Evening star., 1940-05-12

Baby" said, lets not kid ourselves.
When Mowbray comes back, go on bench
duty. Jug made that clear from the start.
Don't count on miracles"
She gave me one of her Stern-Wife looks.
IF you'd stop talking and thinking like
whipped dog, you wouldn't need miracles"
Just skip it" said.
IT WAS the last week in August when Now
bray came back into the lineup. We were
winding up long road trip in Pittsburgh
that day. He didn't look too good in the
field - but then he never had. Still, the old
batting eye was there: he clicked off single
and double and got walk in five trips to
the plate.
, On the train. going back, Kitty was all
steamed up about it. What's the matter with
that Jug Slavin anyway" she said. Doesn't
he know it's cockeyed to break up winning
combination? With you on third, the teams
pushed the Cards for first place all summer.
Now, in the stretch, he breaks up the oombo."
Kitty ="
Il was talking with him awhile in the club
car" she said, land it was on the tip of my
tongue to give him good earful."
well I'm glad you didn't" said. "Mow-
bray hits 3l7, remember? hit .24O."
"All right' Kitty shouted. "You hit .24O.
So does Crosetti, but don't notice the Yanks
keeping him on the bench"
I'm not Crosetti."
And Jug Slavin isn't Joe Mccarthy,
either. Not that don't think Jug has the
makings of very fine manager - if some
body would only set off small bomb under
him someday."
We'll, why don't you do it,"
Kitty looked at me sardonically. Nov
there's an idea. Remind me, when we get
home, to send out to the drugstore for
bomb. Nothing elaborate Just any little old
bomb will do
Sometimes, like that. would get very
weary of hearing her razz Mowbray and Jug
Slavin But l knew if she stopped razzing
them would miss it something terrible.
We opened our home stand against the
Giants the next afternoon and Mowbray was
back on third. It was the first time the home
fans had seen him in more than two months
and guess he realized that he had to prove
himself to them all over again. That's base
ball.
HE Robins got off to two-run lead in the
first inning. but it didn't last long. Mowbray
was little over anxious to assure everybody
that he belonged there on third, guess. He
messed up an easy double play ball with the
bases loaded in the fourth, and that let the
Giants tie it up. There was faint rumble
from the grandstand section right behind
third and Mowbray didn't like it much. He
turned and glared at them, with his hands on
his hips.
He shouldn't have done that. The rumble
Immediately turned into chorus of distinct
catcalls, which is much harder to take. A
cluster of fans cut loose: Get basket, you
bum!" you let in more runs than
you drive in, Mowbray!' -. Where's
Madigan? We want Madigan!"
When Mowbray came into the dugout at
the end of the inning, his face was practically
purple He glared at me. "You have group
of friends over behind third base, he snapped.
didn't say anything, which seemed to make
him angrier. He sneered, When do you pay
them off - after the game?"
l started to get up when he said that.
But saw Jug listening and figured that
fight on the bench wouldn't help the team
much, not in this pennant drive. So just
said, Il pay them by the week. It's less COM