Evening star., 1939-04-25
Potent in Pinch,
Taft Is Clubs
Big Threat
Likely to Plug Gap
Left by Shift Of
Simmons, Bonuro
BY BURTON HAWKINS,
Star Stan CORRESPONDENT,

Star Stan Correspondent.
BOSTON, April 25.-Tubby Taft
Wright. the robust, drawing hill
billy who has been handed the
cleanup spot in the Washington
batting order, apparently wasn't
kidding last year when he plastered
the leagues pitching for a highly
creditable $50 average. For Taft,
in justifying Manager Bucky Harris
faith, has picked up where he left
off in disturbing glossy white base
balls.
Thus far, with the current cam
paign still in its infancy, Wright has
vindicated Harris appraisal of his
hitting value. Particularly danger
Gus with men on bases, curly-haired
Taft has demonstrated he may plug
the gap created when Prexy Clark
Griffith clipped AL Simmons and
Zeke Bonura from his pay roll
Wright apparently won't connect
for many home runs, for he ad-
mittedly is swinging for singles, but
If doubles, triples and home runs
develop, thatll be all right with him.
He is concentrating, though, on pro-
ducing shorter hits rather than
risk slugging for distance and have
outf1elders camp under lengthy
drives To date his formula is work.
ing, as suspicioned by his 1868
batting
Taft and Myer Both Connecting.
There is no lack of confidence in
Wright. He is held in high esteem
by pitching staffs around the circuit
and he knows it. But while he struts
a bit and expresses his opinion on
baseball matters more often than
last year. his first in the major
leagues, Taft has given no indica-
tions he needs larger hat.
Wright and the mellowing Buddy
Myer, batting fourth and fifth,
respectively, for the Mats, have pre-
sented the club a pleasing punch.
Myer, walloping at 4l2 clip, made
courageous comeback last year
and is showing signs of remaining
among the leagues hitting elite.
Buddy's tummy trouble is gone
and that chiefly was responsible for
his Hopping badly in 1886 and 1887.
His dry wit and explosive temper
add zest to club which, tossing out
the Cuban colony, doesn't exactly
bubble over with color.
Yesterday, for instance, the boys
in the Boston bullpen were giving
Myer neat verbal shellacking while
che Mats were in the process of
manufacturing hectic 1919 victory
in 10 innings. They poured it on
heavily when Buddy logged after
foul ball which had ricocheted out
Of the stands.
Another Feud Is Launched.
Buddy blew up. He scooped the
ball off the ground and pegged it
into the midst of six bullpen in
habitants some 20 yards away. but
they scattered quickly and no dam
age was done Yeah, Buddys feel
ing healthy again.
Some of the other members of the
squad, however, aren't feeling up
to par Pitcher Rene Monteagudo
and Coaches Zeb Milan and Nick
Altrock are suffering from colds.
while Jimmy Wasdell is playing first
| base with thumb on his glove hand
that still is swollen.
Meanwhile the veteran Charley
Colbert. filling in at third base for
the ailing Buddy Lewis. has dem
onstrated he and Ossie Bluege will
handle in satisfactory fashion what
ever infleld utility chores are nee
essary The dapper Colbert. who
batted a modest 284 with Toledo
last year. now is smacking solidly
In the games in which he has re-
placed Cecil Travis and Lewis,
Charley has whacked out a double
and triple in compiling a 1886
average.
Colbert and Travis Star.
Colbert was no drawback to the
Mats as they outlasted the Red Sox
to grasp the first of a three-game
series, slamming three hits and scor-
ing twice, while Travis hitting was
more impressive. Cecil blasted the
ball on the nose in each of his ap-
pearances at the plate, but collected
only three safeties where it might
easily have been half dozen.
1t wasn't much of game, but the
excitement overbalanced the Short
age of acceptable pitching and
sporadically erratic fielding The
score was tied three times before
the Mats pushed over the winning
run in the 10th when Wasdell looped
his only hit of the day to left field
for single that scored Wright.
Jimmy De Shong was in trouble
almost continually, yielding IL hits
and Z runs in the 7s innings he
labored before being replaced by
Joe Haynes, who received credit
for the victory. He wasn't any
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