday. The Bees held
a 3-to-1 lead. compiled against
Dutch Leonard going into the ninth
inning. Then the Griffs, held help
less by Jim Turner. hoped on the
veteran Boston right-hander for two
runs before Turner had retired
man.
With the score tied, runners on
first and second. and nobody out.
the Mats Topped completely. Rookie
Tom Farley relieved Turner and got
Charley Colbert. Wasdell and Pinch
hitter John Welaj to retire the side.
Harry Kelley relieved Leonard
and did nifty three-inning sting,
allowing no runs and only three hits.
But Kelley was lifted for Alexandra
Carrasquel and the South American.
after three more good innings, in
which he allowed no hits. took the
thirteenth-i inning beating.
The Bees. of a sudden, pounced
all over Alex to score five runs and
clinch the game. The Mats got one
of these back in their half Of the
inning but it wasn't enough.