Evening star., 1940-04-22
Game Shortage
Hob With
Hurting Staff
Work SoreIy Needed
By SIobmen; Money
Losses Heavy
By q stafi Correspondent of The Star.


the season goes like the first six days
for the Nationals they are subject
to several dire fates, such as Cd
winding up in the cellar, (2) freez-
ing to death and 90 winding up
in the poor house.
This has been bitter American
League start for the Washington
club. Not only has it lost all three
Of its games so far but, according
to Secretary Edward B. Eynon, jr.,
three postponements so far have
cost the Mats approximately $25,000
in box Office receipts. Moreover,
according to the Weather Bureau,
that isn't all
The Mats good fortune stopped
after four and one-half innings of
their first game-the Washington
opener against the Red Sox. With
the completion of those four and
one-half innings the game was made
legal and the crowd of 1000 had
passed the rain-check stage.
Sleet Storm Greets EN-.
But their luck stopped there. They
lost the game and were rained out
the next day. They played on the
third day to a small crowd on a
gloomy afternoon and lost again.
In New York great things were
expected. Big gates and a chance
to win with the Yankees Di Maggie
on the side lines. But in the only
game played only 15,OoO-odd specta-
tors turned out and-the Griffs lost
again. Saturday and yesterday,
weekend dates highly priced by
visiting v;iubs in New York, were
spent in a hotel lobby while cold
rain fell.
Arriving here last night, the Griffs
bumped into a sleet blizzard and
temperature in the mid-30s. They
may not be able to play a game in
the scheduled three-day stand.
Bucky's Pitchers Need Work.
Meanwhile, a new problem con-
fronts Manager Bucky Harris. The
postponements have played hob with
his pitching staff. Some of the boys,
except for batting practice, have
seen no action in more than a week
or 10 days.
This is a problem not confronted
by Harris alone Practically all Of
the major league clubs, plagued by
bad weather, have pitchers who are
getting out of shape. But Harris,
of course, is concerned only with
Harris.
Weather permitting, Bucky was
to pitch Dutch Leonard today and
Joe Haynes tomorrow. Haynes
hasn't pitched since April 8 in
Greenville. S. c., when the Griffs
were on the way home. Joe Kra-
kauskas, who was to have started
against the Yankees last Saturday
and again yesterday, probably
won't face the Sox in this scheduled
three-game series because Fenway
Park and the Bostons are supposed
to be bad for southpaws. Joe,
though, needs action. Neither
Krakky nor Alex Carrasquel has
pitched in II days.
Mats Would Go to Harvard.
It has been IL days since Gill
berto Torres and Rene Monteagudo
have worked in game. Both times
their terms were brief. When AL
Hollingsworth relieved Ken Chase
last Friday in New York it marked
his first competitive action in more
than a month.
A bitingly cold wind greeted the
Mats this morning and made even
a workout at the ball park under
the stands doubtful. If this can't
be done Harris threatens to expose
his athletes to culture and take
them, with Harvard's permission, to
the Crimson's big indoor batting
cage and infield.
Here things would be lovely, Har-
ris thinks. The hitters could hit,
the pitchers could pitch and the
inf1elders could drill.
But, of course, Harvard's athletic
department has to be in receptive
mood. It may be that the Crimson
bigwigs won't want their boys ex-
posed to the Mats. They might
learn some bad habits.
Incidentally, the Griffs shed a
player with their arrival. He was
Hal Quick. diminutive infielder who
was sent to the Springfield CMass.)
team of the Eastern League to the
surprise of nobody.