Evening star., 1939-12-06
Griffith S Hopes
For Right;Hand
Hitter Fades
BorteII-RoeeII Trade
Would Erase Chance
Of Tiger Deal
BY Stan Correspondent Of The Star.

VI Tiger Deui
BY Stan Correspondent Of The Star.
CINCINNATI, Ohio, Dec. g.
Without having held serious trade
conference yet, President Clark
Griffith and Manager Bucky Harris
today saw their chances of adding
right-handed batting power to the
Nationals fading away.
AS the minor league portion of the
annual winter baseball meeting en-
tered its final day, Griffith and Har-
ris awaited confirmation of ru-
mored Dick Bartell-for-Bi Rogell
trade. Waivers had been obtained
in the National League on Short
stop Bartell of the Chicago Cubs,
and in the American League on
Rogell, shortstop Of the Detroit
Tigers.
If this deal comes through it vir-
tually will end the Mats hopes of
getting Rudy York, Hank Greenberg
or an o'ltf1elder from Detroit. The
bait which Griffith has been dan
Cling has been Cecil Travis, short
stop, because it was known the Tig-
ers were dissatisfied with Rogell.
Witt Asks About Krakky.
Harris admitted today that he was
on the trail of a right-handed hit
ting outf1elder "The Browns have
three in whom we might be inter-
ested," he said. 1--WE could use Julius
Solters, Myril Hoag or Chet Laabs,
but we won't give whole lot for any
of them. Travis for one of them?
Nothing doing"
Harris, at the same time, pro-
fesses to see little chance of a deal
with the Browns. He has a hunch
that if st. LouiS deals with any club
it will be Chicago, which is said to
be asking Solters and Pitcher Yer
non Kennedy for Rip Radcliff and
Pitcher Clint Brown. Asked if he
had tried to peddle Buddy Myer, the
Nat pilot said that he had received
no offers for the second baseman,
and furthermore, did not expect any.
cleveland and st. Louis are the
clubs without much on second base,'
he said, "but I don't think the
Browns are interested in Myer, and
the only time 1 talked with Oscar
Witt he asked about Joe Krakaus-
kas."
What, Zeke Coming Back?
The club most likely to make a
trade with the Mats, it is under
stood by most baseball men, is De-
troit. It is believed that when Owner
Walter Briggs of the Tigers arrives
for the major league meeting to-
morrow he will direct that steps be
taken to trade Rudy York, catcher
and first baseman. The Mats want
York to play first base, but likely
to hold up any Washington-Detroit
deal are the Red Sox. They want
York-as a catcher-and since the
purchase of Dominic Di Maggie the
SoX are in a position to give, in
exchange, Roger Cramer or Joe
Vosmik.
The most hilarious note Of the
day, from Washington angle, was
struck when Harris was asked if the
Mats would take Zeke Bonura on
waivers. The Giants are through
with Zeke, for whom they paid
Washington $4,000 a year ago, and
have asked waivers. Gabby Hart
nett of the Cubs is understood to
want Zeke, but his bosses won't
hear of it. The Phillies also wanted
him, but after Manager Doc Prothro
talked with Bonura on long-dis-
tance they changed their minds.
Bonura, it seems, asked for a $19,-
600 salary.
Sure" Harris said, well take
Bonura back. He's bad ballplayer,
but he's still a pretty good hitter
and he's better than anybody we've
had on the bag since"
Bucky Fears Rival Lefties.
Harris is afraid of the 1910 Mats,
as they now stand. We've got to
make deal of some sort for more
right-handed hitting" he said. I've
counted II or 18 left-handed pitchers
who are pretty sure to be in the
American League next year and you
know how many times we're going
to have to face them"
Boston," he added, "has Grove,
Ostermueller, Harris and maybe
Lefebvre; New York has Gomez and
Russo; Philadelphia has Dean, Hog
sett and Besse; Cleveland has Mil
mar, AL Smith and Eisenstat; Detroit
has McKain and a rookie named
Seats; Chicago has Ed Smith and
Thornton Lee and st. Louis has
Mills and Bildilli. With a lot of
left-handers like Wright, Travis,
Lewis, Wasdell and the rest, we'll be
easy pickings."
But, badly as the Mats need a first
baseman and two outfielders who
bat right-handed, their chances OF
getting them from other major
league clubs are not bright.