Evening star., 1944-08-23
Rivals Resentment
OF Tough Attitude
Might Cost Flag
Ry JOHN B. KELLER.

~ JOhIN d. nLAALns
Professional baseball is honest
and as far as the Mats are con-
cerned, earnest, too. There can be
no skeptics to jibe at the squareness
of the organized game after the
bitter series with the league-lead-
ing st. Louis Browns that the last
place Washington club took, three
lgames to one.
Here were the Mats going nowhere.
but they threw everything they had
including flsts-into the violent
action that marked the four r-game
set and just as earnestly the Browns
struggled futilely to stave off a
string of defeats that well may
blast their pennants chances.
The fist-f1inging that came as the
Mats were in the midst of a sew
entn-inning rally that got them a
3-to-0 win was the elimination of
a feud that had its inception in the
first meeting between the clubs in
Griff1th Stadium last May. Resent
ing the presence of Cubans in the
Washington lineup, the Browns
then resorted to hurling insults at
the players from the island and as
the season went on they extended
their remarks to others of the Mats.
Browns Breed Trouble
Perhaps over -enthused by their
amazing rise to prominence, the
Browns assumed rough-and-ready
attitude toward other rival clubs,
too. until every opponent has be-
come so infuriated it aims to make
the progress of the ST. Louis club
as rocky as possible. So from here
on the Browns fight for their first
American League championship
might easily become losing one.
After their double defeat here
Sunday, the Browns started wailing
They couldn't understand why the
Mats were playing against them so
desperately. They cried that the
Washington club had nothing to
gain, so why throw everything at
them? Manager Os Bluege's re-
tort was you'll win a pennant-
if you do"
And Bluege added, whatever YOU
get here you'll earn We're shooing
no club into a flag
All through last nights game up
to the fist fighting the Browns were
heaping insults on the Mats. Their
mildest was addressing them as So
and-so bush leaguers, according to
the Washington players.
Case Took Swing" Literally.
The pop-off came right after
Johnny Niggeling, who had pitched
a high-class game, shot a single to
left that mixed with a wild throw
toward the plate by AL Zarilla
resulted in the Mats getting their
second and third runs
Nelson Potter, the Browns pitcher
who up to that inning had done
keen bit of hurting himself, really
got red-necked When George Case,
attempting squeeze play to bring
Nlggeling home, bunted a ball that
hugged the first-base line, he sprint
ed toward the sack. Potter came
over for a play, but when a foul
was called he stopped to ask Case
according to the latter-"Why don't
you swing like man" The remark
Case said, afterward, wasn't quite so
polite.
Case took Potter literally on the
word swing and let the Browns
pitcher have one on the jaw. Pot
ter came back and in a twinkling
the entire squads of both clubs were
in the melee. Eddie Butks. reserve
first sacker who only recently re-
joined the Mats after tour of farm
work with Buffalo, led his side from
the bench and became engaged in
private brawl with Don Gutteridge,
Browns second baseman.
Potter Makes Apology.
For a couple of minutes fists were
flying everywhere with the three
umpires valiantly endeavoring to
quell the near riot. When peace
finally was restored, Case and Pot
ter were given their walking papers.
Whether they'll draw suspensions
is up to President William Harridge
of the American League. As the
race now stands. Potter's loss to the
Browns probably would be more Sc
we're than Cases removal from the
Washington scene
After the game, Potter went to
the Washington clubhouse and apol-
ogized to Case. The Rrowns'
pitcher admitted he had become
increasingly irked by the beatings
taken here by his club and simply
lost control of himself when he saw
the final game of the series slipping
away.
AS to the game, it was a brisk
duel between Niggeling and Potter
up to the Mats seventh. The
Browns had made five hits and re-
ceived three passes, but Niggeling
: had tossed in nine strikeouts. A
corking throw by Stan Spence that
cut down runner trying to go
from first base to third on a single
had curbed the Browns main
threat.
Niggeling Hit Big Help.
In their first six turns the Mats
made only three hits, two of those
bmts. But Fred Vaughn opened
their seventh with a safe bunt and
Gil Torres sacrificed. Sound sim
giles by Wes Ferrell, Johnny Sui
livan and Niggeling followed with
Zarilla making his bad return of
the third good hit to permit Sui
livan to reach home from first base
and Niggeling to gain third.
A sparkling catch by Jake Pow
ell, who succeeded Case in left field,
was needed, however, to keep the
Browns from the plate in the eighth.
Milt Byrnes, who had doubled, was
on third with two out when Vern
Stephens rammed a powerful liner
to left. A run appeared certain,
but Powell ran back to leap against
the open stand wall and drag down
the ball with one hand
The Mats simply played the
Browns to the hilt. Nothing was
handed the league leaders by the
tast-place club.