Evening star., 1939-06-22
Severe Slump al BAT
By Taft Robs Club
Of Best Punch
West, WeIoj Will Work
As One SIueeer
IdIes on Bench
BY BURTON HAWKINS.

AeouAAo MdA1 Ad1t WIlsllJ, WIlO
loomed as the Mats most depend
able and dangerous hitter in earlier
skirmishing, is due to occupy gen.
erous portion of the Washington
bench at least temporarily as Man.
ager Bucky Harris desperately at
tempts to halt the tailspin tactics
of his club.
Sammy West, who has served
time In left field and at first base
with the Mats this season, and
Johnny Welaj are ticketed to alter
nate in Wright's right field spot.
Wrlghts slump has been distress
ing. After the season was we'll under
way he was swatting a gaudy 1868
and leading the league in runs
batted in. He was, in fact, about
the only member of the club pro-
ducing at all at that time.
Taft thumped a neat $50 in 100
games last year and was elevated
to the Mats cleanup, or No. 4,
batting position this season. He
was more than fulfilling expecta-
tions. clearing bases frequently with
his timely Wallops.
Wright in Prolonged Slump.
But conditions have been altered.
Taft now is batting a mild .273 and
IN his last IA games has tapped
at lis pace. When Taft isn't
hitting Harris has no choice but to
pluck Welaj or West from the
bench, for either represents field
ing improvement over Taft.
Harris called the turn on Tafts
slump, though, when Wright was
riding high. Better stop going
for those bad pitches, Taft" Bucky
advised him some weeks ago in
Cleveland. Sure, know, you might
hit one out of ten a mile, but those
other nine aren't going to do you
or the club any good"
LAS soon as those pitchers find out
you'll go after those bad pitches
that's all you're going to see. From
then on you won't get much good
to hit. Make those. balls be where
you want EN- or you're going to be
thrown of your stride"
Taft, however, apparently still is
nlbbllng at bad pitches and Harris
feels he will benefit from a brief
rest. If he fails to recover his form
then Bucky may have another prob
lem to plague him. 1t first was left
field which remained unsettled for
weeks until Bobby Estalella went on
a hitting spree to snatch the job.
West wasn't exactly a drawback
yesterday as the Mats dropped a 9-8
decision to Cleveland, slamming
brace of doubles. a single and driv-
ing in three runs before firing and
retiring in favor of Welaj in the
eighth.
Mats Lose Is Games by One Run.
The Mats at least have the dubious
distinction of probably having lost
more close games than any other
major league outfit, but. again. most
of the others aren't losing with the
frequency of the Mats. Washing
ton, anyway. has been defeated l6
times this season by a margin of
one run.
Errors, as usually is the case, ac-
counted for most of the trouble yes
terday. The Mats sandwiched four
miscues into the proceedings and
the Indians. held to seven hits by
Joe Haynes and Joe Krakauskas,
made the most of them to register
their runs in clusters.
The Indians produced six runs on
four hits and three Washington
errors in the fifth, but the Mats con-
structed a 7-6 lead going into the
ninth. BY that time Cleveland's S
pitching staff rapidly was being ex-
hausted, Mel Harder, Johnny Bro
aca, Bob Feller and Bill Zuber hav-
ing been rushed to the mound by
the frantic OsSie Witt.
Ken Keltner, who pokes very solid
safeties, blasted his second triple of
the game off the center-field barrier
to launch the inning, but things ap-
peared brighter when Relief Pitcher
Krakky famed Oscar Grimes.
Then Mr. Trouble stepped up and
smacked Krakky between the eyes.
Sammy Hale batted for Skeeter
Webb and bounded to Krakky for
what should have represented the